Dead Chest Island
A small uninhabited island off Peter Island, attached to a pirate story and a sea shanty line.
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Dead Chest is a small rocky island off the northern side of Peter Island, uninhabited and protected as a national park, and it carries a story: that Blackbeard marooned fifteen crewmen on it with a bottle of rum, which is where the line about fifteen men on a dead man's chest is supposed to come from. The story is almost certainly a later invention. The island is a seabird site and dive boats work the reefs and pinnacles around it.
What you actually see
- The rocky island - a small uninhabited outcrop off Peter Island.
- The pirate story - the marooning tale attached to the name.
- The seabird nesting - the colonies the island is protected for.
- The dive sites - the reefs and pinnacles around the shore.
When to go
December to May is the calmest for diving. Landing is not permitted. Hurricane season runs June to November.
Honest expectations
Landing on the island is prohibited; it is passed and dived rather than visited. The pirate story is folklore rather than record. There are no facilities.
Nearby
Peter Island is south, and Salt Island is east.
What to pack for Dead Chest Island
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
