Dive and Explore the Marine Life in the Caribbean Sea

Richard Moor - Apr 29, 2013
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If you are looking for great diving trips and sites on islands around the Caribbean Sea, you will find yourself spoilt for choice with what is on offer in terms of the equipment, lessons and excursions available.

St. Croix

It is not yet as popular as Grand Cayman, but St. Croix definitely has a lot to offer you. Whether you prefer or are interested in wall dives, nighttime dives, wreck dives, reef dives or beach dives, you will find these all here. Undoubtedly, the highlight for divers at St. Croix is the underwater trails that stem from the Buck Island National Park, which is just off St. Croix mainland. Other remarkable sites include Davis Bay with one of the deepest (fifth to be exact) bodies of water on the planet, Puerto Rico Trench which has a maximum depth of 3,600 meters. The coral canyons and drop offs at Salt River and Cane Bay are also intriguing dive spots.

Caicos and Turks

Both of these islands offer a wealth of underwater sites that are seldom explored, these include the sea lanes that divers and boaters use to spot whales during January to March every year. There are miles of reefs and underwater wrecks that are home to colorful marine creatures. Experienced divers spend a lot of time diving at the drop off spots on Grand Turk. Here there are blue holes that plunge as far down as 2,100 meters below sea level. When you take part in a dive in this area, you are encouraged to look out for the thousands of fish species, coral, gorgonians, purple sponges, rare anemones and huge colonies of black coral.

Saba

While the beaches may be nothing to write home about, the water surrounding Saba is one of the Caribbean's richest marine life areas. There are 38 official diving sites and the island's unusual setting and charm includes mountaintops under 27 meters of water, millions of different types of fish, long and intimidating but nonetheless beautiful growths of black coral, black sand and underwater lava flows!

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has a large number of trenches, sea walls, caves and coral reefs that will keep even the most energetic diver of any level of ability busy. In the south of Puerto Rico, the continental shelf drops several miles from the coast, giving divers a 32 km long wall to explore.

Grand Cayman

You will undoubtedly have heard something about this diving destination. There are a total of 34 diving operators on Grand Cayman, as well as the 5 operating on neighboring Little Cayman and three on Cayman Brac. Grand Cayman is a serious diving destination, so there is a large range of diving services fit for experts including video schools, underwater photography, and instructions for all ability levels, equipment rentals, sales and repairs.

Virgin Gorda

For many divers one of the most important parts of a diving trip in the Caribbean is a dive off Salt Island to see the royal mail steamer known as HMS Rhone. It sunk in 1867 and is the most cherished and acclaimed diving destination in the Caribbean.

Bonaire

Bonaire is an island surrounded by perfect and easy to reach reefs that are under strict protection by the environmentally conscious divers who ensure it stays perfect. The island is essentially an underwater mountain created by many volcanic eruptions, so there are fringe reefs right next to the beach.

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