caribbean dive guide 2012

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Caribbean Dive Guide 2012www.caribbean.co.uk


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Few destinations rival the Caribbean for the

variety and calibre of its diving . Theressomething for everyone from shal low reef divesto spectacular wal l dives and wrecks, with an

array of marine life including manta rays, reef

sharks and sea turt les. Continu e reading tof ind out more about w hat s on offer in thisamazing region.

Contents

The Caribbean TourismOrganisation (UK)The Caribbean Tourism Organisation is aninternat ional development agency, whichrepresents 34 Caribbean coun tries, and assiststhem to work towards the deve lopment o f asustainable tour ism programme through outthe region.

The UK chapter is a pr ivate publ ic sectorpartnership represent ing m ore than 1 20 travelrelated companies - f rom air l ines and cruiselines, to tour operators, hotel representatives,dest inat ions and tour ist at tract ions. Al l ourmem bers are dedicated professionals w ill ing toshare their expert ise and provide valuableassistance to travellers and travel organisers,making travel plans to the Car ibbean.

For addit ional brochures or mo reinform ation on t he Caribbean,

call us on 020 8948 0057or visi t our w ebsite:

www.caribbean.co.uk

Produced on behalf of th e Caribbean Tourism Organ isation (UK) by GSTravel Publishing Tel: 0170 2 306935 , printed by Precision Printing .Front cover images courtesy of Cuba Tourist Board (main im age), Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authorit y, Bermuda Departm ent of Tourism,

British Virgin Islands Tourist Board, Curacao Tourist Board,Puerto Rico Tourism Company (images from left to right).

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Things to Consider 4

Anguilla / Ant igua & Barbuda / Aruba 6

Baham as / Barbados / Belize 7

Ber mu da / Bo na ir e / Br it ish Vi rg in Isl an ds 8

Caym an Islands / Cuba / Curaao 9

Domin i ca / Domin ican Repub li c / Grenada 10

Guadeloupe Islands / Guyana / Hait i 11

Jam aica / M art inique / M ontserrat 12

N evis / Pu ert o Rico / Sain t Bart hl em y 1 3

St . Eust at ius / St . Kit ts / Sain t Lucia 14

St. M aarten / Saint M artin /

St. Vincent & The Grenadines 16

Surinam e / Trinidad & Tobago /

Turks & Caicos Islands 18

U.S. Virgin Islands / Venezuela 19

Caribbean Tourism Organisation (UK) Members

(Airlines, Cruise Lines, Hotels/Representatio n

and Tour Operat ors) 20

Airline A llow ances 21

Nat ional Tourist Offices 22

Hotels & Resorts 23


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Things to Consider Do not dive 24 hours before any f light or any journey high into m ountains

to avo id the risk of d epression sickness, otherw ise know n as the Bends.

Take the minimum d ive gear you need to cut dow n on bulk and w eight.Dive centres and liveaboards usually rent out diving equipment such as aw etsuit , tank, regulator (what you use to breathe) and w eight belt . I t isworth checking before you travel, as you may need to reserve in advance.Finding a comfortably f i t t ing m ask can be dif f icul t , so m aybe take yourown, as well as fins and a snorkel, or plan to buy them there so you cansnorkel whenever you want. Also take your dive computer i f you haveone.

Take a shower-proof l ightw eight top. I t can get chi l ly i f i t rains wh i le youare speeding alon g in a boat, even in the Caribbean. A thin w etsuit alsoprovides protection against grazes from sharp coral, wrecks and rocksand also gives some insulat ion i f you are diving repeatedly or dow n todeeper and colder levels.

Ensure the dive centre at your destination is licensed by or affil iated to adiv ing o rgan isatio n such as PADI, NAUI, BSAC, CM AS or SSI. Bett er still ifit h as a higher rati ng like PADI 5-star or Go ld Palm Resort.

Find ou t if t here is a hyperbaric cham ber near your int ended resort, incase of an emergency that w ould require imm ediate recompression.

Perhaps do some tuition at a dive centre in the UK before your trip, to cutdow n on the studying needed on hol iday and speed up qual i f icat ion t imeonce there. Alterna tively, find ou t if your int ended resort offers PADIFastrack, which al low s you to complete the th eory element before youarrive in the resort.

Do some homew ork before you go by checking w ebsite feedback on thedive centre or destinat ion. Once there, speak to div ers as they com e offthe boat. They wi l l be able to tel l you how good the diving is, andwhether the dive centre follows eco-friendly practices such as notal lowing corals or shel ls to b e picked up and not damaging reefs byanchoring on reefs.

Pick a centre w hich doesnt pack too m any divers ont o its dive boats. Youare likely to get more personal attention, and fewer divers will cause lessstress to the reef.

Look but dont touch. Even a wayw ard f in kick or accidental brushagainst a reef wi l l damage th e del icate organisms.

Diving in th e Caribbean is year-round. The regions climat e varies thou ghnot to any great extent, with average dai ly air temperatures a constant27C to 3 1C. The rainy season slightly varies from country t o coun try,

but general ly f rom June to November the w eather is usual ly more hum idw ith rainfal ls in short sharp bursts. Although sunshine and hightemperatures are prevalent throughou t t his per iod, as in al l t ropicalclimat es, extrem e w eather conditio ns can prevail. Durin g this periodsome tropical depressions can develop to tropical storms and hurricanes.In the event, although a specific Caribbean island or country is located ini ts path, much of th e region may not be affected at al l .

No vaccinat ions are required w hen visi t ing the Car ibbean and healthcertif icates are rarely needed these days. Health precautio ns shoul d betaken, however, when visiting the interior of certain countries, like Haiti,Belize, Guyana, Surinam e and Venezuela. Wear lon g tro users and shirtsanyway at night and use insect repellent to avoid bi tes, as a t ightw etsuit and seawater might aggravate them.

Use the Internet to ob tain addit ional info rmation.Visit www.caribbean.co.uk, the official website of the Caribbean TourismOrganisation, which provides a comprehensive link to all destinations andfacilit ies available in the region. Furthermore, w w w.padi.com offersinform ation on PADI Dive Centres and Resorts in the Caribbean.

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OtherperfectCaribbeandivedestinationsweoffer:

AntiguaBahamasBarbados

BritishVirginIslandsCaymanIslandsCocosIslandsCostaRica

CubaDominicanRepublic

JamaicaMexico,CancunandCozumelStLuciaStMaarten,SabaandStKittsTheGrenadinesTrinidadandTobagoTurksandCaicos


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Antigua & BarbudaAntigua & Barbuda Tourism AuthorityVictoria Hou se, 4th Floor Victoria Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1 JR T: 01245 707 471

E: [email protected] W : www.visitantiguabarbuda.co.uk

ArubaAruba Tourism Authorit y

c/o The Saltmarsh Partnership, The Copperfields, 25D Copperfield Street, London SE1 0EN

T: 020 7928 1600 E: [email protected] W: www.aruba.com

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AnguillaAnguilla Tourist Board

Suite 11, Parsons Green House, 27 31 Parsons Green Lane, London SW6 4HH

T: 020 7736 6030 E: info@anguil la-tourism.com W : www.anguil la-vacation.com

Sister islands in t he Leewards, Ant igua and Barbuda areset on a shallow bank and encircled by reefs of soft andhard corals. Ant igua also has some b arrier reefs andoffshore ledges, while there are shipwrecks off bothislands, notably Barbuda which has over 200shipwrecks.

M ost d iving is off Antigua. Its wel l -developed tour ismindustry has also spawned an established diving scene.

Popular sites include Cades Reef, a barrier reef of f t hesouthwest t ip now part of a m arine park, and SunkenRock off the south coast with ledges, steep drop-offs

and gullies.Type of diving: Reef dives, mainly in relat ively shallowwater off An tiguas west coast. The south coast off ersdeeper dives for more experienced divers, with depthsexceeding 100 feet in places, and large rock formations,valleys, ledges and drop-offs providing an opportunity tosee larger fish. Barbudas many shipw recks and reefsare relatively little dived.

Highlights: Diverse and colourful reefs with sea fansand other gorgonians, hard corals, sponges and many

fish. Rock form ation s off southern Ant igua. Dive sitesare mostly minutes away by boat.

M arine li fe : Shallow reefs provide an excellent habitatfor small reef fish. Other fish life often seen around thereefs includes parrotfish, angelfi sh, groupers, lobstersand moray eels while offshore reefs and deeper divesoffer larger species including blacktip reef sharks,turt les, stingrays, barracuda and nu rse sharks.

Dive centres:Indigo Divers w ww .indigo-divers.com

Jolly Dive www.jollydive.com

Dive Antigua w ww .diveantigua.com

Dockyard Divers www.dockyard-divers.com

Dive Barbuda Tel: 001 268 783 7243

Website :www.visi tantiguabarbuda.co.uk

Photog raph courtesy of Antigua &Barbuda Tourism Authority

A coral and l imestone island w ith long w hite-sandbeaches, Anguilla has a double reef system with fringingcoastal reefs, and others reaching to and surroundingoffshore cays.

The fringing reefs are rich in soft corals while the outerreefs are home to hard species including giant brain,elkhorn and plaque corals.

There are seven marine parks includ ing t he Stoney Bay

Marine Park, Anguillas first underwater heritage siteprotecti ng t he site of t he El Buen Consejo, a Spanishgal leon that ran aground and sank in 1772.

There are also modern shipw recks. Nine ships wereintentional ly sunk in the Eighties and Nineties to provideartificial reefs for divers to explore and as habitats forcorals and fish. Storm s have taken their to ll on some,but m ore are being sunk.

Type of diving: M ainly shal low dives on i ts offshoreand fringing reefs, with coral gardens and formations,mini w alls, ridges, canyons and t unnels, plus its wrecks.There is little sea current at most sites, which makes itideal for novices. Sites suit from n ovice to experienced

divers. The largest o f Angu illas arti ficial reefs, the Sarah or ig in al ly a h ur ri can e v ict im sit s i n 80 fe et of w at erw ith i ts top 30 feet from the surface.

Highlights: The w recks and it s marine p arks. Visitingdivers can take guided tours of the Spanish galleon sitethrough local dive centre Shoal Bay Scuba andWatersport s. There are stil l many artefact s on the siteincluding coral-encrusted cannons and smaller objectssuch as jewellery and coins, which divers are allowed to

pick up but not remove.

