The Ultimate Guide To Scuba Diving In St. Lucia
Imagine a world beneath the waves, teeming with vibrant marine life, a few shipwrecks, and a mysterious creature that comes out at night. Now, picture yourself immersed in this underwater paradise, exploring the depths of St. Lucia. If you are you ready to embark on an unforgettable underwater adventure, then read on!
This guide will take you on a journey through St. Lucia’s mesmerizing dive sites and introduce you to the location of Scuba Jay’s first honeymoon (yes I’ve had more than one, but that is a story for another time and usually told with plenty of drinks). For now, let’s dive into the enchanting world of St. Lucia’s underwater wonders!
Getting There And Accommodations
Traveling internationally, you will be flying into Hewanorra International Airport (UVF). From America you can get flights to St. Lucia from multiple cities including Charlotte, Boston, Newark, Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Miami. Toronto and Montreal offer direct flights from Canada.
For some island-hopping, George F.L. Charles Airport (SLU) will be your airport of choice. Flights to various islands include Curacao, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, Barbados, Antigua and St. Vincent. Hey! Why stay on just one island, when you can hit a couple! But there is plenty about St. Lucia to keep you there.
For accommodations on St. Lucia, there are many to choose from. These choices include several adults-only all-inclusive Sandal resorts and the stunning Jade Mountain resort, as well as family friendly resorts such as Coconut Bay, Coco Palm and Sugar Beach.
Remember, when traveling for diving, consider the following factors: proximity to dive sites; dive packages offered; amenities; and (of course) your budget. For example, Sandals Halcyon Beach is a popular choice, offering scuba diving with up to two tanks per day included in your stay, but is adults only and may not be in everyone’s budget.
St. Lucia Scuba Diving
St. Lucia’s volcanic origins helped to form dramatic landscapes both above and below the water’s surface. Surrounded by coral gardens and reefs, St. Lucia is the perfect playground for divers of all levels, offering a diverse range of dive sites that cater to everyone’s interests.
St. Lucia Scuba Diving Operations
St. Lucia is truly a dive-friendly island with many dive shops and dive operators to suit your needs. As with the dive sites, the majority of the diving operations are on the West side of the island.
On the Southwest part of the island you have such operators as Action Adventure Divers and Scuba St. Lucia, in the Western middle there is Dive Fair Helen and in the Northwest there is the Sandals Dive Center, Eastern Caribbean Diving Limited and Dive St. Lucia/Scuba Steve’s Diving (Disclaimer, as far as we can tell Scuba Steve is not related to Scuba Jay).
Once you’ve picked your dive center, grab your gear and get ready for some amazing diving!
Diving Season And Conditions In St. Lucia
Understanding the dive conditions and visibility in St. Lucia is essential to ensuring a smooth underwater adventure. The island’s waters are generally warm, with average water temperatures around 84°, making it comfortable for diving year-round. Visibility is typically good, with an average of over 100ft, allowing you to fully appreciate the beauty of St. Lucia’s aquatic life.
Peak season for diving in St. Lucia is from November to April, when sea temperatures are typically around 79°, and the weather is calm and clear. During this time, you’ll enjoy optimal diving conditions and have the best chance to encounter a wide variety of marine life. Plan your dive trip accordingly, and maximize your experience of St. Lucia’s remarkable underwater world.
Diving Sites Of St. Lucia
As mentioned above, the majority of the dive sites can be found off of the island’s West coast. Scuba divers have over 20 different diving destinations to choose from and there is enough to keep both beginner and experienced divers busy.
St. Lucia’s waters host over 150 species of fish and other marine life, leading to its nickname “rainforest of the sea.” While diving in St. Lucia, you’ll encounter a vibrant array of marine creatures, including pufferfish, parrotfish, snappers, grunts, trumpetfish, eels, lobsters and various rays.
On the Southwest side of the island there is the Anse des Pitons Marine Reserve and where you’ll find the majority of top diving spots. Many of these spots are good for all level of divers and snorkelers and many are good for night diving as well.
