Resort Diving

Updated November 17, 2022

This is the seventy-fourth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations worldwide.  In this post, the focus is on Dubai and Fujairah.

In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been diving in Dubai and Fujairah before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Scuba Diving in Fujairah & Dubai

Background

Dubai and Fujairah are the most interesting places in the UAE for divers and are the focus of this post.

Dubai is the most populous of the Emirates with 5.64 million in the metropolitan area.  It is a major business hub, and transport center for passengers and cargo and is well known as a shopping center, and for the major construction projects, it has undertaken.  Oil reserves are low, so internationalization and tourism are becoming increasingly important.

Fujairah is the smallest of the Emirates with a population of 152,000.  It receives subsidies from the seat of power in Abu Dhabi to sustain itself.  Most workers are employed by the government, but there is economic activity in shipping services, stone crushing, and mining.

Dubai has a number of interesting shipwrecks nearby and Fujairah provides direct access to the rich east-side reefs outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Undersea World

The reef at Fujairah is rich in hard and soft corals, sponges, sea fans, and other encrusting invertebrates displaying a multitude of colors.  The terrain typically has big rocks with areas of sandy bottom in between.  There are 900 species of fish with larger highlights that include manta and eagle rays, dolphins, reef, hammerhead and whale sharks, mola mola, hawksbill and green turtles, barracuda, tuna, squid, batfish, snapper, parrotfish, and rich diversity of reef tropical fish.  The macro life is also excellent with seahorses, pipefish, lionfish, stonefish, scorpionfish, cuttlefish, lobster, octopus, dottybacks, feather duster worms, nudibranchs, hermit crabs, peacock sole, gobies and accompanying shrimp, and many more.

Musandam, part of Oman on the peninsula to the north at the Strait of Hormuz, is also fairly easily accessible by boat from Fujairah and offers a more varied undersea terrain and similar, if not slightly more intriguing diving than that of Fujairah.

On the western, Dubai side, the reef is not very rich. Construction and boat traffic have not helped in maintaining a pristine situation.  However, there are lots of wrecks to explore.  Many of those that have been there a while have developed very rich reef systems with most of the same wildlife evident on the east side in abundance in and around the wrecks.

Liveaboard Diving

None of the major liveaboard yachts travel to Dubai, Fujairah, or any of the United Arab Emirates.  However, there is one cruise that travels to Oman which includes the Musandam Peninsula, which is surrounded by the UAE.  Please click here for my review of that liveaboard with dive site information:

• Great Scuba Diving Destinations – Oman Liveaboards

Oman Aggressor, Oman Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible year-round.

It gets quite warm in the summer reaching as high as 45°C (106°F).  Perhaps surprisingly it also gets a bit cool in the winter sliding down to 15°C (60°F).

Water temps move correspondingly with a range of 22-33°C (75-91°F).  Some may choose a 3-5 mm wetsuit when the water is coolest.

In this desert region, the wettest time is from December to March.

Visibility on the west side is affected by the construction and boat traffic and runs from 5-10 meters (16-35 feet), generally.  On the east side, it is usually much better with a range of 5-50 meters (16-160 feet) depending on the season and the site.

Strong current is possible at times on some sites, but diving is available to suit all levels.

There are dozens of dive shops that can arrange diving on both sides (east and west) and are fully equipped to provide a range of training, equipment rental, guiding, and boat tours.

Selected Fujairah Dive Sites

Sharm Rock: 12 meters (40 feet), pinnacle with several rocks breaking the surface, colorful hard and soft corals, anemones and clownfish, rich macro life and reef tropicals, pipefish, pufferfish, snappers, eagle rays, reef sharks, all levels

Martini Rock: 21 meters (70 feet), protected marine park, a pinnacle at 5 meters (16 feet), colorful hard and soft corals, sea whips, scorpionfish, lionfish, moray eels, snappers, barracuda, turtles, experienced level

Dibba Island: 3-15 meters (10-50 feet), big table corals, sharks, rays, turtles, shoals of jacks, all levels

Inchcape 1: 32 meters (104 feet), freighter scuttled in 2001 to become an artificial reef, sitting upright, resident macro life including scorpionfish and moray eels, schools of jacks, barracuda, snapper and reef tropicals, strong current possible, experienced level

Selected Dubai Dive Sites

MV Dara: 20 meters (66 feet), 120-meter (400-foot) passenger ship sunk after an explosion in 1961, 238 deaths, resting on the starboard side, reachable at 5 meters (16 feet), well encrusted and rich in macro life, barracuda, eagle rays, guitar sharks, possible whale sharks, all levels

Cement Barge: 12 meters (40 feet), sunk in a storm in 1971, reachable at 5 meters (16 feet), many holes in the hull, lots of reef tropicals, anemones and clownfish, big schools of juvenile barracuda, snappers at the propeller shaft, stingrays in the surrounding sand, all levels

Mariam Express: 18-25 meters (60-83 feet), UAE/Iraq ferry overloaded and sunk in the current in 2006, cargo and wreckage provide excellent habitat for macro life including nudibranchs and flatworms, torpedo and eagle rays, yellowtail barracuda, experienced level

MV Victoria Star: 14-23 meters (48-78 feet), 81-meter (265-foot) cargo vessel sunk in 2013, rests upright, cargo holds penetrable at 19 meters (63 feet), 3-level bridge is penetrable, current is possible, enough to do for 2 dives, experienced level

Sheikh Mohammad’s Barge: 18-23 meters (60-78 feet), McDermott derrick barge scuttled in 1984 to become an artificial reef, includes main barge and towing vessel, cranes with a couple of vehicles, cement reef balls sunk for more reef habitat, good penetration opportunities, lots of marine life, enough to do for 2 dives, experienced level

Dubai & Fujairah Photos

With the interesting undersea terrain, wrecks, colorful coral reefs, macro life, a variety of fish, sharks, and rays, scenic coastal landscapes, and fantastic architectural marvels as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

Dubai & Fujairah Transportation, Dive Shops, and Lodging

Transportation

Dubai and Abu Dhabi both have major international airports.