M arine li fe : Abundant soft and hard corals and seafans are home to a wide variety of reef fish. Groupers,sharks, turtles, eagle rays and b arracuda can be seen inand around the wrecks and canyons.

Dive centres: There are 3 div e centres on Ang uilla,offering courses and equipment rental.

Angui l l ian Divers ww w.angui l l iandiver.com

Shoal Bay Scuba www.shoalbayscuba.com

Special D Diving and Charters 001 264 235 8438

Website : w ww .angui l la-vacation.com

Less than 20 miles off South Americas northern coast, Aruba is oneof the diving g ems of the Caribbean. Virtually all diving is off its southand w est coasts, and many of the more t han 40 dive sites areaccessible from the shore, including wrecks and deep dives.

Of its w recks the Antilla, a 400-foot wartim e German casualty,is the largest w reck in th e Caribbean. Now festooned with coralsand tube sponges, it is just 60 feet and is easy and safe diving.It is also an excellent night dive. Other wrecks include tw o pairsof aircraft.

Aruba has some excellent reefs on its sheltered western side inshallow and deep w ater.

Type of diving: Wreck dives to suit all levels from novice(another wartim e victim, the t orpedoed oil tanker Pedernalis in 35feet of water) t o experienced (the California, in oft en choppy seas

and strong currents off t he northern tip). Reef dives range indepth from 20 feet dow n to 12 0 feet. A noted site is Mikes Reef, wit hits huge clusters of gorgonians, brain and star coral, and purple andorange sponges.

Drift dives are popular on sites including De Palm Slope, with banksof corals sloping dow n to great depths, and Santana Reef off t hesouthern end. For experienced divers there is the profusely populat edCabez Reef, below the rough seas and currents off the southeast tip.

Highlights: Abundance of soft and hard corals, many sitesaccessible from shore dives. Great drift dives. Good w recks forall abilities and snorkellers, so non-diving partners can enjoythem too.

Excellent night dives, one of the best being a seasonal event inSeptember and October to w atch coral spawning on PosChiquito Reef. Watching nurse sharks snoozing in caves off thesoutheast point a dive for the experienced. Accessibility tothe caves is dependent on sea state and currents, with autumnbest. Leatherback turtles visit in M arch to nest and feed onAruba s sea grass. Visiting di vers can join lo cals to help cleanup dive sites during Julys Reef Care weekend.

Marine l i fe : Extensive variety of soft and hard corals,gorgon ians, anemon es and sponges. Fish include typical reef

species such as parrot fish, angelf ish, snappers, groupers,moray eels and many others. Wrecks attract schooling fishand barracudas, four species of turtl e and nurse sharks.

Dive centres: Aruba has about a dozen diving operators withcentres along t he w estern coast including a number based athotels including the Marriott Aruba. All offer tuition.

Website: ww w.aruba.com

Photog raph courtesy of Anguilla Tourist Board

Photog raph courtesy of Aruba Tourism Authority


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Encompassing one of the w onders of the undersea world the secondlargest barrier reef in the wo rld and th ree of the four coral atolls in theWestern Hemisphere, Belize is diving at its very best which has beendesignated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

M uch of its underwater heritage is now protected, so many reefsand sites are in pristine condition. Add in warm year-round watertemperatures, water visibility frequently exceeding 100 f eet andspectacular diving locations alive with f ish and marine life of alltypes, hues and sizes and it is no wo nder w hy it is becoming sucha popular diving destination.

There are more than 100 dive and snorkelling sites off i ts threeatolls, countless sites along t he length of t he barrier reef andmany of t he small islands know n as cayes w hich dot thecoastline have their ow n reefs.

Type of diving: Diving is generally from resorts on the cayesor liveaboard dive boats. Belize has everything from sheer w allslined with sponges to pinnacles, ledges, gullies, caverns and caves,coral gardens and strange coral formations called faroes. There are alsoa few wrecks. April to June has the most predictable w eather. The wi ndyseason is winter, when northerly w inds can produce swells that makediving diff icult on exposed shores. But the barrier reef makes for calmwaters for most of the year. Shallow dives suit beginners, whi le the walldiving, w recks and caves will appeal to experienced divers.

Highlights: The 185-mile Belize Barrier Reef, now a WorldHeritage Site. Another uniq ue dive site is the Blue Hole atLighthouse Reef, the w orlds largest ocean sinkhole at over1,000 feet in diameter and more than 400 feet deep with acavern filled w ith huge stalactites and stalagmites. It is a divefor th e very experienced. Hol Chan Ma rine Reserve, Belizes firstmarine park established in 198 7, has caves and grott oes full oftrop ical fish, moray eels, snappers and rays. Nearby dive siteShark Ray Alley is so-named because of the large numbers ofrays and nurse sharks that congregate there. Other protectedareas include Half Moon Caye, Glovers Reef and Bacalar Chico.

Marine life : Prolif ic. The count ry has over 70 species of coraland about 400 species of fish. Turtles, rays, sharks and otherlarge pelagics are a frequent sight of f the barrier reef wall andoth er areas. M anatees can be seen at Turneff e Islands. Belize isalso one of the few places in the w orld regularly visited by thehuge but harmless whale sharks. They gather at Gladden SpitReef every March to June.

Dive centres: Belize has more th an 20 d ive centres fromAmbergris Caye in the north t o Punta Gorda in the south and onouter at olls. Some resorts, hotels and lodges catering t o diversare located along t he coast and on the off shore cayes and atolls.

Website: ww w.travelbelize.org

The Islands of The Bahamas stretch more than 750 m iles across 100,000 square m ilesof ocean and offer a remarkably var ied an d extensive experience for divers, includingthe magnif icent w al ls (underwater cl i f fs) . The nat ions very name comes from theSpanish baja m ar, which m eans shal low sea and apt ly descr ibes the fact that mo stislands are on tw o shal low bank s the Li t t le Bahama Bank and the Great BahamaBank.

Depths on the banks rarely exceed about 30 feet, but th ey are bounded bytrenches that plunge thousands of feet dow n and give r ise to some of themost excit ing d ives.

Reefs including the third longest barr ier reef in the world, oceanic andinland blue holes, caves, blue-water diving, vertical walls, wrecks, shark-feeding The Bahamas is almost in a class of i ts own and has some ofthe very best diving the Caribbean has to offer.

Type of diving : You name i t an d The Bahamas probably has i t . Most ofthe abundant diving around the 16 main islands is relat ively shal low oncoral reefs and gardens, rock formations and w recks with diving below 100feet off t he cont inental shelf and trenches such as The Tongue of the Ocean deepbetween N ew Providence and Andros islands. The Bahamas is ideal for learning andfor novice divers, but i t also has plenty of chal lenging and even extreme diving toplease the most experienced. Liveaboards sai l around The Bahamas and include theAqua Cat, Blackbeards and Cat Ppalu.

Highlights: The Bahamas has over 1,000 regular ly dived si tes and is know n for i tsspeciality dives. For examp le, divers can enjoy shark close-ups and shark-f eedingdives at several places including Stuart Coves on New Providence, Small Hope Bay

BarbadosBarbados Tourism Authorit y263 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7LA

T: 020 7299 7175 E: btauk@vis itbarbados.org W: www.vis itbarbados.co.uk

BelizeBelize Tourism Board

64 Regen t Street, P.O. Box 325 , Belize City, Belize

T: 00 501 227 2417 E: info@t ravelbelize.org W : ww w.travelbelize.org

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The BahamasBahamas Tourist Office

10 Chesterf ield Street, London W 1J 5JL

T: 020 7355 0800 E: [email protected] W: www.bahamas.co.uk

Photog raph courtesy of Baha mas Tourist Office

Photog raph courtesy of Belize Tourism Board

on Andros and Stel la Maris on Long Island. You can even have a go at feedingthem yourself , sui tably adorned w ith chain-mai l gloves after undergoingappropr iate tui t ion. You can also dive with dolphins off Grand Bahama Islandwith the Unexso dive centre as wel l as Bimini Undersea on the island ofBimini. Wrecks are another speciali ty and th ose off Nassau include onesf i lmed for several Bond f i lms. Andros has the 140-mile- long Andros Barr ierReef and a wal l plun ging from 70 feet to more than 6 ,000 feet into the Tongueof the Ocean ( the 185-foot non-decompression Over the Wall dive at SmallHope Bay is an adrenal in buzz) plus ocean and inland blue ho les.

Marine l i fe : Many types of coral and sponges on reefs populated w ith reeffish including groupers, parrotfish, snappers and stingrays, with lobsters, crabsand a var iety of other marine l i fe on w recks, wal ls and rock formations. Sharkfeeding is usual ly with Caribbean reef sharks close to shore. Many other sharkspecies can also be seen, including Si lky sharks on blue-water dives. March t oMay is a go od t ime to see large pelagic (ocean-going) f ish in open w ater.Dolphins and w hales can also be seen from d ive boats.

Dive centres: 30 di f ferent dive dest inat ions spread across the 16 m ainIslands of The Bahamas offer over 1000 regular ly dived si tes - with thousandsmore wait ing to b e discovered. Night dives, reef, shark, wal l , dr i f t , wreck andblue hole diving sat isfy the di f fer ing tastes of the m ost discerning diver. Theexcitement is not just underw ater, on shore the pulse quickens to the fast paceof Nassau or slows r ight down to a snai ls pace in the tranqui l l i ty of the OutIslands.

Website : ww w.bahamas.co.uk

Barbados is generally good for diving all year round, butsummer mont hs produce the best opport unit ies fordiving on the north and east sides of the island.Visib i l i ty ranges betw een 40ft - 70ft (13m - 23m)average, up to 100ft (33m) in summer. Watertemperature is fairly constant at 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fringe, barrier and patch reefs offer diving up to twomiles off the w est coast. The west also has a number ofwrecks including a large Greek freighter, the Stavonikita,wh ich was sunk in 1978 to form an art i f icia l reef in 120feet of water.

Type of diving: Shal low to m edium-depth reefs andwrecks to sui t novice and int ermediate divers, wit h moreadvanced dives for experienced divers. Barbados is agood place to learn, and novices can also enjoy nightdives on some of the shallow reefs and wrecks.

Highlights: The Stavronikita or Stav as it is knownlocally, is the most famous wreck in Barbados and is stil lrelatively intact . It l ies in the Folkeston e Marine Parkand is less than half a mile from the shore.

