Scuba Diving Hotspots in Saint Lucia
Scuba diving in the Caribbean is known for its majestic experience and sightseeing, many refer to it as an underwater carnival. Saint Lucia is one of the islands in the Caribbean that is recognized for hosting a plethora of exotic creatures. The waters of Saint Lucia host fascinating shipwrecks, vibrant coral reefs, and various other underwater features where exotic fish love to swim. Saint Lucia is actually surrounded by massive structures of coral reef which are good for divers of all levels. Saint Lucia scuba diving offers a very diverse experience with choices like boat dives, night diving and regular offshore dive. The many different locations and types of scuba diving is great for divers of all levels to experience the breathtaking underwater creatures and reefs. Keep reading to learn our top 8 places to scuba dive in Saint Lucia.
Best Places to Scuba Dive in Saint Lucia
Trou Diable (Devil’s Hole)
Dive Level: Advanced
Trou Diable is a dive spot off Saint Lucia’s shore where more experienced divers are sure to be impressed by. This dive site features a coral reef about 40 feet below the surface. Divers can circle down and around this reef all the way to 100 feet underwater. The coral reef at Trou Diable is said to be one of the healthiest reefs along the island and hosts sea creatures like grunts, chromis, and turtles.
Keyhole Pinnacle
Dive Level: Advanced
Keyhole Pinnacle is known for its volcanic peaks that protrude straight up to the surface of Saint Lucia’s beautiful waters. This site is known to have rare species regularly swimming through the waters. Swimming through the four peaks covered in black and orange gorgonians are trumpetfish, grouper, snapper filefish, and seahorses.
Fairyland
Dive Level: Advanced
The name Fairyland comes from exactly how this underwater oasis will make you feel. The Fairytale dive site boasts vibrant coral and sponges which makes this location extremely popular for photography. The dive level is advanced because at times the currents can be strong. However, it proves just how clean Fairyland’s natural elements have remained over the years. On this dive you will encounter all sorts of exotic fish, including sea turtles. The surface slopes from 40 feet all the way down to 200 feet.
Anse Cochon North & South Reef
Dive Level: Novice
Anse Cochon North & South Reef is a great dive site for new scuba divers. These locations hold beach dives where the surface extends downwards about 40 feet on the North side and 30 feet on the South side. Anse Cochon North Reef will lead you into the Virgin Cove Reef. The North side is known to have a little bit more coral than its southern neighbor. Sightings are likely to include seahorses, scorpion fish, cleaner shrimp, turtles, trumpetfish, eels, squid, octopus, and more.
Anse Chastanet
Dive Level: Novice
Anse Chastanet is located on the West coast of Saint Lucia. During this dive it is typical to see trumpetfish and turtles. The area is one of Saint Lucia’s most popular scuba diving destinations and it is commonly recommended for beginning divers. The reef on this dive ranges from 15 feet to 60 feet.
Coral Gardens
Dive Level: Advanced
Coral Gardens is not only known for its scuba diving sites but also for the boat ride which actually gets you to the dive location. Coral Gardens is located in the Soufriere area located at the majestic Pitons. The surrounding area is awestruck and is sure to amaze you before you even dive in Saint Lucia’s waters. As for the actual dive, you will get to see the base of Gros Piton which rises nearly 2400 feet high. Some of the tropical fishes which you’ll encounter are five-finger corals, sargassum triggerfish, and oftentimes barracudas in the deeper areas. The dive itself starts at 15 feet and extends to depths of around 90 feet.
Rosemond’s Trench
Dive Level: Advanced
Scuba diving at Rosemond’s Trench is one of the many activities on Saint Lucia’s “must do” list. This site is sure is really impressive and many divers of the island love this location. When exploring these waters, you can expect to see valleys, trenches, and tunnels which are home to the elusive frogfish, turtles, and seahorses. The dive extends to lengths of only 36 feet.
Virgin Cove
Dive Level: Novice
The Virgin Cove is an excellent location for divers who are new to the activity. The reef starts shallow at about 15 feet and can extend all the way down to 70 feet. The reef hosts barrel sponges, brain coral, snappers, grunts, turtles, Atlantic spadefish, and you can also see stingrays and barracudas toward the deeper areas. Virgin Cove is shaped like the number 9 and is home to many exotic sea creatures.