Taxis are the most popular form of land transportation, but there are also buses between Emirates.

Dubai also has a metro and a tram system.

Rental cars are available with and without a driver.

There is also a bicycle-sharing service.

Rental scooters are an on-and-off thing.  The last I saw the program was shut down.

Dive Shops & Lodging

There are many hundreds of hotels in Dubai and dozens in Fujairah, our two primary diving areas.  The pricing starts at $8 and goes up to your house mortgage level.  At least five dozen dive shops are in operation, many in conjunction with hotels.  They offer a full range of services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.  The website linked below is a good source for the available options and can arrange a booking.  You can easily find the locations on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• Dubai Resorts
• Fujairah Resorts

Things to do in The UAE (aside from scuba diving)

A masterpiece of architecture and landscaping, there are many wonders to visit in addition to the seaside attractions.  Some of both include dolphins, the world’s longest zip line, jet skiing, boat cruises, parasailing, Arabic coffee, kayaking, Dubai Frame, Mohammed bin Rashid Library, Warner Brothers World, Al Qana, Deira Island Night Souk (market), Aladdin City, Bluewaters Island, Cityland Mall, Azizi Riviera, Ain Kubai (Ferris wheel), Reem Central Park, W Hotel, The Palm, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Rosemont Hotel and Residences, Shams Boutik, CLYMB, Dubai-Sharjah Bridge.  These videos will introduce these and a few more.

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Dubai and Fujairah scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have diving in Dubai and Fujairah.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Updated January 26, 2023

This is the ninetieth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Crete. In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been diving in Crete before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Best Scuba Diving in Crete

Background

The largest Greek island of Crete is situated 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of the Greek mainland and 645 kilometers (403 miles) from Libya.

260 kilometers (162 miles) long and 60 kilometers (37.5 miles) in width, it was the center of the Bronze Age Minoan Civilization from 2,700-1,420 BC, the earliest in Europe.

The population today of 633,000 uses services and tourism to drive the economy with 3,000,000 visitors annually.  Agriculture and stock raising are traditional livelihoods that are still factors.

It is an island of hills and valleys with Mount Ida at the highest point at 2,456 meters (8,058 feet).

The climate is primarily Mediterranean with some snow in the mountains from November to May.  The southern coastal area is in the North African climatic zone with more sunny days and higher temperatures throughout the year.

For more demographic, historical, and cultural information, click here:  Wikipedia – Crete

Undersea World

Crete has a colorful, remarkably rich Mediterranean reef with an interesting variety of subsea terrain including volcanic rocky reefs, walls, caves, caverns, arches, and swim-throughs in exceptionally clear water with little to no current.  Most of the caves are suitable for all levels of divers.

The list of rich marine life is long with several plant varieties, colorful sponges, hard and soft corals, black coral trees in places, anemones, tube anemones, tube worms, crinoids, scorpionfish, octopus, squid, cuttlefish, moray and conger eels, and slipper and spiny lobster.  Various mollusks, crabs, nudibranchs, seahorses, shrimps, flying gurnards, octopus, cardinalfish, soldierfish, several varieties of wrasse, black gobies, razorfish, star-gazers, and even more great macro critters can be found on the dive sites of Crete.  More sizable attractions include grouper, common stingrays, brown rays, schools of jacks and barracuda, loggerhead turtles, occasional tuna, dolphins, porpoises, monk seals, and the possibility of sperm whales and hammerhead sharks.

There are several notable plane and ship wrecks that are mostly reasonably shallow and don’t require advanced technical diving skills.

Seasons and Conditions

It’s possible to dive all year in Crete.

Average air temperatures are 24-26°C (75-79°F) from May to September and 11-20°C (52-68°F) from October to April.

The water temperature reaches a high of 26-27°C (79-82°F) in August and a low of 17°C (63°F) from January to March.  At the coolest, some will want a 7 mm wetsuit or a drysuit.

Current is minimal and visibility is usually great running from 15-35 meters (50-116 feet).

Rain does not often disturb diving for long with the dry season from April to September.

Most of the diving is not deep and there are sites suitable for all levels.  Shore access is often possible.

At least 47 dive shops offer a full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.

Here is my review regarding the range of gear suitable for cold-water diving:

• Best Cold Water Scuba Diving Equipment

Liveaboard Diving

There is not a liveaboard that directly cruises the Crete dive sites, but there are boats that go to the not-too-distant Tuscan Archipelago (Italy)and to the even closer Turkey.  Here is my review of Tuscan Archipelago diving and links to those liveaboards:

• Best Mediterranean Vacations Tuscan Archipelago Liveaboard

Norseman, Tuscan Archipelago Liveaboard – Check the Price

Fethiye Diving Expeditions, Turkey Scuba Diving Liveaboard – Check the Price

Selected Crete Diving Sites

Big Anchor: 33 meters (110 feet) maximum depth, shore or boat entry, near Agia Pelagia (north side), 400-year-old anchor protruding from the sandy seabed at 27 meters (90 feet), a nice reef with rich marine life to the maximum depth, big grouper over 1 meter in length, large sponges, experienced level

