Coral Gables - Providenciales
Coral Gables offers a pleasant drift along a sloped reef that eventually meets the Turks and Caicos wall. We often find ourselves gliding over stretches of sand punctuated by impressive coral heads, where schools of grunts and snapper like to hang out. The gentle slope makes it easy to manage your depth, making it a good spot for a relaxed dive, especially if you’re looking for a comfortable drift without too much exertion. Keep an eye out for larger groupers tucked into the coral stacks as you make your way down. It’s a solid choice for a second dive or an easy morning start.
- Location
- Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 21.795000, -72.345000
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Pigeon Pond and Frenchman's Creek
Best Time to Dive in Providenciales
The warmest water temperatures in Providenciales occur in January, averaging 26.4°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 26.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.4°C (air: 25.1°C)
- February: 26.4°C (air: 24.8°C)
- March: 26.4°C (air: 24.9°C)
- April: 26.4°C (air: 25.5°C)
- May: 26.4°C (air: 26.8°C)
- June: 26.4°C (air: 28.0°C)
- July: 26.4°C (air: 28.4°C)
- August: 26.4°C (air: 28.6°C)
- September: 26.4°C (air: 28.7°C)
- October: 26.4°C (air: 28.3°C)
- November: 26.4°C (air: 27.1°C)
- December: 26.4°C (air: 25.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Providenciales
- ALEGRIA NO.1 - 0m (wreck)
- Awesome
- BOKADO III - 5m (wreck)
- CESSNA 182 - 2m (wreck)
- COPPEDGE NO.4 - 1m (wreck)
- Coral Gardens Snorkling Trail (reef)
- CORDION - 5m (wreck)
- DANY V - 9m (wreck)
- East Reef (reef)
- Football Field - 50-70fsw
- Golden Rock (reef)
- Grouper Hole - 21m
- Half Mile Reef - up to 85fsw (reef)
- HERALD - 1m (wreck)
- HERMIGUA - 10m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Coral Gables
Marine Life in Providenciales
Home to 127 recorded species including 105 reef fish, 16 hard corals, 2 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 whales & dolphins, 1 other, 1 octopus & squid.
Notable Species
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Blackfish (Melichthys niger) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Blueman (Scarus vetula) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- Bluestriped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) - Reef Fish
- Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for Coral Gables
Based on average water temperature of 26.4°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 26°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