Pamir Wreck – South Coast – Carlisle Bay Marine Park

15m Max

18-32m Vis

boat

Site Overview

The Pamir is a 60-metre cargo vessel deliberately sunk in 1999 that has since become one of Barbados' richest and most-loved wrecks - a low, hard-coral-encrusted hull resting in a relaxed twelve to fifteen metres, equally at home as an easy recreational dive and as the island's premier macro-photography address. Colonised through every crevice, she is famous as a cleaning station where Caribbean reef sharks cruise the perimeter, while her nooks hide prolific longsnout seahorses, camouflage-perfect frogfish and Caribbean reef octopus that reward the patient torch-wielder. Because she sits shallow, warm and calm, divers can spend an unhurised hour working her structure close-up - which is precisely what makes the Pamir the wreck that camera-carrying divers return to again and again on any Barbados trip. Depths run from about 8 m at the shallowest point to 15 m at the deepest, with most of the dive spent near 13 m. Barbados is the easternmost Caribbean island, sitting where the Atlantic sweeps in to meet the calm Caribbean, and that convergence keeps its waters clear, warm and rich - the sheltered west and south coasts hold healthy reefs and a famed cluster of wrecks, turtles cruise the shallows year-round, and the deeper walls can turn up pelagics and the occasional shark.

Dive Briefing

“Descend the mooring onto a wonderfully easy wreck that lies entirely inside recreational depth - take your time and hover high, because the magic here is small and close. Work the crevices slowly with a soft torch for the seahorses, frogfish and octopus, and keep one eye on the open sand and blue where a reef shark may glide past on cleaning duty. Buoyancy discipline protects both the fragile coral coat and the critters; avoid stirring the sand as you back off for a shot. The divemaster sets the entry, mooring and ascent plan at the briefing - agree buddy signals, DSMB routine and safety-stop depth before you splash, and start the dive slowly to let the reef or wreck come into focus. Run a three-minute safety stop on the ascent, position clear of the boat if there is any drift, and signal your position with a DSMB on the way up. Conditions around Barbados vary with the season and tide, so confirm the day's plan with your local dive operator before you go”

Location

Pamir Wreck and 4 nearby dive sites in Barbados.