Blue Cave: 22-30 meters (73-100 feet), boat entry, Agia Pelagia (north side), 11 meters (38 feet) wide and 15 meters (50 feet) deep cave, a reef with large rocks outside the entrance with red corals, sponges, and soft coral, jacks, snappers, white bream, nooks and crannies with shrimps, clams, and other invertebrates, experienced level

El Greco Cave: 20 meters (68 feet), shore or boat entry, between Sisses and Agia Pelagia (north side), 30 meters (100 feet) deep cave, entrance 8 meters high x 5 meters wide (25 feet high x 16 feet wide), the area around and inside includes tuna, moray eels, grouper, and lobster, stalactites and stalagmites, siphon at the rear permits ascent to an area inside the cave at the surface, experienced level

Islet of Dia: 18 meters (60 feet), boat entry, northeast of Agia Pelagia, 20-meter (68-foot) wreck is there, sunk 130 years ago at high tide, bow at 18 meters (60 feet) and stern at 12 meters (40 feet), rich marine life including big grouper, sponges, colorful encrustations, and clams in and around the wreck and reef, all levels

Kalypso Walls: 40 meters (130 feet) maximum depth, shore entry, Kalypso Bay (south side), walls, rock formations, caverns, colorful sponges, grouper, octopus, starfish, moray eels, all levels depending on the depth

Messerschmitt Bf-109: 24 meters (80 feet), boat entry, Analipsi 10 km (6.25 miles) east of Heraklion, (north side), upside down and broken up, on a sandy bottom, fuselage and wings are intact, one machine gun and ammunition belt remain, the tail is 50 meters (170 feet) away at 30 meters (100 feet), rich plant life, moray eels, grouper, small reef nearby, experienced level

Skinaria Bay: 33 meters (110 feet) maximum depth, south of Rethymno (south side), shore or boat entry, rocky seabed, walls, small swim-through, small Skinaria Cave from 10-22 meters (35-73 feet), moray eels, starfish, shrimps, sponges, grouper, experienced level

Mononaftis: 35 meters (116 feet), near Agia Pelagia (north side), shore entry, large site, reefs, rock formations, small caves, canyons, rich marine life including sponges, anemones, mollusks, grouper, conger, and moray eels, cuttlefish, squid, crabs, seahorses, scorpionfish, bream, occasional stingrays, barracuda, and dolphins, all levels depending on the depth

Elephant Cave: 9 meters (29 feet), boat entry, near Hersonissos (north side), elephant fossils in a cavern, vertebrae, teeth, and a tusk are visible, stalactites and stalagmites, all levels

Crete Photos

With the interesting undersea terrain of arches, caves, and tunnels, colorful encrusting invertebrates and fish, historic ship and plane wrecks, interesting landmarks, shoreside geographical sites, and city scenes as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

Best Crete Transportation, Lodging, and Dive Shops

Transportation

• Air – There are three airports in Crete, the main international airport at Heraklion, a military airport at Chania, and a smaller domestic airport in Sitia.  They all handle frequent flights from Athens and mainland Greece.  The Heraklion Airport is slated to be replaced before long due to it being too close to the city.
• Taxis are expensive and not a good option for long journeys.  For short hops and as airport transit they are suitable.
• Bus service is frequent and trustworthy.
• Ferries – There are regular runs between several ports in mainland Greece and Crete.
• Rental cars, dune buggies, 4-wheel drive vehicles, larger group vans and cars, motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles are all easy to find at tourist centers.

For a more detailed expose of transportation logistics and information, please click here:  Wikivoyage – Crete

Lodging and Dive Shops

Crete is well prepared for its 3 million annual tourists with over 1,741 lodging options starting at $6 a night.  There are also at least 47 dive shops all around the island that offer full services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange the booking.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• Crete Hotels

Crete Things to Do (aside from scuba diving)

With its long history, archaeological sites and ruins, and beautiful seaside towns and landscapes, there is a lot to see on Crete.  Here are some of them:  Samaria Gorge, Nautical Museum of Crete, Chrissokalitissa Monastery, Natural History Museum of Crete, Arkady Monastery, Elafonissi, Phaistos Minoan Palace, Spinalonga, Balos Lagoon, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Cretaquarium, Psychro Cave, Kourtaliotiko Gorge, Koules Fortress, Archaeological Museum of Chania, Agios Minal Cathedral, Nautical Museum of Crete, Knossos Minoan Palace, Mount Ida, Gortina, Gournia.

This video is a nice glimpse of what Crete has to offer.

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Crete scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have diving in Crete.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Updated April 17, 2022

This is the one hundred and twenty-fourth in a series of reviews of the best scuba diving destinations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Ambergris Caye, Belize. In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you been diving in Ambergris Caye before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Scuba Diving Ambergris Caye Belize

Background

Situated off the northern coastline of Belize, Ambergris Caye is the largest of hundreds of islands in the region at 40 kilometers (25 miles) in length and 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) wide.

Originally the circumference consisted of white sand beaches that surround a mangrove swamp.  Man’s modifications have virtually eliminated the beaches on the east side.

With a population of 14,000, San Pedro is the only town on the island, though there are several villages and numerous resorts.

Tourism started developing in the 1970s due to the beaches (check out Secret Beach in the north) and the proximity to the world’s second-largest barrier reef which provides excellent scuba diving.

There are a number of ex-pat residents and tourists from near and far who come for the laid-back ambiance of this tourist destination with no high rises or public transportation.

As part of a former British colony, English is widely spoken.

