When the captain announces Black Rock Reef, watch the reactions of regular divers as their faces light up — it is a popular site. Sitting closer to shore than its sister site Black Rock Drop-Off, the area offers a beautiful combination of sandy channels, rolling coral gardens, shallow hardpan, and freestanding coral heads separated by narrow channels. Right below the boat is where the most action happens, with large schools of Bermuda Chubb, Yellowtail Snapper, Barracuda, and countless more species filling the water around the low ridges and coral heads.

A short swim north brings divers to rolling coral gardens where a resident school of color-changing Caribbean Reef Squid can often be found swimming in formation. If approached too closely, they turn vibrant white and wave their tentacles in a defensive display. Further north still, a vast expanse of sand fades into the deep blue of the wall. An impressive giant barrel sponge clings dramatically to the long coral ridge — appearing to balance precariously, it is a striking sight.