P.O.S. (Cockroach Island) - Virgin Gorda & Anegada
Simons Town, or Chimney as some call it, is a decent enough dive if you're looking for something different in Bazaruto. It’s a shallow spot, topping out around 17 meters, and the main draw is the rock formations. You’ll find these large chimneys, riddled with cracks and crevices, where all sorts of smaller critters like hatchet fish and boxer snipe eels like to hang out. We've seen diamondback puffers tucked into the overhangs, and if you’re lucky, a green-eye spurdog might eye you from a dark corner. Visibility averages around 11 meters, so you'll want a good day to really appreciate the contours of the reef. It's a nice easy dive, good for taking your time and poking around.
- Location
- Virgin Gorda & Anegada, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.493800, -64.464800
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Cockroach Island
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)
- CHIKUZEN - 23m (wreck)
- Chimney (wall)
- Coral Gardens, Great Dog, BVI (reef)
- Corridors (drift)
- Flintstones (reef)
- Invisibles (reef)
- Kodiak Queen - 15m (wreck)
- Kodiak Queen (Wreck) (reef)
- RIO NEGRO - 2m (wreck)
- Shark Planes - 13m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to P.O.S. (Cockroach Island)
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 P.O.S. (Cockroach Island)
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