Undersea World

Along the east coast of Ambergris Caye, a ‘spur and groove’ reef runs parallel to the shoreline.  If this term is unfamiliar, ‘spur and groove’ reefs consist of long fingers that extend out into the ocean and are perpendicular to the main reef that is parallel to the shore.  These fingers create a series of canyons and gullies with arches and ledges providing habitat for a variety of marine life to take refuge.

At the southern end of the island are a series of reefs and small cayes with protected shallow areas that include the famous Shark-Ray Alley dive site.  In this area are several types of eco-system including seagrass beds, mangrove cayes, and lagoons, all harboring different mixtures of marine life.

Not far from Shark-Ray Alley is the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, one of several protected areas in Ambergris Caye which is part of a larger environmental initiative that also features the installation of mooring buoys.

There are 70 varieties of hard coral and 30 of soft coral but the distinguishing feature is lots of colorful barrel, tube, and vase sponges and sea fans on a healthy reef.

There is not the volume of fish here like there is in many areas of the Caribbean but there is a relatively large number of species.  One highlight is numerous nurse sharks to go along with blacktip sharks, and occasional hammerheads.  There are southern, Caribbean, and yellow stingrays, eagle rays, and much less frequently seen manta rays.

Other larger marine life that is common includes green, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles, black, tiger, and Nassau groupers, tarpon, dolphins, and schools of horse-eye jacks and barracuda.

The smaller reef inhabitants include morays, schools of grunts and snappers, schoolmasters, queen triggerfish and angelfish, trumpetfish, blue tangs, squirrelfish, parrotfish, spadefish, and macro critters like scorpionfish, octopuses, reef squid, lobster, spider crabs, and many others.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is great all year on Ambergris Caye.

• Air temperature average daily highs range from 27°C (81°F) to 31°C (88°F).  The warmest months are April through September.
• The water temperature annual range is 25-29°C (77-84°F).  A 3mm wetsuit will likely be sufficient when the water is at its coolest.
• The dry season runs from February through April with September and October the wettest months.
• Currents are usually weak to non-existent with some exceptions.  Offshore sites may have some surface chop.
• Visibility is pretty good in the 10-24 meter (33-80 foot) range.

There are sites suitable for all levels of diver.  Dozens of dive shops operate around Ambergris Caye, some in or associated with hotels, that offer a full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.

Belize Liveaboard Diving

There are not any liveaboard yachts diving on Ambergris Caye, however, there are two world-class liveaboard dive safaris to Belize with diving on Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef including The Blue Hole.  Here is my review and links to the two vessels:

• Best Dive Trips to Belize & Cocos Island Liveaboards

Belize Aggressor IV, Belize Liveaboard Cruise – Check the Price

Belize Aggressor III, Belize Liveaboard Cruise – Check the Price

For reviews of diving in eastern Florida and other Caribbean locations, please check out these posts:

• Scuba Diving in Islamorada Florida
• Scuba Diving on Key West Florida
• Best Scuba Diving Key Largo Florida
• Scuba Diving West Palm Beach Florida
• Ft. Lauderdale Scuba Diving
• Scuba Diving St. Barts
• Scuba Diving St. Eustatius
• Scuba Diving in Saba
• Scuba Diving St Kitts and Nevis
• Best Scuba Diving St. Martin
• Best Guadeloupe Scuba Diving
• Anguilla Scuba Diving
• Scuba Diving in Antigua and Barbuda
• Scuba Diving Cuba Best Dive Sites Cuba
• Best Cuba Scuba Diving Liveaboard Jardines de la Reina
• Scuba Diving the Dominican Republic
• Best Scuba Diving Panama
• Banco Chinchorro Diving Mexico
• Scuba Diving Playa Del Carmen
• Scuba Diving Tulum Mexico
• Cozumel Scuba Diving Review
• Scuba Diving Cancun Mexico
• Best Scuba Diving Puerto Rico
• Scuba Diving St Vincent and the Grenadines Review
• St. Lucia Scuba Diving Review
• Turks and Caicos Scuba Diving Review
• Best US Virgin Islands Vacations Scuba Diving
• Best Trinidad and Tobago Vacations Scuba Diving
• Best Caribbean Beach Vacations Curacao Scuba Diving
• Best Caribbean Diving Destinations Aruba
• Best Caribbean Dive Vacations Bonaire
• Best Tropical Island Vacations Dominica Scuba Diving
• Best Caribbean Scuba Diving Los Roques Venezuela
• Barbados Scuba Dive Vacations
• Grenada Scuba Diving Review
• Best Scuba Diving Caribbean – Martinique
• Best British Virgin Island Diving Liveaboard
• Best Bahamas Liveaboard Scuba Vacations
• Best Belize Dive Trips & Cocos Island Diving

Selected Ambergris Caye Dive Sites

Bacalar Chico Canyons:  pristine little dived site in the far north, spur and groove reef fed by mangrove rivers, rich marine, and birdlife

Rocky Point Canyons: 21-24 meters (70-80 feet), pristine reef, spur and groove canyons, pelagics, and tarpon possible, suitable for experienced level divers

Palmero Point: northern currents have carved out arches and created a pointed reef formation, stronger currents possible, possible pelagics and eagle rays, suitable for experienced level divers

Punta Arena (Small Cut): 18-30 meters (60-100 feet), steep walls and numerous caverns, a huge triangular opening decreases in diameter to a narrow tunnel leading to two canyons, nurse sharks, turtles, and giant jawfish are possibilities, schools of sweepers at the tunnel exit, ascending up the reef are lobster, horse-eye jacks, and great barracuda, possible eagle rays and manta rays if you are lucky, suitable for experienced level divers