M arine li fe : Fish, corals, sponges and gorgoni ans areabundant on the reefs, while black coral, sea whips andsponges adorn the wrecks. Reef dwellers includew rasse, yellowt ail snappers, parrotfish, turt les, morays,barracuda and numerous smaller tropical fish. Frogfishand seahorses can be seen at places such as CarlisleBay, which is good for beginners.

Dive centres: There are more t han a do zen divecentres along the west coast and south coast as well asdiving operations at a num ber of hot els, includingBarbados Blue at The Hilto n, Reefers & W reckersWest Side Scuba and Dive High Tide Barbados.

Barbados has one decompression chamber, which issi tuated at St. Ann's Fort, midw ay between t he majordive si tes and is staffed around the clock by t w o fu l ltime doctors, trained in hyperbaric medicine and backedby defen ce Force personnel.

Website : w ww .visitbarbados.co.uk

Photo graph courtesy of Barb ados Tourism Authority


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With more than 60 coral-fringed islands, the BVI offers a wealthof dive opport uniti es. There are more than 100 di ve sites includingnumerous shipwrecks, and diving to suit all levels of ability.

But its biggest claim to fame is the w reck of the Rhone, the f i lminglocation f or iconic 1976 divi ng mov ie The Deep. It i s the BVIs mostpopular dive site and rated one of the best wreck dives in theCaribbean. The steam and sail Royal Mail ship sank afterbeing dashed against t he rocks of Salt Island in a hurricanein 1867 and now lies on its side in water f rom 20 t o 80 feetdeep, its relatively intact remains encrusted with marinegrowth .

Type of diving : Many reefs are in fairly shallow , shelteredwat er so are ideal for learners and novices. But there aredeeper reefs offering more challenging dives down to below

100 feet w ith p innacles, ledges, canyons and overhan gs.Wint er can bring currents and surges to exposed islands.Wrecks include aircraft and artif icial reefs. BVI is also popul arfor liveaboard dive boats.

Highlights: The RM S Rhone w reck diving par excellence andnow a national park. From February to April divers can hear thehaunt ing song of humpback w hales echoing underwater as theypass through the Virgin Islands on their southward migration.

Full moon in August brings spectacular nighttime coralspawning, and several operators offer night dives to viewthe phenomenon. Among BVIs top reefs for diving areHorseshoe Reef near Anegada and Alice in Wo nderland o ffGinger Island, named because of its beautiful mushroom-shaped coral heads. The Caves and The Indians off NormanIsland for rare and colourful fish.

M arine l ife : Reefs festooned w ith corals, sea fans andwhips provide a home for many tropical reefs species.Wrecks attract schooling fish in big shoals, and walls andpinnacles bring large jacks, tarpon, eagle rays, turt les andsharks.

Dive centres: Dive operators are based on t he main island sof Tortola and Virgin Gorda, in m arinas such as Hodges

Creek, Nanny Cay, Sopers Hole, Virgin Gord a Yacht Harbourand Leverick Bay, and at resorts such as Peter Island, CooperIsland, and Bitter End. Peter Island Resort is one of th eclosest to the Rhone and is next t o tiny Dead Chest Island,where Blackbeard marooned 15 men wit h just a bott le ofrum and t heir sea chests. N ecker Island and many of t heluxury villa properties also offers diving.

Website : ww w.bvitourism.com

Fringed wit h protected coral reefs and teeming w ith f ish,Bonaire is a divers paradise with more than 80 dive sites aroundthe island, many of them close to the shore and accessible byshore diving. Yellow-painted stones mark all shore dives. Boatdiving is usual ly with in 15 minutes of t he shore.

The island was an early leader in eco-awareness when itestablished a marine park covering its entire coastline in1979. Divers pay a US $25 - nature tag to enter theBonairian waters. This fee is used for protection of theBonaire M arine Park. As a result Bonaire reefs are rich inboth f lora and fauna. Every diver who has not d ived Bonairewit h in the last year must at tend an or ientation session

covering park information and regulations.There is little rain, so diving is clear and calm all year withvisib i li ty frequently reaching 150 feet. Water temperatureis in the hi gh 28 d egrees Celsius year-round.

Type of diving: Shore and boat diving on the reefs andw recks of Bonaire and Klein Bonaire. The majority of Bonairessites are on the sheltered w estern side. Klein Bonaire has overtwo dozen sites, only accessible by boat and currents arestronger here. Bonaire diving is relatively easy and many of thereef sites are in shallow w ater. Bu t there are reef and w reckdives down to greater depths for experienced divers.

Diving is one of the main activi t ies for visi tors toBermuda.

The passing Gulf Stream is why the island has a sub-tropical cl imate and i ts clear, warm waters support themost norther ly coral reefs in the At lantic inhabited bya w ealth of marine organisms and f ish.

But w recks are Bermud as forte. Ships have founderedoff its shores for over 400 years, and it claims to offer

the greatest number of d ive-able w recks in the WesternHemisphere at around 300. Divers get a free shipw reckcerti f icate wh en they dive each of i t s 22 most popularwrecks under t he Bermuda Shipwreck Programme.

Diving is year-round and water t emperatures hi t thehigh 20s Celsius in summer, but the water is colder inwint er months and a fu l l w etsuit is advisable. Visib i l ityaverages about 100 f eet on i ts northern and westernreefs in summer, and can reach 200 feet in winter.

Type of diving: Most w reck diving is shal low, in 50feet of w ater or less. Some are just 30 f eet deep. Thereare wrecks to suit all abilities. Bermuda s pristine

fringin g reefs feature rock wal ls, overhangs, caves andcoral gardens for divers of all levels as well.

Highlights: Wrecks include the Constellation, aschooner that was the inspiration for Peter Benchleysbook, The Deep; two paddlewheel steamers used asConfederate blockade-runners and a French 60-gunfr igate that sank in 1838. M any of i ts cannons are sti l lvisible, encrusted in to the reef. Reef sites include Blu e

Hole and North Rock, the largest of Bermudas morethan tw o dozen protected marine areas. The north andsouth shore reefs are designated reserves. Hump backw hales pass by from M arch to M ay.

M arine li fe : Snappers, octopu s, grunt, razor fish,parrotf ish, barracuda, rays, groupers, lobsters and t urtlesare among species commonly seen among the soft andhard corals and sea fans of Bermuda s pristine reefs.

Dive centres: There are a few dive operators withcentres around Bermuda including at some of the m ainhot els. They offer courses and rent equipm ent.

Website : www.GoToBermuda.co.uk

BonaireTourism Corporation BonaireBasis Commu nicatie B.V, PO Box 472, Wagenw eg 252 , 2000AL Haarlem, The Netherlands

T: 00 31 (0) 23 5430704 E: [email protected] W : www.tourismbonaire.com

BermudaBermuda Department of Tourism

T: 07780 694552 E: [email protected]

W : ww w.GoToBermuda.co.uk

Photog raph courtesy of Bermuda Departme nt of Tourism

British Virgin IslandsBritish Virgin Islands Tourist Board

BVI House, 15 Upper Grosvenor Street, London W1K 7PJ

T: 020 7355 9585 E: [email protected] W: www.bvitourism.com

Photog raph courtesy of Tourism Corporation Bonaire

Photog raph courte sy of British Virgin Islands Tourist Board

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Highlights: Any dive in Bonaire is a highlight becauseof the m asses of corals and f ish. A night d ive not to bemissed is on t he tow n pier of capita l Kralendi jk, whichis covered in sponges and corals and is home to thelikes of seahorses and lobsters. A mon g w recks are thefreighter Hi lma Hooker and the 19th Centuryw indjammer Bonny Mary that rests in more than 200feet.

M arine li fe : According to monitor ing organisationREEF (the Reef Environment al Education Program me),Bonaire has more species of reef fish than anywhereelse in the Caribbean. M ore than 369 f ish inhabit i ts

reefs, Bari Reef alone num bering o ver 300. So chancesof seeing many of them on a dive are high. Commonspecies include chrom is, butt erflyfish, w rasse, tang,grunt, parrotfish and trumpetfish. Larger fish such astarpon are also commo nly seen. Comm on hard coralsinclude star, sheet, elkhorn and brain corals, along withfire coral and sponges.

Dive centres: There are more t han a do zen diveoperators on Bonaire and centres are at several hotels.They all offer courses and rent equipment.

Website : ww w.tour ismbonaire.com


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As with neighbouring Bonaire, Curaao has world-classdiving wit h a shal low fr inging reef which drops off to deepwater beyond. Much of its diving is shore-based becausesites are so close, and bo at dive sit es only take m inutesto reach.

Its diverse undersea landscape includes coral gard ens,gentle slopes and vertical walls and provides a habitat fora multitude of corals and fish. The Curaao UnderwaterPark protects nearly 1,500 acres of reef and will soonencompass the entire coast. Visibility averages an excellent100 feet and water temperatures range from 24 to 27C.

Type of diving: M ost d ives are off the sheltered westcoast. There is usually a mild current , but diving suit s alllevels from beginners upwards with easy and safe dives onshal low reefs and chal lenging drop-offs and caves down todeep waters. Some sites are known for their strong current,and si tes off the southeast of t he island can get roughwat er and swells in strong w inds. There are also severalwrecks, with some such as a tugboat and a Cessna aircraftfor all experience levels. Good night diving in places.

Highlights: Curaao is surrounded by fantastic divingareas. The most attractive of these are all located on the

southwest side of the island. The stretch from the WestPoint t o the l ight house on Cape St. M arie is known asBanda Abao. The Central Curaao di ving area cov ers thestrip bet w een Bulls Bay and Breezes Curaao. TheCuraao Underw ater Park lies betw een Breezes Curaaoand the East Point.

Ma rine l ife : Curaao boasts more th an 400 species offish, sponges, gorgonian s, corals and oth er marine lif e,w ith 57 varieties of coral alone. Reef organisms includeelephant ear, tube an d barrel spon ges, sea fans, fire coraland many hard corals. Fish life includes scorpion fish,triggerf ish, angelfish, parrotfish, mo ray eels, stingrays andlemon and nurse sharks.

Dive centres: Curaao has more than 20 dive operators.

Resorts w ith d ive centres include Easy Divers @ Habit atCuraao, which offers 24-hour dive freedom, Lions DiveBeach Resort, Breezes Curaao, Caribbean Sea Sports atM arriott Curaao Beach Resort, Ocean Encount ers, PlazaCuraao and Seascape Dive & Wat ersports at Hilt onCuraao, Dive centre Scuba Do, Holiday Beach DiveVersityand Blue Bay Resort.

