Cades Reef
Antigua and Barbuda · Antigua and Barbuda
Cades Reef is Antigua's longest barrier reef, stretching nearly 3 kilometres along the island's southwest coast and offering a mosaic of shallow gardens, overhangs, and moderate-depth walls that rarely exceed 18 metres. Nurse sharks aggregate in sandy channels between the coral spurs, and the reef's protected status under Antigua's marine park designation has allowed elkhorn and staghorn corals to recover visibly over the past decade. Sergeant majors, queen parrotfish, and dense schools of blue tang sweep across the spur-and-groove terrain in near-constant motion.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 18 m
Good for beginners
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
12 to 22 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 31°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 18 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch
Last confirmed Jun 19, 2026 · 63 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Bananaquit
Last confirmed Apr 10, 2026 · 53 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Carib Grackle
Last confirmed May 21, 2026 · 61 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Watts' Anole
Last confirmed Mar 2, 2026 · 10 records
Very likely
Most dives
Cuban Brown Snail
Last confirmed Mar 10, 2026 · 10 records
Very likely
Most dives
Nurse Shark
Last confirmed Jan 31, 2024 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Queen Parrotfish
Last confirmed Jan 31, 2024 · 4 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Elkhorn Coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear