The Turks and Caicos Islands boast the third-largest coral reef system on the planet, with spectacular sport fishing, water sports and scuba diving throughout the archipelago.

Scuba diving

Here's what the experts at Scuba Diving magazine have to say:

Two chains of islands -- the Turks and the Caicos -- are perched atop a shallow bank, separated by a trench-like channel. Depths just offshore approach 12,000 feet, and this meeting place of deep and shallow means huge sponges, healthy corals, dense concentrations of life, and the occasional encounter with out-of-the-ordinary pelagics.

The first thing you notice on any island in the Turks and Caicos is how impossibly blue the water is, from vibrant turquoise to deep indigo, a vivid contrast to the lily-white sand. These luscious beaches rival any in the world, as do the islands' legendary reefs. A tranquil haven for divers, the Turks and Caicos -- a string of 40 small islands and uninhabited cays at the southernmost end of the Bahamas archipelago -- offer stunning walls, teeming schools of fish, 150-foot visibility, and maybe even a chance to swim with humpback whales.

To read the complete article, click here.

For details about underwater adventures in the Turks and Caicos Islands, click on this link.

Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands: Feel Like "Belonging"?
Turks and Caicos Islands: R&R Escapes
Travel Destinations

5/19/08