A new diving festival is coming back to the British Virgin Islands early next year, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

It’s called Wreck Week, and it will run from Feb. 12-18. 

The weeklong diving event was created to “generate interest and create a passion of the ocean in visitors and residents,” according to a statement from the BVI Tourist Board. 

The event focuses on the myriad shipwrecks in the BVI’s waters, from the RMS Rhone to the ruins of the original Willy T party boat. 

The BVI is partnering with a number of dive operators in the territory, including Dive BVI, Sail Caribbean Divers and Blue Water Divers, among others. 

“We at the BVI Tourist Board & Film Commission are excited about this opportunity to join with our industry partners and the community at large at BVI Wreck Week.  Marine and ecotourism events such as Wreck Week not only promote our diverse network of sites such as the RMS Rhone, Sharkplaneo, Willy T, and Kodiak Queen, as well as beautiful coral reefs, but it engenders an awareness of marine conservation.” 

The idea, according to Kim Huish, president of the BVI Scuba Association, is to turn Wreck Week into an “annual fixture which both guests and residents look forward to.”

Beyond the underwater excitement, the week will feature a number of above-ground events, like coastal cleanups, youth group meetups, quizzes and fundraisers — along with a demonstration by the BVI Heritage Dancers. 

For more, visit BVI Wreck Week.