Tres Cocos: 15-35 meters (50-115 feet), spur walls rich with vase and red rope sponges, sea fans and whips, lobster, Pederson shrimps, blue-headed wrasse, gray angelfish, parrotfish, porkfish, Atlantic spadefish, groupers, spotted eagle rays, and horse-eye jacks are all often present, suitable for all levels of diver depending on the depth

Tackle Box Canyons: reef top rich in hard corals like elkhorn, brain, and yellow pencil, vase, basket, and rope sponges, descending into deep, narrow canyons, tunnels and caves, lobsters, schools of grunts and sweepers, and macro life hunkered in nooks, crannies, cave openings, and recesses,  nurse sharks and turtles likely, possible blacktip sharks, suitable for experienced level divers

Cypress Canyons: mushroom-shaped coral bommies and elkhorn coral provide shelter for rich macro life, schools of snapper, good lighting for photography, suitable for all levels of diver

Hol Chan Cut (in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve): 9 meters (30 feet) maximum depth, rich nutrients enable abundant marine life, seagrass beds, and mangrove areas are in the “cut” in the barrier reef, sea fans and sponges, morays, crabs, tarpon, permit, schools of grunts and snappers, black groupers, and schoolmasters, turtles and manatees feed on the seagrass, suitable for all levels of diver

Shark-Ray Alley: a shallow site where nurse sharks and southern stingrays have been fed fishing remains by fishermen cleaning their catch, it’s possible to get up close to these docile creatures, a small wreck is nearby, other marine life includes horse-eye jacks, silver porgies, blue runners, and halfbeaks, suitable for snorkelers

Things to Do in Ambergris Caye (aside from scuba diving)

Beach life and water sports aside, a very active bar, restaurant, and nightlife scene is the main attraction.  Some more unusual highlights to check out include Bingo at the Lion’s Den, Chicken Drop (betting on where chickens leave their stuff), Bowling at the Beach at Cozy Coconuts, and Crab Races.  Some more traditional tourist sites are Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, Belizean Arts Gallery, San Pedro Originals (art gallery), the Catholic Church, and in the third week of June, the Lobster Festival.

Here are a couple of short videos to give you a glimpse:

Ambergris Caye Transportation, Hotels, & Diving Services

Transportation

• Plane – You can fly to John Greif II Airport next to San Pedro town on Ambergris Caye from the municipal airport or Phillip Goldson International Airport in Belize City.  It takes 20 minutes.  Domestic flights are also available from Corozal, Belmopan, and Cay Caulker.
• Boat – There are multiple daily trips to Ambergris Cay from Belize City and Caulker Caye on San Pedro Belize Express.  There are also 14 first-class boats to and from Ambergris Caye from Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula.
• Water Taxis are offered by some of the beachside resorts and dive shops.
• Golf Carts are the predominant form of transportation and available for rent by day or hour.
• Bicycles are also for rent and convenient for transportation in and around town.
• Walking is feasible if you are in San Pedro or one of the many nearby resorts.

For further details on transportation and other tourist tips, please go to Wikitravel – Ambergris Caye

Hotels and Diving

There are more than a hundred lodging options on Ambergris Caye from $13 to $864 per night.  Dozens of dive shops are in operation, some within or associated with hotels, offering a full range of services that include equipment rental, diving certification classes, dive guides, and boat tours.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange a booking for the lodging.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• Ambergris Caye Lodging

Photography in Ambergris Caye

With the colorful gorgonians, sponges, and coral, a variety of fish, macro critters, caves, grouper, wrecks, and scenic shoreside targets, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed
• Best Waterproof Cameras

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Ambergris Caye scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Updated March 17, 2022

This is the sixty-fifth in a series of reviews of the best diving destinations around the world.  In this post, the focus is La Reunion.

In addition to this series on diving destinations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been diving on Reunion Island before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Reunion Island Scuba Diving

Background

Reunion (La Reunion in French) is an overseas department of France situated east of Madagascar and 175 kilometers (109 miles) southwest of Mauritius.

Uninhabited in modern history until the French and Malagasy people settled there in the 16^th century, this island is 63 kilometers (39 miles) long and 45 kilometers (28 miles) wide with a population of 867,000.

It sits on a hot spot in the earth’s crust and has an active shield volcano, Piton de la Fournaise, at 2,631 meters (8,632 feet) in height, which last erupted in March of 2018.  That isn’t the tallest mountain, though.  Piton des Neige (Snow) stands at 3,070 meters (10,070 feet) and is an extinct volcano that rarely gets any snow.

The island is known for its beaches and water sports and has a coral reef system on the west coast.

There are a number of endemic species like the white-tailed tropic bird and the largest animal on the island, the panther chameleon.

In spite of 20% unemployment and high poverty level, Reunion has a relatively elevated per capita GDP at $24,800.  Historically sugar was a major driver of the economy.  Today it has been largely displaced by tourism and market services.

Most citizens are of mixed race ancestry that includes African, Indian, European, Malagasy, and Chinese.  There are also a few of Vietnamese origin.  Christianity is the predominant religion with about 7% Hindu and 3% Muslim.  French is the national language with Reunion Creole (based primarily on French) the language of the street for most.  Some enclaves of recent immigrants still speak Chinese and Malagasy dialects.

Undersea World

Reunion is characterized by a volcanic seabed and rich reef with over 150 species of coral and 500 fish species with a number of larger highlights including dolphins, 5 species of turtle, and humpback whales, in season.  Manta rays, whale sharks and sperm whales are also occasionally spotted.

