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St. Lucia boasts a cash crop of Arrow Crabs
I’m just back from a week-long dive trip to beautiful St. Lucia. This island is in the Eastern Caribbean, part of the Lesser Antilles, lying between Martinique to the North and St. Vincent to the South. It boasts beautiful topside vistas redolent of tropical day dreams and Corona commercials as well as healthy, prolific underwater scenes. I’ve also never visited an island before with such nice people. From the vendors to the hotel employees to the waiters, everyone was incredibly friendly and kind.
Topside temperatures vary between 70 degrees and 90 degrees, depending on the season. The rainy season, which I embraced whole-heartedly due to the lack of tourist crowds, is June to November. Though last year the rainy season was actual marked by a serious drought, Mother Nature has returned to her regular routine, with generous but brief dousings almost every day this summer. Unfortunately, this sometimes meant variable visibility and several places where the freshwater runoff turned the sea into a nauseating kaleidoscope. The water temperatures range from 77 degrees in winter to 83 degrees plus in summer. My computer registered 80 and more the entire trip. I used a wetsuit, but it was more of a fashion statement than a necessity.
Most of the diving is done from the west and south-west sides of the island that face the Caribbean. The underwater topography runs the usual gamut, with volcanic pinnacles, sheer walls, shipwrecks and coral reefs to explore. Dive site depths range from 12ft to around 140ft. Depending on who you ask, there are 40+ “official” locations to dive, though those in the Soufriere Marine Reserve (which starts close to Anse La Raye and extends south for about 12 miles to the town of Soufriere) are the most popular due to the healthy coral and abundant sea life.
Shark lovers beware – there really aren’t any here. If you dive one of the sparse sites on the Atlantic side of the island, you might get a brief sighting of a reef shark or two, but the exciting experience will most likely be dampened by a raging case of sea sickness due to the rough waters. Come to think of it, most local folks had not-so-nice-things to say about the East side of the island and it’s exposure to the feral waters of the Atlantic: bears the brunt of oncoming storms, sea spray tends to drift along the coast which makes a rusty mess of anything metal, few “tried and true” dive sites, etc. I wasn’t there long enough to prove the nay sayers wrong, but it sure looked beautiful if not at least a little dangerous as I drove along that coast’s cliffs.
As for sea life, St. Lucia has a cash crop of arrow crabs, coral banded shrimp and a rainbow of different eels at every dive site (including a lively snake eel on my second dive.) Lobsters abound, and rays and turtles are also frequently seen. I saw scorpion fish, sneaky frog fish and flying gurnards on the trip, as well as fantail pipefish, trumpet fish, cowfish, grouper, jack, snapper, puffers, spotted drum, and a heaven full of angel fish. Sadly, everyone kept promising me octopus and sea horse sightings, but none came to fruition. Underwater barracuda sightings were equally as sparse, but (disturbingly) showed up on a dinner menu one night. Less mobile, but not less impressive, were the barrel sponges, crazy-huge vase-like growths that hosted a ton of critters along the reef. In one we spotted a basket sponge hiding from the sun’s rays.
As I mentioned, the island itself is picturesque. Enormous, green-clad mountains (the most famous are called the Pitons) rise at varying heights across the landscape. Lots of shallow, calm bays stretch inland, making great harbors for sailing day trips or extended stays. A note of caution: the main airport is FAR from most towns that a diver might be interested in, so an hour-plus transfer is common and may include windy roads with maniacal local drivers. Also, food is expensive here. Most items need to be imported, and most establishments are only too eager to tack on hefty service charges in addition to the mandatory taxes. Were all my meals there great? No. Were many of them really good? Yes, especially the ones that involved locally caught fresh fish, prawns, bananas, etc. St. Lucia restaurants are at their best when embracing what the island’s land and surrounding sea have to offer.
The beaches were beautiful and the hotel selection ranged from the most basic accommodations to the most extravagant (every room gets their own pool!) I found diving in St. Lucia to be convenient, with lots of safe dive companies staffed with friendly local people willing to go out of their way to deliver a good diving experience. Though it costs a few more dollars to stay and eat there, the cost of diving was on par with many other Caribbean islands. It was an enjoyable week, one that I hope to repeat during the next “dry” season.
