If you keep up with news in the diving industry, you have probably heard about the newest shipwreck in the British Virgin Islands. Business magnate, investor, and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson’s latest venture is an underwater art installation sunk aboard the Kodiak Queen.

The Kodiak Queen is one of five surviving ships from the attack on Pearl Harbor during WWII, and will soon be added to the list of many sunken ships/artificial reefs in the British Virgin Islands. The vessel will be sunk just south of Mountain Point off the island of Virgin Gorda. This site has been coined as the “BVI Art Reef”. This wreck will not only be a stellar dive site but will also carry a larger message regarding marine health issues in the Caribbean. Coral restoration, grouper rehabilitation, and youth swim education are just a few of the projects that the BVI Art Reef plans to administer.

“This ship will quickly become a premier dive site, perhaps even rivaling the Rhone as an internationally recognized attraction”
–Clive Petrovic, ARK Founding Member, Marine Biologist & Environmental Consultant

Now, let’s get to what you are all wondering… Will SeaTrek BVI be diving it this summer? Absolutely! Weather permitting, we are working this dive site into our schedule. We can’t wait to take our students to explore this new site. The wreck will include an 80-foot long Kraken sculpture along with many other art installations. The Kodiak Queen will also have multiple swim-throughs for divers to explore.

To SeaTrek, this is way more than just a new dive site. We can’t contain the excitement surrounding this new wreck but are also using it as a learning opportunity for our students. As this is a shipwreck including swim-throughs, it will require more advanced diving techniques. Though this is nothing new to us at SeaTrek, this wreck will push our divers in their comfort and skill levels. But, we are up for the adventure! We are also excited to see how the various conservations projects progress through the years. Hopefully, the BVI Art Reef will be incorporated into our marine science program in the future.

Stay tuned for more exciting news regarding the Kodiak Queen and the BVI Art Reef