The west more protected side has richer sloping coral reefs with volcanic arches, rifts, and drop-offs and a good variety of reef life including macro critters like crabs, shrimp, lobster, mollusks, starfish, nudibranchs, frogfish, scorpionfish, several moray eel species, pipefish and seahorses, and trumpet fish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, snappers, sweetlips, grouper, fusiliers, stingrays, schooling jacks and pelagics, and eagle rays.  There are colorful sea fans and a variety of hard and soft corals and sponges.

The east side generally takes the brunt of the year-round trade winds so there is more surface chop and the reef there is not very rich in coral.  There is still interesting volcanic terrain with steep drop-offs and lava flows and a fair amount of sea life like that you see on the east side including snappers, surgeonfish, and batfish to name a few.

There are also a number of interesting shipwrecks on the west side including the Hai Siang, resting at 55 meters (180 feet), and the Antonio Lorenzo, at 40 meters (136 feet).

Reunion suffered from shark attacks on surfers from 2010-2017 with a number of fatalities.  Bull and tiger sharks have received the blame.  Divers don’t see these sharks and have not been attacked.  The authorities have intervened to try to eliminate this problem.  For a detailed discussion of the situation, please read this article:  Reunion: An In-Depth Look at the Island’s Shark Attacks

Liveaboard Diving

None of the major liveaboard yachts travel to Reunion.  However there a quite a few that cruise the relatively nearby Madagascar and Seychelles dive sites.  Please click here for my reviews:

• Best Diving Vacations – Madagascar Liveaboards
• Seychelles Best Scuba Diving Holidays

SY Sea Bird, Seychelles Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

MV Galatea, Madagascar Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

For my reviews of a couple of other southwest Indian Ocean resort diving areas, please check these posts:

• Shark Cage Diving Gansbaai South Africa
• Shark Diving in Mossel Bay South Africa
• Scuba Diving Cape Town South Africa
• South Africa Scuba Diving Port Elizabeth
• Protea Banks Diving South Africa
• Aliwal Shoal Scuba Diving South Africa
• Diving Sodwana Bay South Africa
• Best Diving Mozambique Reviewed
• Scuba Diving Mombasa Kenya
• Zanzibar Scuba Diving Review
• Scuba Diving Mauritius Review

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible year-round, but it is useful to keep in mind the seasonal weather situation.  There are two seasons in Reunion.

The cool and dry season runs from May to November.  The coolest months, July and August, have an average daily high of 25°C (77°F).  The hot and rainy season starts in November and ends in April.  The average daily high in the warmest months of January through March is 30°C (86°F).

Water temperature remains in a range from 24-30°C (75- 86°F) year-round.  Most divers will be satisfied with a 3 mm wetsuit when the water is at its coolest.

Visibility is excellent running from 18 to 50 meters (60 to 160 feet).

Many of the sites have the potential for strong currents, but there are sites suitable for all levels.

At least 19 dive shops are in operation, mostly on the west side of the island, that can provide training, equipment rental, guiding, and boat tours.

Selected Reunion Island Dive Sites

L’Ecole (Le Port): 35-45 meters (115-150 feet), flat sandy area and slope with rocks, moray eels, scorpionfish, macro critters in the nooks and crannies, possible jacks and tuna, experienced level

Le Grand Tombant de la Possession (Le Port): 38-60 meters (125-200 feet), deep V-shaped shoal with a steep drop-off, macro life in the cracks and crevices, big grouper, large pelagics like jacks, wahoo, tuna, and possible sailfish and swordfish, advanced and technical level

Cap La Houssaye (St. Paul’s Bay): 4-18 meters (13-60 feet), in a Marine Nature Reserve, a reef with sections of sandy bottom, crevices, drop-offs, small cavern, small cannon at 5 meters (16 feet), nudibranchs, mantis shrimp, ghost pipefish, scorpionfish, lobsters, mollusks, variety of reef fish, turtles, beginner level

The Barge (Saint Paul’s Bay): 25 meters (83 feet), 10-meter (35-foot) barge, in black basaltic sand, stonefish, leaf fish, reef tropicals, schools of yellow snappers, torpedo rays, possible dolphins, experienced level (check the video below)

Hai Siang (Saint Gilles les Bains); 54 meters (180 feet), 50-meter (170-foot) long Taiwan lobster boat scuttled in the 1980s to become an artificial reef, schools of snappers, stingrays, macro critters, scorpionfish, trevallies, tuna, barracuda, and an occasional manta ray or whale shark, strong current possible, advanced and technical level (check the video below)

The Chimney (Saint Gilles les Bains): 15-30 meters (50-100 feet), big basaltic rock chimney to 22 meters (73 feet), filled with lobsters, arch at the bottom of the chimney, crevices, and small canyons ending in a white sandy area, gorgonians, moray eels, snappers, groupers, parrotfish, barracuda, tuna, strong current possible, experienced level

Passe de l’Ermitage (The Hermitage Passe) (Saint Gilles les Bains): 25 meters (83 feet), a ravine in the reef, cave, rich in nutrients and plankton, lots of fish and invertebrates, turtles and large eagle rays, strong current possible, experienced level

Le Grand Tombant de la Pointe au Sel (The Salt Head Big Drop-off) (Saint Leu): 20-80 meters (68-280 feet), steep, deep drop off from a shoal, moray eels, schools of bannerfish and fusiliers, possible manta rays, dolphins, tuna, marlin, and whale sharks, strong current possible, experienced and technical levels

Antonio Lorenzo (Saint Leu): 40 meters (136 feet), Chilean longliner scuttled to become an artificial reef, sandy bottom, leopard rays, stingrays, lionfish, experienced level

Reunion Island Photos

With the interesting coral gardens and shipwrecks, colorful anemones, sponges, and encrusting invertebrates, nudibranchs, crabs, scorpionfish, frogfish, and other macro critters, reef fish, schools of yellow snapper and pelagics, turtles, rays and dolphins, and forests, volcanoes, endemic animals and historical sites on land, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

Reunion Island Transportation, Dive Shops, and Lodging

Transportation

Reunion is served by two airports.  Roland Garros Airport in Saint Denis handles international flights from Europe and regional countries.   The airport in St. Pierre only connects to Mauritius.

