Named for the hard and rugged rock known locally as Ironshore — so sharp that islanders' cowhide Wompers shoes offered little protection — Ironshore Gardens sits behind one of these dramatic outcroppings. At first glance the site appears a chaotic mess of ridges, canyons, arches, tunnels, and overhangs, but it is more straightforward than it looks. Parallel steep-sided north-south running ridges and canyons are connected by swim-throughs, allowing divers to work through the whole site without ever doubling back on themselves.

Ask your captain why one of the tunnels is called The Throat — and watch them smile as they decide whether to tell you. The cavern leading to it is often full of Glassy Sweepers, see-through fish whose shiny sides catch narrow beams of light and create an incredible display in the confined space. The tops of the ridges are shallow and make for a picturesque safety stop, with large Acropora formations of both Staghorn and Elkhorn coral worth spending time admiring before surfacing. Ironshore Gardens also boasts vast numbers of fish, rays, and crustaceans, disproving any myth that topography-rich sites are light on marine life.