Turtle Reef
One of St. Lucia’s most captivating dive sites is Turtle Reef, a dramatic underwater landscape that’s teeming with marine life, albeit not many turtles (Go figure). This unique dive spot located on the islands Southwest side features a plateau adorned with barrel sponges and pillar and organ pipe coral, before dropping off into a sheer wall.
As you embark on your dive look for the smaller reef fish taking refuge near the cliff face, as well as schools of barracuda lurking nearby. This dive site provides a truly mesmerizing experience, as you glide past sea whips, soft corals, and huge brain corals that cover the reef.
The dive starts at a depth of about 40ft and can go beyond recitational limits, making it suitable for those with experience in buoyancy control.
Shipwrecks Lesleen M and Daini Koyomaru
St. Lucia’s underwater realm is not only home to vibrant coral reefs and marine life, but also fascinating shipwrecks that have become artificial reefs. Two popular wreck dive sites are the Lesleen M and the Daini Koyomaru, with each offering a unique and captivating experience for wreck diving enthusiasts.
At Anse La Raye Wall, located just about in the middle of the West side of the island, lies the wreck of the Lesleen M. This 165-foot freighter was purposefully sunk in October 1986 and rests at a depth of about 65ft. It is now home to a variety of marine life, including lobster, moray eels and frogfish.
The Daini Koyomaru wreck, lies just a little south of the Lesleen M. This old Japanese minesweeper was sunk on purpose in 1996 to also create an acritical reef. She is 246ft long and 82ft high. As she sits in about 108ft of water, her top is just about 26ft from the surface. This wreck offers the chance to encounter turtles, barracudas, angelfish, and moray eels.
Anse Chastanet Reef
Anse Chastanet Reef is a shallow dive site known for its abundance of macro marine life, making it a dream destination for underwater photographers and critter enthusiasts alike. Just 10 yards off of Anse Chastanet Beach, this site ranges in depth between 20ft and 140ft, which makes it great for all level of divers and snorkelers. This is also a great spot for some night diving.
Anse Chastanet offers an extremely wide variety of marine life to discover including seahorses, batfish, butterflyfish, blue tangs, scorpionfish, squid and octopus. This dive site is also home to St. Lucia’s very own Loch Ness Monster, affectionately nicknamed “The Thing.” This large worm-like creature sometimes is spotted at night. So bring that camera to this popular dive location and see if you can capture a photo of this mysterious animal.
Piton Wall
The breathtaking Piton Wall dive site is located at the base of Petit Piton, one of St. Lucia’s iconic twin peaks. This awe-inspiring wall dive offers divers the chance to explore a colorful and diverse underwater ecosystem.
With depths ranging from the shallow coral gardens of around 15ft, to the dramatic wall down to abut 50ft, Piton Wall is perfect for all level of divers seeking an unforgettable experience. The diverse marine life at this site includes squirrelfish, bigeyes and parrotfish.
Superman’s Flight
Look….well not up in the sky, but below the waves at the base of Petit Piton it’s Superman’s Flight. Named after one of the film locations of Superman II, Superman’s Flight is a thrilling dive site with moderate currents and clear waters. It is perfect for experienced drift divers seeking an exhilarating underwater adventure!
As you glide along the base of Petit Piton, you’ll be amazed by the beautiful coral formations and interesting macro life that inhabit this unique dive site. Superman’s Flight is suitable for more advanced scuba divers due to its moderate currents and depths that can quickly go beyond recreational limits. But if you ever wanted to feel like the Man Of Steel flying, this site is for you!
Keyhole Pinnacles
If you are looking to dive some volcanic peaks, then Keyhole Pinnacles has you covered with four of them.
Each of the pinnacles come just feet from the surface and are covered in beautiful coral and sponge formations. And of course with all that marine life comes great aquatic life like groupers, trumpetfish, jacks and filefish. This is an island favorite not to be missed!
Heading up North there are some good sites as well including Saline Point, Smuggler’s Cove and the eerily named Bone Yard…Boooo!!
Saline Point
Let’s start with the most Northerly dive site on St. Lucia, Saline Point. Located off of LeSport Hotel with depths between 20ft to 60ft, this is an ideal spot for all level of divers and snorkelers.
There is literally an explosion of color on Saline Point with the various marine life swimming among the hard and soft coral and sponges. Divers can find here various rays and eels as well as pufferfish, scorpionfish and grunts. Beach entry is possible at this site as well.
Smuggler’s Cove
Just a little South of Saline Point is another nice easy dive site that can be done either by shore diving, or from a boat. Smuggler’s Cove is one of St. Lucia’s most beautiful and secluded beaches. Maximum depth is about 40ft and there are trenches and shelves to explore all over this site.
At Smuggler’s Cove you can typically see trumpetfish, lobster, squid and the very cool looking flying gurnard.
Bone Yard
Make no bones about it, you will want to add Bone Yard to your itinerary if hitting St. Lucia’s Northern dive sites. Located by Castries Harbor, are the remains of an old WW II ship rumored to have been torpedoed. There also appears to be the wing of an airplane that was perhaps shot down during the conflict.
outside of the wreck remains there are also nice soft coral formations and large barrel sponges, with a variety of marine life swimming about.
Other Activities
If you’re looking for alternative ways to enjoy the beauty of St. Lucia, there are plenty of other activities to join in on in addition to the great diving. Even if you’re not a scuba diver (why would you not be a scuba diver?!), you can still experience the captivating wonders of St. Lucia and its waters.
The Piton Mountains
The amazing Piton Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the image that first comes to mind in many when thinking of St. Lucia.
Made up of Gros Piton (2,619ft) and Petit Piton (2,461ft), travelers can take in these natural wonders by boat, land and air. Keep in mind that the narrower Petit Piton is not usually hiked, but the wider Gros Piton is well marked for hikers. The Trail on Gros is a little over three miles long and is designated as “challenging” taking a total of between 6 to 12 hours to complete. Whichever way you decide to explore, don’t miss the Pitons!
ATV And Horseback Tours
Looking for a cool way to explore the island, then an ATV tour may be what you’re looking for. Hop on your all-terrain vehicle and follow your guide through forested paths to see the rural side of St. Lucia. Along the way you’ll see beaches, plantations and historical sites. A great way to spend a few hours of adventure!
Perhaps you’d like to go a little slower, then you can take a tour by horseback to a beach and right into the warm tropical waters.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is a great activity if you want to see some of the island’s vibrant marine life without diving too deep below the surface. Anse Chastanet Beach and Anse Cochon Beach are top spots for snorkeling, offering a diverse array of marine life to discover, including frogfish, batfish, turtles, seahorses, scorpionfish, shrimp, eels, squid, and octopus.
SNUBA
If you’re looking to take your snorkeling to the next level, then you might want to try SNUBA. On SNUBA you’ll have a regulator connected to an air hose that leads to your compressor floating above. This allows you to not have to surface to get your air and you can remain down below, approximately 20ft maximum, up-close and personal with the marine life.
If you don’t want to worry about keeping a regulator in you mouth, then you can try a Sea Trek Adventure where you wear a diving helmet as you walk along the bottom of ocean.
Kayaking and Paddle Boarding
For those who prefer to stay above the water, kayaking and paddle boarding provide a unique way to explore St. Lucia’s breathtaking coastline. These activities offer a different perspective of the island’s natural wonders, allowing you to glide along the water’s surface and take in the beauty of St. Lucia from a new angle.
Guided tours are available for both kayaking and paddle boarding, giving you the chance to learn more about the island’s history and ecology while enjoying a fun and active water adventure.
Wrapping Things Up
St. Lucia’s underwater paradise offers a diverse range of experiences for divers of all skill levels, from the vibrant coral reefs swimming with marine life, to shipwrecks and thrilling night dives. Added to this is the plenty of above-the-wave activities to keep everyone busy.
So, whether you’re a seasoned diver seeking new challenges or a novice eager to explore the depths, St. Lucia awaits, inviting you to dive in and experience its magic both beneath and above the waves.
“How boring would the world be if everywhere and everyone were the same. Safe travels and good adventures.” Scuba Jay