Website : w w w.curacao.com

The largest island in t he Caribbean, its 3,500-mile coastlin e -including its offshore islands and cays - is surrounded by reefs.Much of i ts underwater heritage is l i t t le dived, and as a result i tsreefs are some of the best p reserved in th e Caribbean. There area numb er of marin e parks and other pr otected areas, several ofw hich hav e been declared UNESCO biosphere reserves.

Diving areas include Maria la Gorda, off the western tip; theIsle of Youth , Cayo Largo, the coral cays of th e Jardines de laReina, Ancon near Trinidad, and Santiago de Cuba off t he southcoast; and Varadero, Cayo Coco, Guadalavaca and Santa Luciaoff the nort hern coast.

Wit h its long Spanish heritage, Cuba is the resting place formany ships that foundered on its reefs over the centuries.While many are off l imits, some can now be explored bytourist divers.

Type of diving : Cuba offers superb reef di ving, drop -offs, caves,wrecks and night diving. Some dives are very challenging.Equipment hire is possible and is payable locally, but di vers shouldtake their own equipment including a dive comput er.

Divers must have at least a basic diving qualification.

Diving Courses on offer include from OWD certificate toInstructor un der ACUC didactic.

Highlights: Virgin reefs in clear w ater. Amo ng th e best isMaria la Gorda, with caves, tunnels and dramatic drop-offs. Other spectacular div ing can be had of f the Isle ofYouth, Jardines de la Reina and Gu adalavaca. Santa Luciahas two 19th Century wrecks, the Mortero and Pizarro,which can be dived.

Attractions include diving with Bull Sharks in St Lucia andalso diving with Silky sharks and Caribbean Reef inJardines de la Reina.

M arine l ife : Pristine reefs wit h a profusion of corals,sponges, gorgoni ans and fish. Walls and drop-of fs attractlarge snappers, groupers, sharks, manta rays, barracudaand others. W hale sharks can sometimes beseen in winter.

Dive centres: There are dive centres near the m ain divi ngareas and at a number of resort hotels in m ajor touristareas. There are also liveaboards including a float ing hot elin t he Jardines de la Reina.

Website : www.travel2cuba.co.uk

One of the Car ibbeans top div ing dest inat ions, the three coral - f r ingedi s lands o f t he Caym an I s l ands a re the t i ps o f underwa te r m oun ta ins r i s ingthousands o f f ee t f r om the ocean bed . Th i s underwa te r l andscape m akes fo rspectacu la r wa l l d i v i ng , exce l l en t underwa te r v i s ib i l i t y and abu ndan tmar ine l i fe. Crystal c lear w ater , coral gard ens, caves, w recks, steep w al lsand drop-of fs are key features of d iv ing in the Cayman Is lands. GrandCayman has over 175 dive s i tes, whi le Cayman Brac and Li t t leCaym an have ano ther 75 each , w i th p lans to ra i se the to ta l t oover 365 s i t es w i th i n t he nex t f ew years.

The m os t recen t exc i t i ng d i ve s i t e w as c rea ted i n January 2011 w hen

a US submarine rescue vessel , the USS Ki t t iwake, was pu rposely sunkju st of f Sev en M il e Be ac h t o cr ea t e an ar t if ic ia l re ef. Res t in g at ju stover 19 m et res deep on the bo t tom and 4 .5 m et res f rom the su r facethe w reck is ideal for bot h divers and sno rkelers. The Cayman Is landshas a system o f m ar ine pa rks and rep len i shm ent and env i ronm enta lzones to protect i ts mar ine eco-system. Al l popular dive s i tes alsohave perm anen t m oor ings to s top dam age to co ra l and spongesf rom con t i nua l anchor i ng .

Type o f d iv ing : Take your pick there is someth ing for everyo ne at a l llevels of abi l i ty . Numerous shal low reef dives around al l three is lands, manywrecks and wa l l d i ves f rom gen t l e s l opes to b rea th tak ing d rop-o f f s w i thcaves, gul l ies and pinnacles. Excel lent n ight div ing as wel l . Most dive s i tesa re m inu tes f rom the shore . The d i v i ng i ndus t r y i s h i gh l y deve loped and fo rthose who wan t t o l ea rn o r im prove , t he re a re p len ty o f d i ve operato rs w i thcourses.

CuraaoCuraao Tourist Board Europe

Vasteland 82- 84, 3011 BP, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

T: 00 31 10 4142639 E: [email protected] W: www.curacao.com

Photog raph courtesy of Curacao Tourist Board

Cayman IslandsCayman Islands Departme nt of Tourism

6 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RE

T: 020 7491 7771 E: info-uk@caymanis lands.ky W: www.caymanis lands.co.uk

Photograph cour tesy o f Lawson Wood

CubaCuba Tourist Board1st Floor, 154 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8HL

T: 020 7240 6655 E: [email protected] W: www.travel2cuba.co.uk

Photog raph courtesy of Cuba Tourist Board

9

High l igh ts: St ingray Ci ty on the north s ide of Grand Caymanhas been nam ed the bes t 12 - f oo t d i ve i n t he w or l d and i s amust for any v is i tor to Grand Cayman. The inquis i t ive, gent leand f r i end l y rays th rong a round d i ve rs and snorkel l e r s in op enwater . Vis i tors can swim, snorkel and dive among the raysga thered i n t he sha l l ow w a te rs. As we l l as the USS K it t iwake ,ano ther w reck d i ve i s a 330- foo t Russ ian f r i ga te, renam ed theCapt Ke i th Tibbe t t s , wh i ch w as i n ten t i ona l l y sunk o f f Caym anBrac i n 1996 . Com p le te w i th f ou r deck guns , i t i s t he on l ydiveable Russian warship in the Western Hemisphere. Li t t le

Caym an s f am ous and r i ch l y adorned B loody Bay W a l l i sacc la im ed as one o f t h e w or l d s t op w a l l d i ves.

M ar i n e l if e : A p le tho ra o f b r i gh t l y co lou red co ra l s, go rgon iansand sponges, including giant barrel sponges on reefs, wrecksand w al ls. Fish l i fe is profuse, f rom typ ical reef dw el lers to eaglerays, tur t les and large pelagic f ish which patrol the wal l edges.

Dive centres: M ore than 40 d i ve opera to rs on the th reeis lands, wi th centres at a number of hotels. L iveaboard diveboa ts a l so opera te i n t he Caym an I s l ands. Ho te l s w i th d i vecentres include Cobal t Coast , Sunset Hou se and Comp ass Pointand the n ew a l l su i t e eco-d i ve l odge L igh thouse Po in t on G randCayman; Brac Reef Beach Resort Cayman Brac and Li t t leCayman Beach Resort .

Websi tes: ww w.caym an islands.co.uk w ww .d i vecaym an.ky


10/24

The Domin ican Republic is know n for its endless exotic coastsand sharp natural contrasts, but there is no substitute forexperiencing the magic of the island from underwater. Theimmense natural diversity seen on land is projected to anentire submerg ed w orld of coral reefs, caves, shipw recks andmult icoloured f ish and fauna - al l w ait ing to be rediscovered.

As the second largest island in the Caribbean, the DominicanRepublic offers several regions w ith n umerou s dive sites,at t ract ing divers f rom around the w orld w ho consider ourwaters an unparalleled oasis for diving in the Caribbeanregion.

Type of diving: Diving in the Dominican Republic isextremely div erse with reefs, wal ls, w recks, and caves for alllevels of experience. Dives are offered throug hout the islandon th e North , East and south ern coasts.

Highlights: The Mo ntecr ist i nat ional park, in the northw est ,boasts crystal clear wa ters and some of th e best corals on itsbarrier reef. Cavern and cave diving around the capital ofSanto Domingo and in Boca Chica rate among the b est in th eworld. The litt le known southwest features a spectacular

variety of marine life off the coast of the Jaragua NationalPark. Wrecks to explo re include th e recently discoveredwreck of Captain Kidd in Bayahibe and the Hickory andLimon wrecks in the Underwater National Park of SantoDomingo. The Limon, a 115 foot tug boat , and the famousHickory, a 130 foot transport freighter, are both lying at 60feet below.

M arine li fe : The Dominican Republic is home to anamazing diversity of marine life of manta rays, whales,sharks, manatees, dolphins, moray eels, barracudas, lionfish, toad f ish, sea horses, porcupin e fish and four species of

turtles: leatherback, green, hawksbill and loggerhead.

Dive centres: There are num erous reputabl e diveoperators throughout t he country. Many are located atmajor hotels and resorts and offer packages for allexperience l evels.

Website : w ww .godominicanrepublic.com

Still relatively undiscovered, Dominicas underwatertopography mirrors that of i ts m ountainous landscape,wit h lushly covered reefs plunging to great depthsoffshore.

It offers diving on a par w ith the very best in theCaribbean.

Nutr ients washed down from i ts m ountain r ivers helpprovide a source for i ts reefs luxur iant marine grow th,

particularly sponges including giant barrel sponges,attracting masses of fish life.

The Scott s Head/Soufriere M arine Reserve, which cameinto effect in early 2001, encompasses three miles ofcoastline and includes many of the islands top dive sites.Walls from the submerged volcano crater of Soufriere Bayplummet 1,500 feet, with r idges and pinnacles making forspectacular diving.

Type of diving: Diving on coral gardens, rockform ations, pinnacles, ledges, overhangs, caves, swim -throughs and steep drop-offs for all levels of ability.Diving is mainly off the west coast and close to the shore.

Highlights: Top di ve sites include Cham pagne, named

because of t he bubbles that come up through t he sandy

seabed from underwater volcano vents, and Danglebens

Pinnacles, a series of five p innacles rising from 100 f eet

to 25 feet and covered with sponges and corals

including black coral. Hump back and sperm w hales as

w el l as dolphin pods can often be seen on dive boat

trips.

M arine li fe : Abundant reef l i fe with corals of manydifferent variety, sponges and gorgonians. Fish life

includes squid, frogfish, squirrelfish, pufferfish, turtles,

seahorses, soldierfish, wrasse barracuda and flying

gunards.

Dive centres: Dominica has a number of diveoperators including centres at some hotels. All aremembers of the Dominica Watersports Association -www.dominicawatersports.com

Websites: w ww .discoverdominica.comwww.dominicawatersports.com

From lazy drift dives to adventure diving, the pristinewaters of Grenada offer fun and exci tement for d iversof all levels.

