Gingers Backside - Salt Island & Cooper Island
Larikai Point offers a relaxed wall dive right off St. Vincent. We begin shallow, maybe five or six metres, with plenty of gorgonians swaying in the gentle surge. The wall itself drops to around 14 metres, and it’s a good spot for spotting some of the smaller, interesting residents – we’ve seen Shark Nose Gobies poking out from crevices and Stippled Clingfish clinging to the rocks. Visibility here can vary, averaging about five metres, so it’s more about the macro life and colourful coral mosaics than sweeping vistas. It’s a solid choice for an easy afternoon dive, especially if you’re looking for a relaxed pace.
- Location
- Salt Island & Cooper Island, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.389000, -64.485600
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Ginger 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)
- Devil’s Kitchen (reef)
- Diamond Reef (reef)
- Dip n Scrub
Nearest Dive Centres to Gingers Backside
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 Gingers Backside
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