The Caves at Norman Island

Norman Island has fed treasure stories since the eighteenth century, reputedly seeding Stevenson's Treasure Island, and its three sea caves at Treasure Point keep the myth in working order. The caverns run back into the cliff at swimming depth, ceilings flickering with reflected light, walls dabbed with orange cup corals and sponges, and glassy sweepers pulsing in the dim inner rooms. Outside, the fringing reef slopes gently past parrotfish and angelfish territory. Most visitors snorkel it from charter boats; divers get the best of it early, before the day fleet arrives, poking lights into the recesses.

اللحظة التي جئت من أجلها: Swimmable treasure-lore caves, sweeper-filled inner chambers, easy reef outside

التضاريس: Rock shoreline with three shallow sea caves and fringing reef

نقطة الدخول: Moorings off Treasure Point; the caves themselves are snorkel-depth at the entrances.

المخاطر: Snorkeler and dinghy congestion at midday; gentle surge inside the caves on swell.

التصاريح والقواعد: National Parks Trust moorings; permits handled by operators and charter companies.