Cistern Point - Salt Island & Cooper Island
Cistern Point is exactly what we look for in a BVI wall dive: easy to navigate, great visibility, and loaded with those little details that make you want to slow right down. Dropping in, you'll feel the gentle sway of the open water, then the wall just… appears. It’s not a sheer, dramatic drop-off, more of a sloped, sponge-covered canvas that descends gracefully to around 30 metres. We love tracking the barrel sponges, some of them absolutely enormous, and peering into every crevice. That’s where you’ll find the lobsters tucked away, sometimes waving an antenna out. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff too; we’ve spotted Sharpnose Puffers darting about and even the elusive Nine-lined Goby here. It’s a great spot for intermediate divers who appreciate a relaxed drift along a healthy reef, with plenty of time to really observe the smaller inhabitants.
- Location
- Salt Island & Cooper Island, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.385000, -64.510000
- Type
- wall
- Maximum Depth
- 10-30m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Marine Protected Area: Cooper Island
Best Time to Dive in Salt Island & Cooper Island
The warmest water temperatures in Salt Island & Cooper Island occur in January, averaging 27.1°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.1°C (air: 25.5°C)
- February: 27.1°C (air: 25.1°C)
- March: 27.1°C (air: 25.2°C)
- April: 27.1°C (air: 25.7°C)
- May: 27.1°C (air: 26.8°C)
- June: 27.1°C (air: 27.6°C)
- July: 27.1°C (air: 27.8°C)
- August: 27.1°C (air: 28.1°C)
- September: 27.1°C (air: 28.3°C)
- October: 27.1°C (air: 28.0°C)
- November: 27.1°C (air: 27.1°C)
- December: 27.1°C (air: 26.3°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Salt Island & Cooper Island
- Alice in Wonderland, BVI (reef)
- Alice in Wonderland, BVI (cenote)
- Angelfish Reef (muck)
- Angelfish Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Beata - 25m (wreck)
- Blue Chromis Reef (reef)
- Blue Chromis Reef (reef)
- Cane Garden Bay (reef)
- Carval Rock
- Chromis Reef (middle) (reef)
- Cistern Point (reef)
- Devil’s Kitchen (reef)
- Diamond Reef (reef)
- Dip n Scrub
- Dry Rocks East (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Cistern Point
Marine Life in Salt Island & Cooper Island
Home to 504 recorded species including 410 reef fish, 39 hard corals, 13 sharks & rays, 9 other, 7 whales & dolphins, 6 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Blushing Star Coral (Stephanocoenia intersepta) - Hard Corals
- Barred Hamlet (Hypoplectrus puella) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Cistern Point
Based on average water temperature of 27.1°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories