BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS – Breaking world records, including the record for
Atlantic Blue Marlin weighing 590 kilograms, the British Virgin Islands offers the most diverse fishing as well as the most constant source of marine life in the Caribbean. From “secret” fishing holes tucked into the shallow crevices of more than 60 islands to renowned deep water spots, the BVI provides fishermen fruitful waters to catch more than 160 varieties including wahoo, dolphin, tuna, king fish, marlin, tarpon and bonefish.
From the
largest island of Tortola creating the backbone of the Sir Frances Drake Channel and Virgin Gorda forming the eastern edge, to the smaller islands of Norman, Peter and Cooper speckling the south and Anegada dangling in the north, the cool waters that surround the islands of the BVI ensure that fish remain year-round rather than migrating. Another factor contributing to the abundance of fish is plentiful food supplies found in the form of baitfish with some schools measuring a quarter of a kilometre wide by a quarter of a kilometre long and eight meters deep. So rich,
Sperm whales migrating during mating season have even been known to make a pit stop to feast on the dense schools.
The most distinct type of fishing in the BVI is
fly fishing for bonefish -- a torpedo-shaped species (up to five kilograms in the BVI) that swims dead straight and can move as fast as 64 kilometres per hour when trying to elude fishermen, taking all 366 meters of line from the reel with them once hooked.
Unlike other types of fishing, all bone fishing in the BVI is
catch and release with some of the best spots located off the coasts of Jost Van Dyke, Beef Island, Marina Cay and Anegada, where the Anegada Reef provides unlimited shallow water flats.
Dressed in reef booties, trousers and of course a hat to block the sun, fishermen wade in up to one foot of water and only cast when they see the fish -- an easy task considering the remarkable clarity of
BVI waters. (Waters are so clear even depths of up to 12 meters are seen with remarkable precision).
Although one of the fastest growing sports, conservation is key in BVI bone fishing as charter companies rotate the flats fished in order to preserve the amount of fish. At any given time, there is rarely more than one boat docked along the shallows and so many
“secret spots” that a single charter can take visitors to a different spot every day for at least two weeks.
Deep-water fishing in the BVI, like flats fishing, is just as productive, offering record-breaking marlin and billfish at a profusion of deep-sea drop offs near the shores of Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and one of the largest by Peter Island measuring thousands of feet. Just 28 kilometres from Jost Van Dyke, the North Drop presents a steep change in depth that moves from 30 to 200 fathoms (366 meters) almost instantaneously and at its deepest point reaches 10,000 meters.
World-renowned for marlin that average 225 kilograms, the North Drop, is also home to yellowfin and blackfin tuna, wahoo, and dolphin. Just 30 minutes off the coast of the north-eastern end of Virgin Gorda, the South Drop is a blue marlin fishery with a topography of numerous peaks and valleys and dense “clouds” of baitfish that attract concentrations of marlins to the area.
The BVI, consistently recognized as one of the most
breathtaking destinations in the world and the undisputed
Sailing Capital of the World, presents 60 islands for exploring its secrets. The BVI is rich with the storied islands of Norman (the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island,”) Dead man’s Chest and Anegada, while the islands of Peter, Necker, and Guana anchor luxury resorts and sun worshippers find a haven on Jost van Dyke, Cooper Island and Virgin Gorda. Whether it is discovering the natural phenomena of The Baths or diving the Indians, Sandy Spit or the fabled Wreck of the Rhone, the BVI is bountiful with Nature’s Little Secrets.
To discover these secrets and create new ones, call the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board toll free: 800.835.8530 or visit
British Virgin Islands Tourist Board.
Read more on the British Virgin Islands.
Discover the island of Anegada
BVI Ecological Balance Preserving Nature's Little secrets.
Breaking World Records in the BVI
Islands of Luxury and Islands of Mystery
Jost Van Dyke Barefoot Beach and Island of Mystery.
