East Flower Garden Bank
Brain and star corals give this offshore salt-dome bank over 52% coral cover, rising 15-20 feet above nearby sand patches in some areas.
- Advanced
- Reef
- Whale sharks
Advanced≤30 m
West Flower Garden Bank
Dive site in Flower Garden Banks, United States
Over 52% coral cover dominated by brain and star corals, with bottlebrush black corals fairly common on the deeper reef.
- Usual dive
- 27 m
- Deepest point
- 40 m
- Level
- Advanced
- Best months
- Jul–Sep
- Entry
- Liveaboard
- Current
- Strong
Photo: National Marine Sanctuaries, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The story
Vessels up to 100 feet long can tie off to the sanctuary's surface mooring buoys instead of dropping anchor on the coral; buoys are first come, first served and can disappear in severe storms.
Source: flowergarden.noaa.gov
The dive
A reef dive from a liveaboard.
Who it's for
Advanced≤30 mSource: scubadiving.com
Recommended minimum: Advanced (PADI Advanced Open Water, N2).
- CurrentCurrent can be strong; you need good air management and buoyancy.
- DepthThe usual dive goes deeper than lower certifications allow.
- Strong current: dive with a local guide and carry a surface marker buoy.
- The site goes deeper than 30 m: Advanced divers stay above 30 m.
Conditions
- Dive type
- Reef
- Environment
- Open water
- Water
- Sea water
Why divers come
- Remote
Season in Flower Garden Banks
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Best months: Jul–Sep.
Source: scubadiving.comWhere is Flower Garden Banks?
The point shows the Flower Garden Banks area, not the exact dive site.
More dives in Flower Garden Banks
Stetson Bank
Siltstone pinnacles crusted with fire coral and sponges, home to the golden smooth trunkfish, found in only two places in the world.
- Advanced
- Wall
- Whale sharks
Wreck
down to 43 m
Kraken Wreck
A 371-foot cargo ship scuttled as an artificial reef, with nooks, crannies and swim-throughs to explore.
- Technical
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.
Photo credits
- East Flower Garden Bank dive site, Flower Garden Banks, National Marine Sanctuaries, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Stetson Bank dive site, Flower Garden Banks, National Marine Sanctuaries, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}