Larry, the Puerto Rico lobster
Puerto Rico may be the fourth largest island in the Caribbean, but it is certainly one of the greatest for scuba diving. Its unique location, between the semi-protected Caribbean Sea and the open Atlantic, means that divers get the best of two realms, with sheltered reefs, pelagics from the deep, sheer drop-offs and networks of caves and tunnels, all in clear, warm waters year round. Water temperatures are in the low 80s in winter; mid-80s in summer. Visibility averages 70 feet around the main island with 100 feet or more off some of the surrounding small islands.
Diving in Puerto Rico is mainly done off the East, South and West coasts of the island. To the east, visibility frequently approaches 100 ft. Off the coast sit two small islands ripe for diving – Culebra and Vieques. The establishment of the Culebra Marine Reserve Park ensures that its dive sites are protected. Though Vieques is known for the prior U.S. Naval bombing exercises, it actually offers very healthy reefs due to the lack of visitors there in the recent past. There are also several dive sites around a series of small uninhabited islands—Palomino, Palominitos, and Cayo Diablo, where white beaches lead to shallow, prolific reefs amongst calm waters. Along with stingrays, eels, angelfish and jacks, very often divers off the east coast see dolphins, turtles, manatees, and even sometimes passing whales.
Puerto Rico’s Wall runs parallel to the south coast, producing sites with shocking drop offs. La Parguera, on the island’s southwest edge, features at least two dozen spots for sighting stands of black coral and pelagics. Rincon is where land-based dive operators run trips westward to Desecheo Island, another area with more dive options than there are hours in the day. A trip to pristine Mona Island is a highlight of many divers who visit, but it lies 45 miles west of the island (a 6-hour boat ride) and so the visit needs to be planned in advance.
Some interesting dives in Puerto Rico include:
Las Cuevas – This fascinating spot located near Desecheo that looks like Dr. Seuss molded the sea floor. Arches and swim-throughs cover the landscape, producing psychedelic effects and plenty of exploration opportunities. This boat dive starts at about 35 feet, but goes no deeper than 65 feet, which insures divers will have plenty of bottom time to search for critters amongst the super healthy reefs.
Cayo Raton – This semicircular reef off of Culebra starts flat and then plunges down to 55 feet. The sometimes strong current makes for 100+ foot visibility on a good day of diving. Larger fish are attracted to the current, but the reef boasts a healthy collection of small creatures, too, prompting many divers to note that there seems to be an unusually large amount of fish to be seen at this site.
Fallen Rock – This advanced dive near La Parguera will take a bit of a boat ride to get to, but bring a book and some sun screen, and you’ll be glad you made the trip. Sometime over the millenea, an enormous piece of the wall broke off and tumbled down the slope, causing a v-shaped notch that now shelters an explosion of coral and sea life. The boulder that broke off now forms a pinnacle further down the slope that divers can explore in detail, with frequent seahorses, crabs and octopus sightings. This is a deep dive, with the top of the reef at 65 feet, and the bottom dropping past 100, but the unique topography makes for a dramatic dive. All the usual reef fish can be spotted here, as can pelagics like mackerels, jacks, barracuda and spotted eagle rays that patrol the blue.
The Wall – This wall dive near La Parguera (sometimes also called Efra’s Wall) boasts multitudes of colorful coral lining the wall and adjacent canyon. This is a great site to check out the plant life, with gorgonians, whip corals, large golden zoanthids, green finger sponges, black coral and rope pore sponges growing from what seems like every surface. This dive also offers queen triggerfish, spotted eagle rays, schools of goatfish and parrotfish, as well as a hefty dose lobster action.
Dinner time!
With approximately 700 islands, over 2,500 cays, and 100,000 square miles of ocean, the Bahamas collectively comprise a massive scuba paradise. Grand Bahama Island, long one of the hubs of Bahamian tourism, is currently being rediscovered by divers and developers alike. Commerce and tourism has always centered on Freeport, the second-largest city in the Bahamas. But in the past few years, West End, Grand Bahama, is getting significant attention as well. Still, Freeport remains the home of most of the dive activity, and a true jewel in the crown of Bahamian diving.