Several times weekly ferries travel to and from Madagascar and Mauritius.

Taxis are available but expensive.

Cars, scooters, and bicycles are for rent and reasonably priced.

A bus network runs from 6 am to 7 pm between major towns.

Mini-vans are available to link to smaller towns.

Dive Shops & Lodging

There are more than 19 dive shops, a number of which are affiliated with resorts, that operate on Reunion.  They are in operation year-round and offer a full range of services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.

There are at least 172 accommodations of every level available around the island from $19 to $1,379 per night.  The website linked below is a good source for the available options and can arrange a booking.  You can easily find the locations on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• Reunion Island Hotels

Reunion Island Things to Do (aside from scuba diving)

The culture and history of La Reunion combined with beautiful volcanoes, forests, waterfalls, and water-related activities make for a full package to satisfy the active tourist.  Here are some things to do and attractions to visit:  music museum, forest tours, city markets, restaurants and shops, hiking, mountain biking, rum distillery tour, mountain climbing, botanical gardens, aquarium, waterfalls, historic landmarks, parasailing, air tours, water sports and relaxing on the beach, to name a few.  Check the video below for a look.

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Reunion Island scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have diving on Reunion Island.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This photo of St-Barth Plongee – Birdy Dive Center is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Updated August 10, 2022

This is the one hundred and ninety-fourth in a series of reviews of the best diving destinations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on St. Barts.  In addition to this series on diving destinations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been scuba diving in St. Barts before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Scuba Diving St. Barts

Background

St. Barts (to many English speakers), otherwise known as St. Barthelemy, St. Barths, or St. Barth, is an overseas collectivity of France made up of the main island of 25 square kilometers (9.7 square miles) and a number of small islands and islets.

Situated to the northeast of the tiny Dutch islands of St. Eustatius and Saba, and 35 kilometers (22 miles) southeast of the larger Dutch Sint Martin, it is volcanic in origin with rocky hills and valleys, a high point of 286 meters (938 feet) at Morne de Vitet, more than two dozen white-sand beaches, and shallow fringing reefs.  There is substantial bird life with pelicans, egrets, and herons, nesting leatherback, green, and hawksbill turtles, and dolphins, porpoises, and whales (December through May) in the surrounding seas.

When Columbus got his first look at St, Barts in 1493, the islands were frequented by Taino and Arawak peoples.  Hindered by a poor supply of water and attacking Caribs, the French began colonization in the 17^th century.  Although the 18^th century in St. Barts was dominated by the Swedish, the French have been the major power and influence over the centuries with African slavery in play up until 1847.

Upon the completion of its airport, the 1960s and 70s saw major development of tourism led by David Rockefeller, who established an estate, and numerous other celebrities including Howard Hughes, Greta Garbo, and more recent stars like Jimmy Buffet, Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and a number of others making St. Barts a major home away from home.  Today there is a resident population of around 10,000 with more than 200,000 visitors annually.  The economy is fueled by sophisticated international lifestyles, the high-end luxury tourist market, and duty-free retail.

Gustavia, the capital, is a comfortable modern city but there are still some more traditional villages and beautiful landscapes intact.  French customs and language are the norms though there is some use of English as the main language in a residential section of Gustavia, with Creole French spoken by some on the east windward side and French Patois on the west leeward side.

For more historical, cultural, geographic, and demographic information, please check Wikipedia-Saint Barthelemy.

Undersea World

Most of the diving in St. Barts takes place on 22 sites of the Marine Reserve established in 1996 where they have rules including no touch, no gloves, no feeding, no fishing, and no anchoring.  Most of the sites are on the leeward side within 5 minutes boat-ride of Gustavia.  There are also a number of locations on the northern and southern sides that generally take 30 minutes or less to reach.

Many shallow sites are on fringing reefs but there is a variety of topography including walls, canyons, swim-throughs, caverns, and volcanic rocky structures.  Several sites are situated around small islets and there are also several wrecks.

The reefs are typically quite healthy and diverse with hard and soft corals, gorgonians, encrusting, tube, and barrel sponges, and a variety of other invertebrates like urchins, anemones, and sea cucumbers.  There is an abundance of spiny lobsters, moray eels, Caribbean reef tropicals, and highlights like tarpon, stingrays, eagle rays, barracuda, groupers, nurse and reef sharks, along with dolphins, porpoises, and whales that migrate through from December through May.  Turtles are common with the nesting of leatherback, green, and hawksbill turtles taking place on St. Barts beaches.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible all year in St. Barts.

• Air temperature always stays warm with average daily highs that range from 32°C (90°F) from June through September to 29°C (84°F) from January through March.
• The water temperature likewise stays pretty warm ranging from is 26°C (79°F) in February to 29°C (84°F) from August through October.  A 3mm full wetsuit or shorty will be sufficient for most divers when the water is at its coolest.
• It rains some all year with the strongest from October through January.  Hurricane possibilities are greatest from June through November.  However, rains don’t often interfere with diving for long.
• Currents are generally mild but variable based on location and conditions.
• Visibility is usually quite good at 20-40 meters (680-130 feet).  During the rainy season, it may dip out of that range.

