Caye Vétiver
An open-water reef, and giant spider crabs
Caye Vétiver is an open-water reef, meaning an isolated mass rising from the bottom with no connection to the shore.
An isolated reef, and what that changes
The top of the reef sits around seventeen metres, and the whole thing falls to about thirty. All around, it is blue.
An isolated mass works as an oasis: everything living nearby ends up passing through. That is why you meet big animals here, on a site that is not large.
Look under the rocks
Giant spider crabs live under the boulders. They do not move, they are the colour of rock, and nine divers out of ten swim past without seeing them.
Take the time to stop and light up under an overhang. It is the kind of encounter that costs only a little attention.
What level you need here
| Your level | What you can do here |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | The top of the reef, from 17 m |
| Level 2 and above | The whole mass, to around thirty metres |
With the summit already at seventeen metres, this site does not suit a try dive: there is no shallow area in which to take your time.
What you will meet
- Large pelagics, drawn by the isolated mass.
- Turtles.
- Shoals of porgies and batfish.
- Giant spider crabs, under the rocks.