Blue Channel
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
Blue Channel is a shallow adventure playground: a crooked lane of sand walled by coral, ducking under arches and past little cavelets on its way out toward the reef edge. The enclosed feel concentrates life — squirrelfish and glassy sweepers pack the overhangs, a resident green moray works the crevices, and spotted drums flutter in the undercuts like dropped ribbons. Because it tops out near five meters, it doubles as a superb night dive and a long, unhurried second tank. Local divemasters treat it as the island's best odds for finding toadfish and octopus on one dive.
The moment you come for: Coral arches and cavelets, dense overhang life, first-rate night diving in easy depth.
Topography: A winding sand-floored channel cut through the shallow reef flat, roofed in places by coral arches.
Entry: Just off West End; also reachable as an ambitious shore dive from some beaches.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Mild surge through the arches on swell days.
Conservation: Marine-park waters; the swim-throughs are fragile — go single file and touch nothing.
Who you'll meet
Great Barracuda
Green Sea Turtle
Lionfish
Porcupinefish
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★☆☆ · Macro: ★★★★☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting