The Bianca C and more
Grenada Wreck Diving: The Bianca C and the Island's Other Wrecks
Grenada wreck diving is the reason many divers come to the island. It has more than a dozen diveable wrecks, from a shallow freighter for beginners to a 180-metre Italian cruise liner known as the Titanic of the Caribbean.
Why Grenada has so many wrecks
Grenada sits on old shipping routes between South America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic. Over the years, storms, fires, leaks and bad luck have sunk ships around its coast, and some vessels were sunk on purpose to create artificial reefs. The result is a wreck collection that dive writers often call the best in the Caribbean, and the island is widely promoted as its wreck diving capital.
The wrecks sit mostly off the south and southwest coasts, a short boat ride from the dive centers around Grand Anse and True Blue. Some lie in sheltered water close to shore. Others are out where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic, with current, open water and big fish.
The Bianca C
The Bianca C was an Italian cruise liner, roughly 180 metres (about 600 feet) long. In October 1961, while she was anchored off St. George's, a fire broke out in her engine room. Local people rowed out in small boats and helped rescue the passengers and crew. The ship burned for two days. On 24 October 1961, as she was being towed away from the harbour, the tow line parted and she sank off Grand Anse.
Grenada still remembers the rescue. The Christ of the Deep statue on the Carenage in St. George's was given to the island by the ship's owners in thanks for the help Grenadians gave on the night of the fire.
Today the Bianca C sits upright on a sandy bottom. Published depths vary, but the seabed is generally given as around 50 metres (about 165 feet), with the upper decks and the stern area shallower, at roughly 30 to 40 metres. The ship is so big that you will only see part of it on any one dive. Divers often visit the former swimming pool area, the promenade decks and the huge hull, now covered in corals, sponges and black coral, with schools of jacks and barracuda overhead and eagle rays and turtles passing by.
Who it's for: the Bianca C is an advanced dive. It is deep, it is often dived in current, and the descent is usually in open water. Most dive centers want advanced or deep training, recent experience and a dive computer, and many recommend nitrox. Penetrating the wreck is for trained, equipped wreck divers only.
Other Grenada wrecks
Veronica L All levels
A small cargo ship lying in shallow water, about 15 metres, off Grand Anse. It's the easiest wreck on the island and a good first wreck dive, with soft corals, sponges, moray eels and lots of small fish.
Shakem Intermediate to advanced
A cargo ship that sank carrying cement and now sits upright at about 30 metres. The crane, holds and bags of hardened cement make it very photogenic, and it is often covered in fish. Currents can be strong.
King Mitch Advanced
A former minesweeper that was later used as a cargo ship and sank in 1981. It lies on its side in roughly 33 to 37 metres, several miles offshore, and is known for strong currents, eagle rays, stingrays and reef sharks.
Hema 1 Advanced
A cargo ship that sank in rough seas in 2005 on the Atlantic side of the island. It sits at about 30 metres in open water, and it's only dived when conditions allow.
Training for wreck dives
An open water certification is enough for the Veronica L, but most Grenada wrecks are deeper than the 18 metres that open water divers are trained to. To dive the Shakem, King Mitch, Hema 1 or Bianca C, you will usually need advanced open water training, and for the deepest parts of the Bianca C a deep specialty. A nitrox certification lets you stay longer on the wrecks within no-decompression limits. Several dive centers in Grenada run these courses, so you can train early in your trip and dive the big wrecks later. The learn to dive in Grenada guide explains the options.
Diving the wrecks safely
- Dive with a local center that runs the wrecks often. They read the currents and know where to drop in.
- Plan your depth and gas: agree on a maximum depth and a turn pressure before you descend, and leave enough for a slow ascent and a safety stop.
- Carry a surface marker buoy, because drift ascents in open water are common.
- Don't take anything: the wrecks are heritage sites and homes for marine life.
- Leave time before flying: Divers Alert Network (DAN) recommends at least 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive and 18 hours after repeat dives or several days of diving, and at least 24 hours after a dive that needed decompression stops.
Between wreck dives, mix in some reefs: the Grenada dive sites guide covers the best of them, and the underwater sculpture park makes an easy, shallow dive after a deep morning. For seasons and logistics, see Grenada dive trip planning.
Grenada wreck diving: questions
How deep is the Bianca C?
Figures vary by source, but the seabed around the Bianca C is generally given as about 50 metres (165 feet), with the upper decks and stern area at roughly 30 to 40 metres. It is an advanced dive.
Which Grenada wreck is best for beginners?
The Veronica L, a small cargo ship in about 15 metres of water off Grand Anse, is the usual first wreck. It's shallow, close to shore and full of life.
Why is Grenada called the wreck diving capital of the Caribbean?
Grenada has more than a dozen diveable wrecks within a short boat ride of its dive centers, including the Bianca C, one of the largest wrecks open to recreational divers in the Caribbean. Dive writers and the island's tourism board often use the title.
Do I need nitrox to dive the Grenada wrecks?
No, but it helps. Nitrox gives you more time at wreck depths within no-decompression limits, and many dive centers offer it to certified divers. You can take the nitrox course in Grenada.
Not ready for the deep wrecks yet?
Get certified or step up to advanced and nitrox while you're on the island.