Known as the Wreck Diving Capita l of the EasternCaribbean, the island offers more wrecks than anyother Caribbean island and is home to the Bianca C -the largest and most fam ous wreck in t he Caribbean.

With fascinating w al ls and reefs and the w orld s f i rstUnderw ater Sculpture Park, Grenada, Carriacou andPeti te M artin ique is fast becoming one of the mostsought after d ive destinations in the w orld.

Grenadas sister island Carriacou or the Island of Reefsoffers excel lent and var ied diving opportun it ies withevery kind of coral imaginable and a vast array of

marine life.

Type of diving: Diving in Grenada is varied, with reefs,walls, the largest variety of fish and the largest numberof w recks in the Caribbean. Sites vary from 8m/20ft to40m/130ft. Visib i l i ty var ies from 30ft 100ft .

Highlights: Grenada is home to the worlds firstUnderw ater Sculpture Park created by Jason de Caires

Taylor a collection of sixty-five sculptures situatedon the seabed with in one of Grenadas newlydesignated M arine Protected areas. Fourteen newlocally created sculptures were added in 2010. Thesculptures highlight ecological processes whilstexplor ing the intr icate relationship betw een modernart and the environment.

Known as the Ti tanic of the Caribbean the 60 0ft BiancaC which sank in 1961 and m arks i ts 50th anniversary in2011 is now a f i rm favouri te w ith experienced divers.It is now encrusted w ith hard and soft corals andsponges and is frequented by schools of jacks andbarracuda as w ell as eagle rays.

M arine Life : Grenada and Carriacou off er a vastvariety of marine life including turtles, sea horses, frogfish, all types of corals and beautiful sponges, angelfish,parrot fish, lobster, barracuda and m orays.

Dive Centre : There are several dive centres on t heislands. Many o f them are located at hotels and offera variety of diving packages for divers of all ages frombeginners to advanced and experienced divers.

Website : ww w.diveintogrenada.com

10

GrenadaGrenada Board of Tourism

c/o Eyes2Market UK Ltd

T: 020 8328 0644 E: [email protected] W: www.grenadagrenadines.com

DominicaDiscover Dom inica Authority

c/o The Saltmarsh Partnership, The Copperfields, 25D Copperfield Street, London SE1 OEN

T: 0800 012 1467 E: [email protected] W: www.discoverdominica.com

Photograph courtesy of Discover Dominica Authority

Photog raph courtesy of Grenada Boa rd of Tourism

Dominican RepublicDominican Republic Tourist Board18-21 Hand Court , High Holborn, London WC1V 6JF

T: 020 7242 7778 E: [email protected] W: www.godominicanrepubl ic.com

Photog raph courtesy of Dom inican Republic Tourist Board


11/24

There is no diving in Guyana.

Guyana, a country of stunning natural beauty, is a splendidcombination of t he Caribbean and South Am erica. Guyanastretches 450 m iles from i ts long A tlantic coastl ine into denseequatorial forest and the broad savannah of the Rupununi.

Life in Guyana is dominated by mighty rivers, including theDemerara, the Berbice and the Essequibo, which provideessential highways into the rainforests and jungles of theinterior. Little impact has been made here, and today Guyanaremains one of the w orld 's most exci t ing destinations for

adventuresome travel and exploration.Setting out for the interior, you can encounter theextraordinary natural her i tage of Guyana spreading out l ikea tropical carpet. Jaguars stil l roam the rainforest, and the criesof trou pes of howler mo nkeys echo through t he trees. The GiantRiver Otter, the Black Caiman, and the Arapaima (the largestfreshwater f ish in th e world) swim in the r ivers of the Rupununi.Flashes of scarlet, yellow and blue burst through the forest'sintense green as macaws fly like arrows across a clearing inthe canopy.

The tumbling rivers and dense rainforests of Guyana are

fil led wi th extraordin ary natural sight s. Kaieteur Falls,

w here the 400-foot w ide Potaro River plunges 741 feet

dow nward from the Pakaraima Plateau, is one of the

world's great waterfalls. The magnificence of Kaieteur

stands beyond any comparison in its majesty and sheer

size. You can also visit the striking beaut y of the

Orinduik Falls, the M arshall Falls, the Kaieteur Gorge and

remote M ount Roraima - the inspiration for Conan

Doyle's Lost World.

For the adventurer, Guyana is a place of wonder; for theeco-tourist, it is a country where nature has placed its

greatest riches. Feel the beauty of the nature whisper

across your heart. Discover an experience never to be

forgo tten. Discover the extraordinary wilderness of

Guyana.

Website : ww w.guyana-tour ism.com

In January 2010, Haiti and in particular the capital, Portau Prince, w as rocked by a devastat ing earthq uake. Therepercussions of th is wi l l undoubtedly be fe l t fo r manyyears to com e.

Tourism of course provides a vital source of income inthe Caribbean region and wi l l be more important t hanever as Haiti begins the process of recovery from thisdisastrous moment in its history.

The people of Hait i are world famous for t heir artwork,music and cuisine, and the vibrancy for life shinesthrough even dur ing t imes of economic hardship.

Nature seekers will be amazed at the rich diversity andthe w onderful unspoi led m ountains and coastl ine, theremains of import ant h istor ical bui ld ings, including aUNESCO World Heritage Site and the beautifuluncrowded beaches. Hait i is vir tual ly unknown as adiving destination, but i t has some unique underwatertreasures including reefs with huge sponges and historicshipwrecks.

Type of diving: Limited diving, usually from mainresorts.

Highlights: Huge elephant ear sponges including one135 feet deep off Amani-les-Bains, north of Port-au-Prince. Snorkelling and diving are very good there.

M arine li fe : Little is known about Haitis reefs, butstudies in th e 1980s at Les Arcadins fou nd 35 speciesof hard corals as well as 12 gorgonians and 54 speciesof sponge according to UNEPs World Atlas of CoralReefs. It says there are also coral reefs in other areas,including round the islands of La Gonave and Vache,and along the north coast from Cap Hait ien to t heborder wit h the Dom inican Republ ic.

Dive centres: There are dive centres at some ho tels, atPort Morg an ( Sout h) and Comier Beach (North). Thereis also the Pegasus Diving Centre , w hich is situatednext to Kaliko Beach club on the Cte des Arcadins; thisis the beach area, closest to Port-au -Prince.

Websites: www.port-morgan.comwww.kal ikobeachclub.com

11

Guadeloupe IslandsGuadeloupe Islands Tourist Board

23-25 rue du Champ de l Alou ette, 75013 Paris, France

T: 00 33 (0)1 40 62 99 07 E: [email protected] W: www.lesilesdeguadeloupe.com

Photog raph courtesy of Guad eloupe Islands Tourist Board

GuyanaGuyana Tourism Authorit yNational Exhibit ion Centre, Sophia, Georgetown , Guyana

T: 00 592 219 0094-6 E: [email protected] W: www.guyana-tourism.com

Photog raph courtesy of Guyan a Tourism Authority

HaitiHaiti Embassy

10 rue Thodule Ribot, 75017 Paris, France

T: 00 33 1 47 634 778 E: ambhait [email protected]

Photograph courtesy of Pegasus Diving Centre

The Guadelo upe Islands: Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, La Dsirade, LesSaintes and Marie-Galante constitute an Archipelago with ou tstandingunderwat er marvels. Wherever you are, off the 1 50 m iles coastline, youwil l alw ays be able to discover, year-round, a spectacular submarineworld.

Type of diving : Shallow reefs, underwater caves, ship oraircrafts wrecks, canyons, slopes and drop-offs dow n to morethan 1 50 feet, appeal t o all grades of divers. Thanks toGuadeloupes crystal clear w aters, visibility oft en exceeds 100

feet. You w ont need to be an experienced diver to have a chanceto appreciate the aquatic diversity of our submarine w orld allaround the Archipelago.

Highlights: The West coast of Basse-Terre is steep sid ed an dalmost every headland would make a good starting point for amemorable di ving experience. One of the m ost popular d ive sitesis the Cousteau Marine Reserve located off The Pigeon Islets.This underwater reserve was made popular and nam ed after divingpioneer Comman dant Jacques-Yves Cousteau, co director of theworldw ide acclaimed f i lm Le Monde du Silence .

In the North, between the islands of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre, youwil l f ind th e natural reserve of the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin. With itsbarrier reefs, a won derful lagoon , this very area, hosting the 18 milesgreat Coral Reef, is part of the UNESCO worldwide biosphere reserve.

M arie-Galante offers a vast choice of sites, ranging from 20feet deep shipw recks to 14 8 feet deep slopes, providing t hebest of divin g experience. During your stay, you can even jointhe Sea Turtles Protection Programme. Other top sites includethe h ighl y rated Le Sec Pt, off Terre-de-Hau t, Les Saint es.For the more experienced divers, this site is a 40 feet deeprow of underw ater pinnacles, home of f locks of sea fans,sponges and black corals.

Off La Dsirade and the natural reserve of Petite-Terre,

there a re unexp ected sites such as Les Cathdrales, LesDalles, Les Woches or La Grotte requin s. These sites w illgive you the oppo rtunity to spot, among others, stingraysand nurse sharks

M arine life : An out standing aquatic flora and fauna can befound: Elkhorn, soft and h ard corals, sponges and gorgoni ans,sea fans, as well as reef f ish (angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish ), but also m oray eels, barracudas, turtles, rays, sharks,dolphins, and whales

Dive centres: There are 21 d iving centres located aroundthe main d iving areas and in a num ber of hotels. All of t hemoffer courses and a variety of d iving packages for divers ofall ages.

Website : w ww .lesilesdeguadeloupe.com


12/24

M artin ique is often cal led the " Isle of Flowers," and i tswarm soil is home to a riot of tropical colour. Ideal forhikers and yachties, Martinique has style and is perfectfor a sophisticated beach holiday.

M artin ique has West Indian warm th in i ts personal i ty,vibrancy in its local music and a laid-back islandapproach to l i fe.

There are plenty of sports to choose from on M artin ique;from yachting to golf, w indsurfing to deep-sea f ishingand of course, diving.

Type of diving: An underwater dream...

