Under the waves, Saint Lucia has amazing experiences to offer. Whether you’re a novice at diving or want to become a PADI qualified Dive Master, the island has many wonderful diving sites boasting spectacular coral formations, fascinating shipwrecks and reefs teeming with tropical sea life. There are many highly professional dive schools and resort dive shops, whose instructors will guide you through the techniques and introduce the wide range of excellent dive locations around Saint Lucia’s coastline.
Diving off the waters of Saint Lucia is ideal for both beginners and experts alike as there are a variety of dive operators on island who are dedicated to ensure an exceptional diving experience. Beginners’ courses up to more advanced certifications are offered by most dive operators as well as short boat dives and night dives.
Saint Lucia boasts a number of stunning dive sites that catapult divers into a tranquil world filled with secret nooks waiting to be explored. With some of the most captivating deep sea wildlife in the Caribbean, you can experience an underwater carnival as you swim with schools of brilliantly coloured exotic fish.
The most accessible diving and snorkeling sites are situated along the calm west coast in Soufriere, Anse Cochon, Pigeon Island National Park, Rodney Bay and Marigot Bay.
1. Saline Point
This site is the most northerly site on the island, located in front of the LeSport Hotel. This site is also good for snorkeling. Scorpion Fish, Pufferfish, schools of Grunts, rays and eels can be seen here. Beach entry is possible at this site. The site starts shallow at 20 feet and gradually gets deeper, 40 – 60 feet.
2. Smugglers’ Cove
There is a nice secluded sandy beach making this an ideal beginners dive. Further out, diving from the boat, max depth is around 40ft/12m and there are lots of trenches and shelves. This is home to Flying Gurnard, Lobster and large Trumpetfish.
3. Bird’s Rock
This rock is popular with the island’s seagull population. Eagle Rays, huge barracudas, Parrotfish, lobsters and many other tropical fish are seen at this site.
4. Pigeon Island
This dive is located at the base of Pigeon Island. The dive starts at about 15ft/5M over sand and coral and progresses over reefs and huge boulders to its maximum depth of 60ft/18M. Eagle Rays, Moray Eels, lobsters and Great Barracuda are all seen regularly on this dive.
5. Berger Rock
This site is marked by a navigational aid that flashes a white light, which makes it easy to find for night dives. This site is full of life; schools of Jacks, Snappers, Grunts, King Fish, Sergent Majors and Brown Chromes. Lobster, eels, Trumpetfish, the list goes on and on. Average depth here is 25 – 45 feet.
6. La Roche (The Rock)
Also known as Barrel ‘O’ Beef, is a small island about a quarter of a mile outside Rodney Bay Marina. Maximum depth is around 50ft/15m. This dive has underwater trenches and valleys where you will often see Triggerfish, lobsters and Great Barracuda.
7. Bone Yard
Located on the northern side of the mouth of the Castries Harbor, it is the site of a World War II vessel and what appears to be the wing of an airplane. It is the home to lobsters, and many other tropical fish
and marine life. The story goes that the vessel was torpedoed off the coast of Martinique and tried to make it to Castries Harbor. The wreck lies in an average of 35 – 45 feet.
8. Anse La Raye Wall
This dive site was named after the village of Anse La Raye (Bay of Rays). Depth is from 60 – 110ft/18 – 34M. This dive features a beautiful sloping wall that is alive with a multitude of different fish life and many different types of coral. Rays are often seen on this stunning dive.
9. Virgin’s Cove
Named after a shipwreck where a party of nuns lost their lives, today it is commemorated by a cross which has been erected at the point above the dive site. Shaped like a figure “9”, maximum depth is around 70ft/21M. There are lots of large Barrel Sponges, Brain Coral and occasionally stingrays.
10. Anse Cochon (N)
Starting in as little as 5ft/1.5M of water and progressing to around 60ft/18M, this reef is scenically stunning. There are patches of coral, large fields of boulders and sandy areas. This is a great snorkeling site and we regularly see Turtles, Trumpetfish, Moray Eels, octopus, squid and much more.
11. Anse Cochon (S)
Anse Cochon means Bay of Pigs although we haven’t seen any underwater yet! Max depth 40ft/12M. The varied topography includes reef, boulders, walls, pinnacles, all on one dive! This breeding ground is full of juvenile marine life and home to many flounder. Usual dive profile is 1 hour.
12. Rosemond’s Trench
This attractive dive has coral shaped like fingers of a small hand with valleys and trenches in between. There is also a small tunnel leading into a chimney. Max depth is around 36ft/11M. Home to seahorses, frogfish, turtles and many species of tropical fish.
13. Lesleen M Wreck
The wreck of a cargo vessel sunk as an artificial reef in 1986, it sits upright on a sandy bottom at a max depth of 65ft/20M. The 167ft/51M long wreck offers open access to the surface and is inhabited by many types of marine life including lobster, Moray Eels and reef fish. A stunningly colorful dive.
14. Daini Koyomaru Wreck
The wreck of a Japanese dredger sunk in 1996 and now an artificial reef. The 244ft/75M long wreck lays on its side, mostly intact in 108ft/33M of water making this dive suitable for advanced divers only and ideal for enriched air (Nitrox). It is home to large French Angelfish, Jacks, barracuda and a huge Pufferfish.
15. Turtle Reef
Named for its crescent shape not because this is where turtles hang out (although they sometimes do). Depths range from 40ft/12M to around 140ft/43M. Lots of Pillar Corals and Barrel Sponges in the shallows and plenty of varied marine life make this an interesting ‘critter spotting’ dive.
16. Anse Chastanet
Situated right in front of the world famous Anse Chastanet Resort, this is a great site for snorkeling and for first time divers. There is a shallow reef starting in around 15ft/5M and progressing to around 60ft/18M. Home to many species of marine life including large Trumpetfish and turtles.
17. Fairyland
This area is on a major headland and is sometimes subject to strong currents which keep the coral and sponges very clean so that their vibrant colors are visible. The depth ranges from 40ft/12M – 200ft/61M.
Turtles are often seen on this dive and are usually friendly.
18. Grand Caille
Also referred as ‘The Big House’, this a great dive with abundant fish and coral. It starts at about 40 feet on a terrace and moves out to the lip of a steep slope turn into a wall, with the lip at about 50 feet. The dive progresses along the wall and ends by returning up the wall; over the lip and into the shallow in the same area that Fairyland dive often ends. This is a great dive with abundant fish and coral.
19. Keyhole Pinnacles
Four spectacular volcanic peaks rise up from the depths to within a few feet of the surface. The peaks are encrusted with black and orange Gorgonians and are home to Trumpet and Filefishes as well as larger species such as Grouper, Jack and Moray Eels.
20. Superman’s Flight
Named after a scene from the movie ‘Superman II’. Entry to the water is at the base of Petit Piton towering 2619ft/805M above you. This sloping wall dive has a depth of around 1500ft/461M. You will
see massive fluorescent sponges, large Gorgonians and many species of colorful tropical fish. A ‘must do’ Soufriere dive.
21. Coral Gardens
Located at the base of the 2438ft/750M Gros Piton which towers above you. The depth on this site ranges from 15ft/5M to 90ft/27M. Visually stunning scenery both above and below the water. Plenty of five-finger corals and lots of juvenile reef fish make this a favorite diving and snorkeling site.
22. Piton Wall
Located at the base of Petit Piton, this dramatic wall drops from the surface many hundreds of feet. It is covered with Sea Whips, Gorgonians, delicate soft corals and lots of Feather Duster Worms.
This is a colorful dive with a variety of things to see.