St. Lucia is a diving paradise. The island is at the tip of an underwater volcano where both beginner and experienced divers alike will enjoy the stunning variety of coral, sponge and marine life.
Artificial reefs have developed around a number of sunken ships which have become
home to huge sea fans, black coral trees, gigantic barrel sponges, purple vase sponges
and black lace corals.
Exciting Caribbean diving trips will reveal turtles, nurse sharks, seahorses, angel fish,
and golden spotted eels, to name but a few, among the dazzling cross section of
Caribbean marine life. There are several spectacular diving sites just off St Lucia,
ranging from easy to challenging:
- Anse Chastanet: One of the most dramatic spots for diving is the stunning Anse Chastanet reef in the southwest of the island. The shallows, with depths to 25ft can be entered directly from the beach. The reefs falls away from 20-140 ft in a unique coral wall that continues from Anse Chastaner Bay around the headland of Grand Caille and in towards the harbor of Soufriere, providing some of the best diving in St Lucia.
- Anse La Raye: Known as one of the finest wall and drift dives in St Lucia, Anse La Raye can be found below a shallow wall. Interesting formations at the slope which consists of huge boulders, stimulate the eye and imagination.
- Coral Gardens: Located at the base of the Gros Piton, the Coral Gardens offer breathtaking scenery above and below the water, where five finger coral runs from a depth of 15-50ft.
- Fairy Land: At the point of Anse Chastanet, a plateau named Fairy Land slopes gently from 40-60ft. Since strong currents here keep the corals and sponges clean and the viewing is excellent and, this site is ideal for underwater photography.
- The Key Hole Pinnacles: Voted one of the “10 Best Dive Sites” by Caribbean Travel & Life, The Pinnacles are described by the magazine as “four coral and
gorgonian-encrusted seamounts that rise tantalizingly up from the ocean depths”. - Lesleen M Shipwreck: The Lesleen M, a 165-foot freighter, was sunk
by the Department of Fisheries in 1986 to provide an artificial reef. It lies upright in
60 ft of water near Anse Cochon on the west coast, just south of Marigot Bay. Divers can tour the ship in its entirety. - Superman’s Flight: Named for a scene on St Lucia for the movie Superman II, this site is a drift dive on a gentle wall that drops to 1600ft. Good visibility
created by strong currents permits crystal clear viewing for underwater exploration. Divers can enter the water here at the base of Petit Piton.
