Devil’s Kitchen - Salt Island & Cooper Island
Igo Nyoga sits a short boat ride from Kusu Island, offering a gently sloping reef that maxes out around 20 metres. We often find strong currents here, so it’s a drift dive for sure, but that usually means good pelagic action. The real draw is the shallows, absolutely packed with coral, particularly impressive stands of staghorn. Keep an eye out for Blacktip Reef Sharks patrolling the blue, and if you’re lucky, a Bumphead Parrotfish munching on the reef. It’s a lovely site for a relaxed drift, especially if you appreciate dense coral coverage and a chance at some bigger fish.
- Location
- Salt Island & Cooper Island, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.375100, -64.506300
- Type
- reef
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)
- Cistern Point - 10-30m (wall)
- Diamond Reef (reef)
- Dip n Scrub
- Dry Rocks East (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Devil’s Kitchen
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 Devil’s Kitchen
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