Come and discover the beauti fu l wo rld under the sea.The sunshine penetrates beneath the deep blue, makingit possible to visit wild sites in natural condit ions. Themulti -coloured underwater l i fe w i l l astound you, (eels,lobster, tortoise, mackerels, sea horses, platax, trevallys,groupers ) as w ill the lush flora (reefs, coral, burgos,caye d'ob ian. Discover the underw ater shipw reckcemetery that dates from the M ount Pele eruption in

1902, this dramatically beautiful site was discovered byCaptain Cousteau. There are many exception al divingsites in Martinique (on the Caribbean coast as well asthe Atlant ic coast).

Whether you are alone or with a group, everyone over

8 years old can discover the undersea world of scuba

diving. There's no shortage of remarkabl e sites for

experienced divers and many dive centres can introduce

beginners to their first dive.

Highlights: The coral reef b etw een St-Pierre and Le

Pecheur, three w recks at St-Pierre and th e canyons ofLes Canyons de Babodi, which drop 150 feet just 300

feet from the shore; Pointe Burgos, (0-180 feet;

All levels) Pointe Borgn ese (10-100 feet; All levels).

M arine li fe : Reefs have abundan t fish an d corals.

Dive centres: There are approximately 40 diving

schools on the island, some of them at hotels.

Website : www.martin iquetour isme.com

Despite the volcano w hich destroyed much of theislands tourism infrastructure and sights, diving is stil lavailable. Because of its small populatio n even prior tothe eruption there has been l i t t le pol lution or damage tothe corals on its surrounding reefs.

Type of diving: Activity by the Soufriere Hills Volcanocurrently l imits diving t o the northern part of the island.M ost d iving is done on the w est coast, which is in thelee of the Atlantic w aves and trade winds most of t hetime. The northw est can get rough w ith heavy surf.Montserrat has shallow reefs inshore, with deeper reefs,boulders and ledges further out leading to drop-offsfrom it s conti nental shelf. Dive excursions are alsoavai lable to t he uninhabited neighbouring island ofRedonda.

Highlights: Dives in the Woodland s Bay area includethe Horn, a seamount w hich was once a volcano andrises to 60 feet from the surface, its slopes teeming withlife. A nearby reef know n as Inner Horn has abundan twire coral .

Ma rine l ife : Typical reef and d w ellers including cleanershrimps, octopus and lobster. Larger pelagics and turt les

patrol deeper waters, where there are huge barrelsponges, plus brain, staghorn and star corals.

Dive centres: Green Mo nkey Dive Shop and ScubaM ontserrat o ffer courses and equipment rental .

The Green M onkey Dive Shop organises divingexcursions to M ontserrat s closest island neighbour, theuninhabited Kingdom of Redonda.

Redondas underwater w orld offers pr ist ine diving w ithmagn ificent visibilit y at uncharted sites. Divers canswim amongst six-foot barrel sponges with giantsouthern stingrays, moray eels and sea turtles, whilstnurse sharks, spotted eagle rays and barracudas mayalso be seen.

Along the Leeward side of the island an unbroken reef

runs for approximately 275 metres.

For non-divers Scuba Montserrat has clear bottomkayaks available for rent, which give an excellent viewinto the ocean.

Websites: ww w.visi tmontserrat.comwww.divemontserrat.comwww.divedestinationmontserrat.com

The presence of a num ber of all-in clusive resortsoffer ing diving gives many guests the chance to trydiving for the f i rst t im e, or do a few dives as part of t heirstay. A number of protected marine areas have been setup to help protect and m aintain corals, includinglocations around the hol iday areas of M ontego Bay andNegril. Ocho Rios has been a protected area since 1966 .Warm w ater and good visib i l i ty are trademarks of d ivingin Jamaica.

Type of diving: Great var iety w ith spur and groovecorals on it s fringin g reefs, caves, canyons, tunnels,walls, overhangs and wrecks. Diving to suit all levelsfrom learners to advanced.

Highlights: Mont ego Bay is famed for i ts wal ls and i tsAirport Reef is rated as one of Jamaicas best div es.Some of the best reefs are located around Port Royal,near Kingston airport.

Ocho Rios has a pinnacle called Devils Reef, w hichdrops down to 2 00 feet from 60 feet and betw een OchoRios and Runaway Bay the Cayman Trench wall comesclose to the shore, plunging to 3,000 feet.

JamaicaJamaica Tourist Board

1-2 Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ

T: 020 7225 9090 E: mail@vis it jamaica.uk.com W: www.vis it jamaica.com

Photog raph courtesy of Jamaica Tourist Board

MontserratMont serrat Tourist Board

c/o The Saltmarsh Partnership, The Copperfields, 25D Copperfield Street, London SE1 0EN

T: 020 7928 1600 E: [email protected] W: www.vis itmontserrat.com

Photog raph courtesy of Monserrat Tourist Board

MartiniqueMartinique Tourism Authority2 rue des Moulins, 75001 Paris, France

T: 00 33 1 44 77 86 00 E: [email protected] W: www.martiniquetourisme.com

Photog raph courtesy of Martinique Touism Authority

12

Dives at Runaway Bay includes the Canyon, wit h tw oparal lel w al ls in depths from 40 to 130 feet, and thew reck of Canadian m inesw eeper Kathryn.

Other popular dive sites are at Falmouth, with tunnels,caves and a w al l w ith sponges and black coral at ChubbCastle, and Port Ant onio, w here advanced divers canmeet haw ksbi l l turt les at Al l igator Head.

Negril has several wrecks, among them two Cessna

planes.M arine li fe : Coral cover has recovered to an extent onshallow reefs in recent years, according to UNEP, whi ledeeper reefs were far less affected, particularly on theislands southern shelf. Hard and soft corals, spongesand numerous fish including nurse sharks await diversin Jamaica.

Dive centres: All-inclusive hotel groups lead the wayfor diving facilities, while there are centres at manyoth er hotels. Jamaica also h as several licensed andregulated private dive centres and has the added benefitof a d ecompression faci l i ty on the north coast.

Website : w ww .visit jamaica.com


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Reefs and more than 400 wrecks, of which only a fewhave been identified as yet, are the hallmark of theseislands. M ost diving is on the w estern, leeward side andin the channel between the two islands. Visibility canoften reach 100 feet.

There are fringing reefs around both islands and deeperreefs on th e steep slopes.

In the 40th anniversary of the sinking of the M .VChristena. A local ferry that sank in the Narrow s

between St. Kitts and Nevis. This area is now to beestablished as a memorial park and is the proposedcorner stone of Nevis and St. Kitts M arine ConservationArea.

Scuba Safar is' t ra in ing faci l i t ies wi l l improve w ith t heplanned instal lation of a swim ming pool at t he Oual ieBeach and Nevis commitm ent to environmentalconservation is demonstrated by its ongoing reefmooring programme.

Type of diving: There are dives for a ll levels of ab ility,and many si tes are a short boat t r ip from the shore.Diving is generally relatively easy with little current.

Highlights: The Thermal Vents. This reef begins at a

shallow 35 feet and plunges to 95 feet. It is coveredw ith large 'Black Coral ' t rees that stem from the sideof th e reef. Wit h overhangs and small canyons, the reefprovides good hiding places for Spotted Drum, High hatsArrow Crabs and some of the largest Lobsters. Diverscan visi t the hot vent w here 100 F wat er f izzes from thebo t tom.

M arine li fe : Stingrays, turtles, sharks, sea horses andflying-gunards at sites such as Nags Head and Booby

High Shoals. M any different t ypes of corals, sea fansand sponges including huge basket sponges.

Dive centres: There are dive centres in bot h St Kitt s& Nevis, which are m ainly si tuated at hotels or d irectlyon t he beach. Scuba Safaris, Nevis' only d ive shop hasbeen in operation from 1984.

The small o utf it specialises in personalised service, w ith2 custom bui l t d ive boats and professional staff a l leager to show off t heir favourit e dive. This locally runPADI 5 star operation has discovered over 40 differentdive si tes which may vary from virg in, gently slopingreefs to caverns, ledges, drop-off s and w recks.

Websites: w ww .nevisisland.comw ww .nevisnatural ly.com ww w.scubanevis.com

Four nature reserves protect nearly a quarter of PuertoRicos diverse and w ell-developed coral reefs. Thesereserves skirt m uch of Puerto Ricos coast and encircleits offshore Islands. Puerto Rico offers enticing oceantemperatures of around 81F and underw ater visib i l ityis general ly up to 100 f eet and often more making t heisland a real paradise for dive enth usiasts. Beginnersbenefit from Scuba classes in the majority of majorhotels in Puerto Rico, as well as many of the dive shopson the island offering a variety of classes to suit alllevels.

Type of diving: Puerto Rico appeals to all divinggrades with an offer ing of shore and boat d ives, n ightdives, shallow reefs, walls, ledges, caves, pinnacles,swim-throughs and wrecks.

Highlights: The best diving is off the south and west,at sites such as the highl y rated Parguera Wall off LaParguera and Gunica, which has deep wall and reefdiving. Other top diving sites are the islands of Vieques,Desecheo, Culebra, and Mona (known as the Galapagos

of the Caribbean), the latter is located 40-miles westfrom the mainland.

The best shore divin g spots in t he Island include: CrashBoat b each, Shacks in Isabela, Cerro Gordo b each inDorado and La Pocita in Escambron beach. La Pocita isconveniently located in the beauti fu l and histor ic d istr ictof San Juan, just 5 minutes from main hot els and thecruise ship port. La Pocita is natural ly protected fromthe waves, making the area perfect for beginners andexperienced divers alike.

M arine li fe : Mu lt i tude of corals and prol i f ic f ish l i fe,including the chance t o see turt les, rays, seahorses andmanatees on dives, and dolphin and h umpback w haleswatching from the boat.

Dive centres: There are a num ber of dive centres,including some at hotels w ith diving close by.

Website : w ww .seepuertor ico.com

A veritable treasure trove lies hidden beneath the turquoise

waters of t he Caribbean Sea, a wonderful underwater w orld

known well by the natives of Saint Barth, as they have always

been drawn to the sea. Generation after generation of local

fisherman brought in the catch of t he day as well as shellfish

and mollusks, and they are still using tradition al methods of

fishing today.

A single dive allows you to see the biodiversity of th e marine

world in Saint Barthlemy, and the life that teems below the

surface. This marine life is protected in certain zones that are

controlled by the M arine Park, which was created in 1996 and

has had significant result s. Studies done by the scientists from

the Antilles-Guyana University show that the fish population

multiplies faster within the protected areas than out side its

boundaries.

