CHIKUZEN - Virgin Gorda & Anegada
The Chikuzen is a classic for a reason. This 74-meter steel trawler, sunk after a fire back in '81, lies flat on a sandy bottom at 23 meters. It's not a complicated wreck penetration, but that’s part of its charm. You can swim the whole length, admiring the sheer scale of it, the bow and stern still largely intact. What we love about the Chikuzen is the sheer volume of fish. We're talking tarpon that shadow you, nurse sharks lounging under ledges, and schools of horse-eye jacks so thick they dim the light. On a good day, the visibility can be 20 meters, letting you see the whole ship from above. It’s a photographer’s dream, particularly with the sun glinting off the metal and the fish swirling. Our tip: go slow, particularly around the mast and the bridge section. That’s where the bigger critters often hang out. This site is a proper Caribbean wreck dive, raw and unadorned, perfect for divers who appreciate history and an abundance of marine life.
- Location
- Virgin Gorda & Anegada, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.600000, -64.533330
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 23m
Marine Protected Area: Guana Island PA
Best Time to Dive in Virgin Gorda & Anegada
The warmest water temperatures in Virgin Gorda & Anegada occur in January, averaging 26.8°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 26.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.8°C (air: 25.6°C)
- February: 26.8°C (air: 25.3°C)
- March: 26.8°C (air: 25.3°C)
- April: 26.8°C (air: 25.8°C)
- May: 26.8°C (air: 26.9°C)
- June: 26.8°C (air: 27.6°C)
- July: 26.8°C (air: 27.9°C)
- August: 26.8°C (air: 28.2°C)
- September: 26.8°C (air: 28.4°C)
- October: 26.8°C (air: 28.1°C)
- November: 26.8°C (air: 27.3°C)
- December: 26.8°C (air: 26.4°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Virgin Gorda & Anegada
- Anegada
- ANNE E. ANDERSON - 5m (wreck)
- Bronco Billy
- Bronco Billy (reef)
- CAPTAIN ROKOS (ROCUS) - 5m (wreck)
- Chimney (wall)
- Coral Gardens, Great Dog, BVI (reef)
- Corridors (drift)
- Flintstones (reef)
- Invisibles (reef)
- Kodiak Queen - 15m (wreck)
- Kodiak Queen (Wreck) (reef)
- P.O.S. (Cockroach Island) (reef)
- RIO NEGRO - 2m (wreck)
- Shark Planes - 13m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to CHIKUZEN
Marine Life in Virgin Gorda & Anegada
Home to 462 recorded species including 371 reef fish, 39 hard corals, 11 sharks & rays, 9 other, 6 seagrass & algae, 6 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Barred Hamlet (Hypoplectrus puella) - Reef Fish
- Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) - Reef Fish
- Blushing Star Coral (Stephanocoenia intersepta) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for CHIKUZEN
Based on average water temperature of 26.8°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