Diving Grand Bahama is a lesson in diversity, from outrageous walls to high-octane animal encounters, shallow- to medium-depth reefs, excellent wrecks and even freshwater caverns. There is also an array of specialty dive programs like shark feeding dives, dolphin dives, diving with rebreathers, and riding underwater scooters. While the walls bordering the island’s south coast are accessible to casual divers, depths can exceed recreational limits. Most diving is done on shallow- to medium-depth reefs, where several excellent wrecks are found. Winter water temps drop to the 70s, while summer temps peak in the high 80s. The seas are calm year-round, except during winter storms. Visibility averages 80 to 100 feet. Some of the dive highlights around Grand Bahama Island include:
Cave Diving – The expansive Lucayan cavern system honeycombs Grand Bahama and offers several points of access at both inland and oceanic blue holes. Advanced divers can explore spectacular sites such as Ben’s Cavern, a sinkhole located in the Lucayan Caves National Park. Here stalactites and stalagmites provide dramatic underwater scenery while migratory bats steal the show topside. Other caverns to explore include, Owl’s Hole and Mermaids Lair.
Shark diving/Shark feeding – In scuba diving circles, the Bahamas are pretty well known for their sharks. Divers commonly see black tips, white tips, grey reef, and nurse sharks on dives. The only way to pack more of them into a dive is to feed them, which is what several companies have started offering in the Bahamas. Venture to a depth of 50 feet where instructors in protective chain mail lure dozens of sharks into close range with tasty tidbits.
Dolphin experiences – A company called UNEXSO offers “The Dolphin Experience,” the chance to scuba dive with one or more of its resident dolphins out in the open ocean. The company houses 16 bottlenose dolphins maintained in an enclosure at Sanctuary Bay, 10 of which have been born in captivity. If wild dolphins are more of your thing, White Sand Ridge north of West End, Grand Bahama won’t disappoint. Here, bottlenose dolphins are commonly seen rooting around in the shallow sand bank, and a resident pod of spotted dolphins is frequently seen.
Theo’s Wreck – Purposefully sunk in 1982 to create an artificial reef, Theo’s Wreck is located just east of Xanadu Beach. The wreck is about 230 feet long and rests on a flat sandy patch of the ocean floor on its port side, between the deep reef and the drop-off at a depth of about 101 feet. Over the past two decades the structure has become a haven for a mass of marine life. The wreck is intact and is covered in a blanket of yellow and orange cup corals and pink and red sponges, as well as colorful algae. The bow anchor chain in particular has splendid gorgonian sea fans. The shaded part of the hull is completely smothered in orange false gorgonians. Sea life found here includes barracuda, parrotfish, angelfish, snappers and moray eels. At the nearby reef drop-off, divers are likely to find larger fish and turtles.
Though relatively unknown, Latin America has some great diving along both coasts. Pristine reefs and few fellow divers equal one of kind diving opportunities. A few interesting spots to check out:
Gladden Split, Belize-Off the southern coast of Belize, Gladden’s Split is a world-renowned spot for diving with massive whale sharks. This site is the natural spawning ground for a variety of marine species which in turn attract the big guys. Whale sharks come regularly to feed on the fish eggs and other plankton in the water especially during the full moons of April, May and June, though they can also be seen August to October and in December and January. Though some of the dive sites in the north of the country are more well-known, none (except maybe the Blue Hole) are as dramatic and as rewarding.
Spooky Channel, Roatan, Honduras – Spooky Channel is located directly off the end of the Sunnyside pier making shore entry and exit a snap. Those on boats can also access the site, with moorings on both the inside and outside of the reef . There is a maze of zigzags and tunnel like effects leading throughout the reef at depths of up to 95 feet that give the site its name. There is an incredible array of fish on this dive including: blue runner, harlequin bass, cowfish, trunkfish, black durgon, butterfly fish, grouper, angelfish, parrotfish, octopus, lobster, shrimp, spider crab, trunkfish, porcupine fish, turtles, and rays. Upon occasion divers can even see whalesharks when the season is right. Abundant, healthy corals such as flower coral, smooth starlet, ribbon coral, brain coral, sea rod, sea fans, tube sponges, and basket sponges will do their best to steal your attention away from the fish.