There is diving suitable for all levels around St. Barts.  Several dive shops are in operation offering a range of PADI coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.  Pricing tends to be high making liveaboards a bargain.  Unfortunately, there is no liveaboard specifically sailing to St. Barts.

Nearby Caribbean Liveaboards

There is one excellent liveaboard yacht that cruises nearby Saba and St. Kitts.  Here is my review and links to the vessel:

• Best Caribbean Liveaboard Dive Trips

MV Caribbean Explorer II, St Kitts & Saba Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price & Details

Selected St. Barts Dive Sites

Coco Islands Caves: 6-25 meters (20-82 feet), off the southern coast, several possible dive sites on a shallow flat area with lots of hard corals including staghorn, descending to a couple of caves and a swim-through tunnel rich with encrusting corals, and sponges, highlights include turtles, stingrays, and sharks, strong currents are possible around the caves, suitable for experienced levels

Pain de Sucre (Sugar Loaf): 28 meters (92 feet) maximum depth, several sites to the west of Gustavia, gentle slope with a variety of corals and sponges, keep alert for spiny lobsters, schools of barracuda, turtles, nurse and reef sharks, eagle rays, and big-eye jacks, suitable for all levels (check out the video below)

Tombant de Colombier (Colombier Wall): 27 meters (90 feet), to the northwest, wall with rich invertebrate life including gorgonians and barrel sponges, look for spiny lobsters in the nooks, lots of reef tropicals, angelfish, jacks, tarpons, eagle rays, and sharks, strong current is possible, suitable for experienced levels

Ile Fourchue: 15 meters (50 feet), halfway to St. Martin 30 minutes away, rich coral reef, lots of fish and macro critters, look for turtles, barracuda, stingrays, and the occasional dolphin, drift dive, suitable for all levels

L’Ane Rouge (Red Donkey): 25 meters (82 feet) maximum depth, northwest site, rocky pinnacle with a sandy bottom, moderate current attracts barracudas and eagle rays, look for turtles and stingrays in the sand, suitable for experienced levels

Kayalie Wreck: 30 meters (100 feet), old fishing boat with penetration opportunities, look for rays and turtles, suitable for experienced levels

Nonstop Wreck: 15 meters (50 feet), lies to the east of La Baleine, 61-meter (200-foot) yacht that sank in 1989 during Hurricane Hugo, rests upside down with the superstructure crushed, not safe to penetrate, lots of hard and soft coral encrustation on the steel hull and a variety of reef fish, suitable for all levels

St. Barts Hotels, Transportation, and Dive Shops

Transportation

• Air – Gustaf III Airport on the north side of St. Barts has a very short runway and connects to a number of other Caribbean Island airports in small aircraft suitable to the task.  San Juan, St. Martin, Guadeloupe, and Antigua all make the connection to St. Barts.
• Ferries – Great Bay Express has morning and evening departures 5 days a week connecting to Marigo in St. Martin for a 75-minute journey.  “The Edge” is a higher speed ferry making the trip between Pelican Marina from St. Martin’s Dutch side to Gustavia on 45-minute trips departing at 9 am.
• Yacht Service – Windward Islands, a yacht charter company, offers services in St. Barts, St. Martin, and Guadeloupe.
• Private Yachts have anchorage areas available in St. Barts through the Harbour Master.
• Taxi service is can be obtained at stations in Gustavia and the airport.
• Car Rental – Numerous agencies operate from the airport and in Gustavia.
• Scooters, motorbikes, quads, and ATVs are also for rent by a number of companies.
• The island is small enough and safe enough that walking to many places and around town is feasible and preferable.

For further details and contact information concerning transportation and subjects of interest to a tourist, please check Wikitravel-Saint Barthelemy.

Hotels and Dive Shops

There are several dive shops in St. Barts offering full services including equipment rental, PADI dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.  Trips can be arranged to sites around Saba by at least one dive shop.  The lodging options are limited and tend to be fairly expensive.  From December to April it is usually fully booked.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange the reservations for accommodations.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on that site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

• St. Barts Hotels

Things to do in St. Barts (aside from scuba diving)

Although the airport only handles small aircraft due to the length of the runway and conditions for landing and take-off, St. Barts is a luxury resort island catering to jet-setters.  There is an array of beautiful beaches and seaside activities, high-end lodging, restaurants, entertainment, and nightlife, as well as some historical and cultural sights to enjoy.  Here are some to consider:

Baie de St-Jean (windsurfing, snorkeling), Anse des Flamands, Gustavia (entertainment, shopping, nightlife), Fort Gustave, Fort Karl, Walt House Museum, Anse de Grand Cul de Sac (kayaking, windsurfing, kite surfing, fly fishing), Anse de Colombier (quiet), Anse de Grande Saline (nude), Anse de Gouverneur, Nikki Beach Saint Barth (restaurant), Shell Beach, Lorient (village), Anse des Flamands, Corossol (fishing village, with a beach and Inter Oceans Museum), Toiny Coast, Anse de Petit Cul de Sac, Anse des Cayes, St. Barts’ Film Festival (January), Carnival (February), Tennis, Volleyball, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Jet Skiing.

Photography in St. Barts

With the colorful corals and encrusting life, gorgonians, macro critters, schools of fish, southern stingrays, eagle rays, reef sharks, turtles, shipwrecks, and fascinating scenes on land, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed
• Best Waterproof Cameras

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on scuba diving in St. Barts interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<