Type of diving : Divers of all levels can enjoy the warm,transparent w ater, and calm seas that exist year round t o t he

west of the island. Beginner divers at Gros Islets will be sure to

encounter turtles. Those who are more experienced will most

likely explore the three shipwrecks in the Marine Park, or

perhaps the small caves on the small islands to the north of

Saint Barth. The diving instructors can also take you to the

right spot to see lobsters, sunken ships, or the gray sharks at

Pain de Sucre And all of t hese sites are just 10 minut es by

boat from Gustavia or Grand Cul de Sac, in the sheltered

waters of Saint Barth.

Highlights: Saint Barth t op di ves are around Pain de Sucre,an islet off Gustavia harbour, around l'Ane Rouge cape and

Coco islet. In Saint Barth, the dive boats take just a total of

13 people, including the professional staff, which precludes

a factory for divers! Once you are under the water, you will

understand the importance of these security measures as fish

and turtles swim t owards you and you only meet other divers

by chance.

M arine li fe : As many as 183 species of fish populate thewaters around the island, with 54 d ifferent kinds of coral and60 varieties of sea sponges in various colours and forms to

embellish the reefs.

Dive centres: There are several centres, includin g som ebased at hotels.

Website : ww w.saintbarth-tourisme.com

St. BarthlemyComit du Tourisme de lle de St Barthlemy (CTTSB)

Gustavia, Quai du Gnral De Gaulle, 97133 Saint Barthlemy, F.W.I

T: 00 590 (0) 590 27 87 27 E: [email protected] W: www.saintbarth-tourisme.com

NevisNevis Tourism Aut hority

Main Street, Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies

T: 01305 233 107 E: [email protected] W: www.nevis is land.com

Photog raph courtesy of Nevis Tourism Authority

Photog raph courtesy o f Comit du Tourisme de lle de St Barthlemy (CTTSB)

13

Puerto RicoPuerto Rico Tourism CompanyThird Floor, Colechurch House, 1 London Bridge Walk, London SE1 2SX

T: 0207 367 0914 E: [email protected] W: www.seepuertorico.com

Photog raph courtesy of Puerto Rico Tourism Company


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The Atlantic and Caribbean waters surrounding St. Kitts

offer divers a wealth of experiences from colourful reef

formations to fascinating w recks, easi ly making i t o ne

of the t op Caribbean diving destinations. Whether i ts

shallow reef tops, walls, wrecks, drift diving or just

incredible diversity in fish and critters, dive companies

offer an exhilarating choice of scuba diving sites.

The reefs and more than 400 wrecks, of which only a few

have been identified as yet, are the hallmark of St. Kitts

and its sister island of Nevis. M ost diving is on the

western, leeward side and in the channel between th etwo islands and visibility is spectacular, often reaching

100 feet. There are fringing reefs around both islands

and deeper reefs on t he steep slopes.

Type of diving: There are dives for al l levels of ab ility,

and many sites are a short boat trip from the shore.

Diving is generally relatively easy with little current.

Highlights: A good dive for novices is the w reck of the

freighter River Taw, which sank 10 years ago in 50 feet.

It is a lready encrusted with coral and is home to large

num bers of fish. Other w recks are even shallower, w hile

a deeper site for m ore experienced divers is Nags Head,

where the At lantic and Caribbean meet and produce

strong current s. In Nevis, Thermal Vents, Coral Gardens

and Devil s Cave are sites created by Scuba Safari.

Ma rine l ife : Stingrays, turt les and large species can be

seen at deeper sites such as Nags Head, w hile smaller

tropical reef fish are to be found on shallower reefs and

w recks. There are many d ifferent t ypes of corals, sea fansand sponges including huge basket sponges.

Dive centres: There are dive centres in bot h St Kitt s

& Nevis, which are mainly si tuated at hotels.

Website : www.stki ttstour ism.kn

At the t ip of an underwat er volcano, Saint Lucia has everything

from shal low sloping reefs to dramat ic wal ls and seamounts.

Wrecks include a number of artificial reefs, which have become

home to huge gorgonians, giant barrel sponges, vase sponges,

black coral and lace coral. You can visit the award-w inning

Soufr iere Marine M anagement Area which is a project that

helps protect Saint Lucias coastal environment.

Type of diving: Shallow coral gardens, reefs and w recks

for all levels.

Highlights: Anse Chastenet reef in the south west of the

island is one of Saint Lucias most dramat ic dive sites. The

shal low s, wit h depths to 25ft, can be entered directly from

the beach. The reef falls aw ay from 20 to 140 feet in a

unique coral wal l that continues from Anse Chastanet Bayaround the head land of Grand Cai l le and in towards the

harbour of Soufriere. Every Augu st after full moon, huge

numbers of ruby br i tt le stars come out at n ight to spawn al l

over th e reef. The Key Hole Pinnacles coral and seamou nts and

the artificial reef Lesleen M Shipwreck are also excellent dives,

wh i le the wreck of the Waiwinette off t he south coast is a

challenging dive because of the currents. Another good

dive is at the base of the Petit Piton mountain called

Supermans Fl ight w hich was used in the m ovie for

Superman II. This site is a drift dive and div ers can

fly a long i ts gentle wal l that drops to 1600ft. Strong

currents provide crystal clear viewing for perfect

underwater exploration.

Ma rine l ife : Reefs covered with hard and soft corals,

sponges and gorgonians teem w ith f ish and marine l i fe

such as featherduster worms. Species include goatfish,

parrotfish, chromis, wrasse and squid in shallow waters,

and tri ggerfish, turt les, groupers, jacks and snappers on

deeper sites. Divers may also come across The Thing,

a myster ious creature reportedly up to 15 feet long w ithfeathered gi l ls and a segmented body that only comes

out a t n igh t .

Dive centres: Eight dive operat ors run centres in Saint

Lucia, including a few at some of the main resorts.

Website : w w w.saintlucianow.co.uk

Saint LuciaSaint Lucia Tourist Board

Lower Ground, 1 Colling ham Gardens, London SW5 0HW

T: 020 7341 7000 E: [email protected] W: www.saint lucianow.co.uk

Photog raph courtesy of Saint Lucia Tourist Board

St. EustatiusSt Eustat ius Tourism Developm ent Foundation

Fort Oranje, Oranjestad, St Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles, Dutch Caribbean

T: 00 599 318 2433/2107/3081 E: [email protected] W: www.statiatourism.com

Photog raph courtesy of St Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation Mar ion Haarsma

St. KittsSt Kitt s Tourism Authority10 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL

T: 020 7376 0881 E: uk@stkitts tourism.kn W: www.stk itts tourism.kn

Photo graph cou rtesy of St Kitts Tourism Authority

14

Few k now w here the is land of St . Eustat ius is , le t a lone anyth in g aboutthe ar t i f ic ia l reef there ca l led the Char l ie Brown. Good Gr ie f ! You don t kno wwhat you are miss ing!

Fi rs t , the Char l ie Brown is b ig , measur ing over 300 feet in length f rom bowto s tern. Once a form er f iber opt ic cable layer for AT&T, i t was actua l ly n amedaf ter one o f AT&Ts former CEOs Char les L. Brown, not the car toon character.The sh ip w as sunk fu l ly in tact , and now presents one of the bestw reck d iv ing oppor tun i t ies in the Car ibbean for a l l leve ls o f d iversf rom no v ice to wreck spec ia l ist and everyone in betw een.

The Char l ie Brown is located on the leew ard s ide of the is land ofSt. Eustatius (affectionately called Statia by the locals). The ship restson i ts s tarboard s ide in 98 feet o f water , wi th the shal low est po in t 50 f r om t he s u r f ac e an oppo r t un i s t ic dep th f o r ma r i ne g r ow th t o t ak ehold. E ight years of ly ing on the bot tom has done the b ig sh ip a serv iceby t ransforming i t in to a v ibrant ar t i f ic ia l reef . Pound for poun d, i t isone of th e most po pulated s i tes on Stat ia for f ish l i fe . On any g ivenday you are l ike ly to see the w reck s res ident populat ion of Horse-eyed Jacks smal l schools o f severa l hundred t hat have a h abi t o fsur rounding you whi le on your safety s top.

Type of D iv ing : N ight d iv ing, deep sea d iv ing, w reck d iv ing, reef d iv ing,historical dives.

Highl ights: Our natura l reefs , the remnants of the o ld t rad ing sh ips, p ieces ofpot tery , p ipe stems and an occas ional b lue bead that w ere once g iven to the

s laves as sa lary - the i r on ly w eal th , make d iv ing on Stat ia un ique.Anchor po int , a thr iv ing reef ; Drop Of f , a phenomenal w al l ; FiveFingers, a series of lava covered reefs; Gebraltar, a pinnacle whichr ises f rom great d epth to jus t be low the w ater sur face, and f ina l lya for ty f ive foot tu g boat par t o f an ar t i f ic ia l reef ca l led StenapaWrecks. The h igh l ight o f man y a d iver 's vacat ion is to d ive w i th thef ly ing gu rnards. Stat ia h as severa l d ive areas where d ivers can seeone or u p to a dozen of these spectacular f ishes. They arecons idered uncommon throughout the Car ibbean, however inStat ia 's waters one can see them everyday.

Snorkell ing : Oranjebay is a great snorke l oppor t un i ty toapprec ia te the underw ater h is tory and v iew canon s, anchors,submerged sea wal ls , c rumbl ing w arehouses and the remains ofo ld p iers . Ent ry po int s inc lude Oranje bay beach, Golden Era Hote lP ier and the Harbour Beach, Other snorke l s i tes are accessib le byboat : B l ind shoal and Twelve Gun s in the Southern Reserve andInner Jenk ins Bay in the Nor thern Reserve.

Marine L i fe : Angel f ish, But ter f ly Fish, Fly ing Gurn ard, M oray Eels,Spotted Drum s, Frogf ish, Sea Horses, Octopus, Lobster, Rays, Sharks,Turtles, Baracudas, Horse-eyed Jacks and many more

Dive Centres: Golden Rock Dive Center (grd ivers@gmai l .com),Scubaqua Dive Center (d [email protected]), Dive Stat ia

Websi te : www.stat ia tour ism.com


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A uni que archipelag o of 3 2 exoti c islands and cays, St. Vincent an dThe Grenadines offers a truly different Caribbean dive experience.Located in the Windward Islands, only nine of the 32 islands areinhabi ted - St. Vincent, Young Island, Bequia, Mustiqu e, Canouan ,M ayreau, Union Island, Palm Island, and Petit St. Vincent. Theunspoil t wat ers provide a perfect set t ing for divers who are spoil tfor choice with a wide diversity of dive sites and marine life.Each island has one or more dive operation so you can eitherbase yourself in one location and enjoy day excursions or islandhop b y plane, local ferry or charter a yacht. The reefs of Petit StVincent, the Tobago Cays and islands such as Bequia of fer thebest reef diving, while St Vincent and Bequia also offer fantasticwall and cave dives.