Catalina Island, Costa Rica -This island off the west coast of Costa Rica is almost unknown to humans, but well known to rays. Giant Manta Rays, Bat Rays, Mobley, Spotted, Bull’s-eye and Stingrays abound. It is not unusual to see large migratory schools rays passing by during a dive. Sometimes sharks make an appearance too, including tiger sharks and white tips. The best months for diving the Catalina Islands are December through May, high season for Mantas. If you get bored of all of the large pelagics, you can also find frog fish, harlequin clown shrimp and sea horses here.
The Devil’s Throat, Cozumel, Mexico – Located at the Punta Sur dive site in Cozumel, The Devil’s throat is an underwater cave formation that starts at the opening of a dark narrow tunnel at 90 feet and takes you first vertically, then horizontally out through an opening at 130 feet on the wall. Visibility often exceeds 200 feet and the area is frequently visited by eagle rays and turtles, thought the creepy and spectacular cave is the highlight of this dive. Bring a dive light and some really advanced scuba skills for this one – you’ll need it.
Isabela Island, Mexico – Isabela Island National Park is a marine preserve accessed only by boat off the Pacific Coast of San Blas, Mexico. It’s possible to swim with giant Manta rays and hear whale songs underwater on the same dive. On the boat trip out and back, divers frequently sight whales, dolphins, turtles, whalesharks and sailfish. The unique underwater topography includes a giant underwater arch and several small caves to explore. A rainbow of tropical fish, yellowtail, grouper, red snapper, jack caravel, eel, anemones and all manner of corals thrive in this pristine habitat.
‘Tis the season for gift giving, a time when many people stress out about purchasing the perfect present for their special someone. My family has caught on that I have a scuba affinity and so most of my gifts are ocean-themed (I get Dramamine in my stocking every year.)
Recently I was scanning the scuba catalogs for “Christmas Wish List” items and came across several pieces of “gear” of dubious purpose. Though they may look appealing on a glossy page, these trinkets are destined to be abandoned under a boat’s bench seat sometime in the future by a frustrated diver with a lighter wallet. Links to these actual products have been provided for your enjoyment.
Scuba Lobster Inn (W/Zipper) – “The most popular collection bag for lobstering.” Lobsters check in, but they can’t check out. When you are ready to eat, just unzip and boil. Comes in your choice of 4 colors, none of which you can see underwater.
Cold Water Mittens – 7mm neoprene mitts by Edge with velcro/elastic wrist closures. Warm, but not terribly useful if you need to use any fingers underwater. Plus, your little kid mittens will most likely draw the ridicule of fellow divers. Topside activities with this gear include making snowmen.
Aqua Maracas – “Shake things up next time your down! This lightweight, compact, underwater signaling device is audible over 30 feet away.” It’s a perfect complement to your Scuba Samba and guaranteed to frighten all the fish.
“Dive Naked” License Plate – Conceptually I like the idea, but in practice I would think there might be some chaffing associated with this activity. What I know for sure is that NO ONE at my place of employment needs to see me pull into the parking lot with this on my car.
5-Page Wrist Dive Slate (w/free extra pencil!) – For those who are inspired to write an entire novel while underwater or carry on a lengthy conversation on existentialism with their dive buddy. Or perhaps it is meant to capture a checklist of scuba steps: Step 1 – Inhale, Step 2- Exhale, Step 3- Inhale…People who bought this gift should have also bought the Guide to Underwater Hand Signals.
The Shark Shield – “The Shark Shield incorporates two electrodes, which project the field from the unit and thus create an invisible protective shield that surrounds the user…” Sort of like one of those canine electric fences, but for sea life. Order in the next ten minutes and we’ll include a free can of Turtle Repellent. One question: if it is invisible, how do you know its working?