North Sound

The North Sound is the shallow, reef-protected expanse of sea off the north-east coast of Antigua, dotted with low uninhabited islets and managed as a marine park to safeguard its reefs, mangroves, and seagrass. Sheltered behind a long outer reef, the water here is calm and clear for much of the year, which makes it the island's prime nursery for fish and its most relaxed place to get in the water. Several of the islets, including Great Bird Island, sit inside the same protected zone.

Its best-known attraction is the Stingray City sandbar, a shallow flat where habituated southern stingrays glide around visitors who stand on the sand to feed and stroke them. Around it, the seagrass meadows and patch reefs shelter parrotfish, sergeant majors, and the occasional turtle, while mangrove creeks along the shore act as a nursery for young fish and a roost for herons and pelicans.

The marine park also fringes Green Island, an islet at the mouth of Nonsuch Bay with quiet coves and good snorkelling. Day trips usually combine two or three stops: a snorkel over a patch reef, the stingray sandbar, and a beach landing on one of the islets. Because the whole area is protected, operators are expected to use mooring buoys rather than anchors and to keep wildlife handling to a minimum.

You explore the North Sound by boat, typically on a half-day catamaran or speedboat tour from the north-east coast. Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, and an underwater camera, and follow your guide's lead around the stingrays and reefs. Winter trade winds can bring rougher seas from December to February; check the forecast before heading out.