Tugboat Beach

A small tugboat sits upright on the sand in about five metres of water a short swim from the beach on the inner side of Caracas Bay, encrusted with coral and sponge, and because it is so shallow it is one of the few wrecks anywhere that snorkellers see as well as divers do. Beyond it the bottom drops into a wall that runs along the peninsula. The beach itself is small, coarse and usually busy with dive groups.

The landscape

• The tugboat - a small wreck upright in around five metres of water.
• The encrustation - coral and sponge growth covering the hull.
• The wall - the drop-off just beyond the wreck along the peninsula.
• The shallow access - a wreck reachable by snorkellers, not only divers.

When to go

Year round; mornings are clearest before groups stir the sand. Calm days are best for visibility. It is busy through the middle of the day.

Before you go

The beach is small, rocky and crowded with dive groups. Silt stirred by fins reduces visibility as the day goes on. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Fort Beekenburg is at the point, and Spanish Water is inland.