Type of diving: Shallow reef dives, drift d ives, wal ls, caves andpinnacles for all levels can be found here. St. Vincent is thelargest island and due to its volcanic origins it is blessed withbreatht aking underw ater topo graphy. Spectacular wal ls anddrop offs are common as are large sloping reefs and shallow coralgardens littered with volcanic rocks and boulders, providingexcellent night diving. Its black sand background is perfect forunderwater photography. The Grenadines stretch 45 miles to thesouthwest of St. Vincent, their beautiful white sand beaches andcrystal clear waters provide yet another dive adventu re. Drift divi ngis common here and larger pelagics are frequently sighted.

Highlights: For experienced divers, Horseshoe Reef at t heTobago Cays is a drop-of f dive plunging dow n to 120 feet .Unusual dives include volcanic sulphur deposits between 65and 100 feet of f Pet i t St Vincent , which bubble w arm w ater.Sites off Bequia include a dramatic wall and a rock pinnacleknow n as the Bullet , which soars 140 feet into the air andplung es nearly 100 feet down . Both sites are subject torough w ater and strong currents but of fer an excellentchance to see big pelagic fish.

M arine l ife : Reefs and rocks have man y soft and h ardcorals, sponges, anemo nes and gorg onians, and profu se fishlife including filefish, trumpet fish, barracuda, moray eelsand scorpion fish. Deep dives bring encounters with nu rsesharks, rays, tur tles, group ers, jacks and tu na. St Vincentand The Grenadines is also know n as the critter capital o fthe w orld and d iving of f th e coast of St . Vincent of fersexcellent opportu nit ies for encounters with f rogf ish,seahorses, colourful mollu sks, crustaceans, anemo nes andtunicates.

Dive centres: Dive centres are located o n St. Vincent andvirtually all islands including Bequia, Canouan andMust ique.

Websites: www.discoversvg.com

There are about fifty diving sites spread out around

Saint M artin, an infin i te space wait ing to be explored

beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean and the

Caribbean Sea, making it one of the most prestigious

diving destinations in the Anti l les Arc.

Here, all year around, div ers find perfect hu ge coral reefs

reserve many exciting discoveries among their maze-like

structures or below the vaulted ceilings of their caves.

A w ealth of tropical aquatic fauna may be seen in the

rocky depths, among t he aquatic p lants as wel l as

around the w recks intentional ly sunk to serve asartificial reefs providing habitats for fish, crustacea,

turt les and seashells.

M uch older, the remains of t he Proselyte, an English

fr igate w hich was shipw recked in Phi l ipsburg Bay in

1801, offers a moving archaeological si te wit h i ts

canons, huge anchors and various objects from a long-

gone nautical world.

Type of diving: Reef d iving in shal low and moderate

depth s. Wreck divi ng is also possible.

Highlights: Saint M artin s most pop ular si tes include

the facades " in the wind" and "ou t the wind" o f

Tintamarre and " the Creole Rock" in Grand-Case.

M arine li fe : There are many gorgeous coral reefs

covered with multi-coloured sponges and soft corals;

these serve both as first-rate havens and rich hunting

grounds for the mult i t ude of br ightly coloured tropical

fish whi ch inhabit them . Divers may also see turtles,

sharks, barracuda, stingrays and eagl e rays.

Dive centres: There are several cent res, includin g som e

based at hotels. The centres are w ell-equipped and

happy to w elcome beginners wishing to become

certified as w ell as advanced divers in search of

adventure.

Website : ww w.stmartin island.org

St. MaartenSt Maa rten Tourist Bureau

W.G. Buncamper Road, 33 Phil ipsburg, St Maarten

T: 00 599 542 2337 E: [email protected] W: www.vacationstmaarten.com

St. Vincent & The Grenadines

Photog raph courtesy of St Vincent &The Grenadines Tourist Office

Saint MartinSaint Ma rtin Tourist Off ice10 rue Pergolse, 75116 Paris, France

T: 00 33 153 299 999 E: [email protected] W: www.stmartinis land.org

Photo graph courte sy of Saint Martin Tourist Office

St Vincent & The Grenadines Tourist Off ice

10 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL T: 020 7937 6570

E: [email protected] W: www.discoversvg.com

16

Dive enthusiasts w i l l enjoy t he crystal l ine w aterssurrounding St. Maarten t hat a l low for clear visib i l i tyup to 200 feet. Outstanding water clar i ty a l lowsexcel lent views of colourful f ish and coral , w hi le thewarm water w elcomes swimm ers year-round. Coralreefs are teeming w ith m arine l i fe, providing more than40 excellent dive sites off St. Maartens coast. Day tripsare available to St. M aartens neighbou ring islands suchas Anguilla and Saint Barth, which also offer superb

diving. There are a couple of diveable wrecks and somelarge caves. A marine reserve protects m any of t hesecoastal areas.

Type of diving: Reef diving is available in shallowand moderate depths, whi le w reck diving has becomepopular with the sinking of several ships that serve asartificial reefs off the coast of St. Maart en. Beginnersmay w ish to start at L i tt le Bay due to i ts calm, shallowwater with a maximum depth of 25 feet and theprevalence of dive shops in the area.

Highlights: St Maartens most popular sites include the

HMS Proselyte notable British frigate which sankin 18 01 on a reef near Great Bay, as well as Teigland,a more recent wreck where divers can spot lobster holesand schools of fish and stingray. Another highlight isMoonhole, a large crater off the eastern side of theisland teeming w ith coral gardens and exotic, mult i -coloured sea life. The Maze is also popular du e to itscave diving and visibility, however, an occasionalsurface current has been noted so it is recommended

for intermediate and expert level scuba divers only.

M arine li fe : M any species of corals, crustaceans andreef fish covering the full colour spectrum . Divers mayalso see tu rtles, sharks, eel, barracuda, angelf ish,stingrays and eagle rays.

Dive centres: There are several d ive centres an doperato rs in St. M aarten, including some based athotels.

Website : ww w.vacationstmaarten.com

Photog raph courtesy of St Maarte n Tourist Bureau


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St. Vincent .Young Isla nd . Bequia . Mustique . Canouan .Mayreau. Tobago CaysUnion Island .Palm Island . Petit St. Vincent

The Caribbean youre looking for

12

38N 61

21W


18/24

Diving is st i l l in i ts footsteps in Suriname. A few pr ivate ini t iat ives have been u nder-taken to organise diving expedit ions into the storage lake and the Suriname r iver.

Sur iname is wait ing to be explored. One of the most unspoi led areas of the Amazonbasin, Sur iname offers that once- in-a- l i fet ime thr i l l of explor ing the undiscovered.

With over 80% of i ts land covered with dense rainforest and accessible by planeand over land and by ferry, Sur iname is unl ike other Caribbean dest inat ions.

The tour ism infrastructure is growing as more and more people chooseto explore this fascinat ing country. Well organised tour operators conduct

tours for special interest groups into t he inter ior.

The concept of eco-tour ism is appl ied by several of the tour companies andresort owners, employing most ly local residents and support ing communitybased projects. Visi tors are al lowed a rare gl impse of ju ngle l i fe, whi lesuppor t ing the local indigenous and maroon commun i t ies as wel l .

Most of the countrys populat ion is concentrated on the coast. Paramaribo,the Capital , is a fascinat ing b lend of typical, old colonial archit ecture.Suriname is truly mult icul tu ral ; count less churches, temples and mosques adornboth sides of the road and the music and cuisine is an intr iguing fusion of cultures.

A di f ferent out look : Berg & Dal Cultural an d River Resort is si tuated alo ngthe Suriname r iver. A tranqui l place where luxury meets with sweet tradit ionsfrom the nearby Maroon vi l lagers.

Brownsberg Nat ional Park : The Brokopo ndo distr ict is hom e to oneof t he w orld's largest reservoirs, the Prof. Dr. W. J. Van Blommen steinstorage lake, about tw o hours from Parbo by car. Guided to urs areavai lable and inc lude a shor t walk on the M azaroni p lateau located inthe park wi th a v iew over the lake.

The Central Suriname Nature Reserve : The fam ous Raleighval lenrapids are h ere. This is a Natu ral UNESCO World Heri tage Site andcontains a high diversi ty of plant and animal species. Animals spottedinclude the jaguar, giant armadi l lo, giant r iver otter and over 700 bird

species.

Watching Seaturt les: The Gal ibi Nature Reserve is only accessible byboat, about 1 1/2 hou rs from Albina. The reserve is unique an d veryimportant to marine turt les and their conservat ion. The leatherbackpopulat ion that nests at Gal ib i i s one of the largest in the w or ld.

Birdwatching: There are so many rare an d exot ic birds in Sur inameyou wont need the binoculars. Checkl ists exist for birds which havebeen spot ted throughout the count ry. Bi rdwatching tours into t he

ju ng le ar e a va ila bl e f or th e m or e a dv en tu ro us an d ad va nc edbirdwatchers.

Website: ww w.suriname- tour ism.org

Despite being separated by just a few miles of wa ter, Tobago has been blessed withal l of the attr ibutes of a world-class dive dest inat ion, perhaps at the expense of i tssister to the south, Tr inidad. The islands nut r ient-r ich waters support som e of themost am azing reefs in the Caribbean. I ts proximity to South America places i t inthe path of the Guyana cur rent , which feeds the area wi th the nut r ients f romVenezuelas Orinoco River. This attracts an explosion o f marine l i fe from themicroscopic to the m ajest ic In fact, with an a rea of 12 by 16 , Tobagoboasts what is possibly the worlds largest brain coral at Kel leston Drainoff the vi l lage of Speyside.

Diving is year-round, with visibi l i ty usual ly in the range of 70 - 90ft /23-30m.Water temperatures range from highs of 82F/28C to lows of 75F/24C(in January and February) and mo st divers f inds that a 3m m neop rene suit issuff icient thermal prot ect ion. There are over 400 species of f ish and marinecreatures around Toba

caribbean dive guide 2012

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