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St Lucia can provide a world class scuba diving experience. Dive the undersea wall at the base of the Pitons. Dive the national underwater park at Anse Chastanet. Dive the "Lesleen M" wreck at night ....and surface to a million stars above. After your diving activities, return to the comfort of one of the luxurious hotels of St Lucia. Watch the sun sink into the Caribbean Sea. This is truly a combination of the best of vacation experiences. World class diving and world class accommodations. Add the beauty and splendor of this mountainous island to the mix and you have the makings of an unforgettable holiday.
The western (Caribbean) coast of St Lucia offers a variety of dive sites including wrecks, walls, caves and reefs. Favorite spots include the Piton Wall, the wreck of the "Lesleen M", Anse Chastanet reef, Superman's flight, the Pinnacles, Fairy Land, and Rosemond's Trench.
As an international vacation destination, St. Lucia is only now becoming discovered. As an international dive destination, St. Lucia has yet to become well known. It is true that the underwater park at Anse Chastanet is popular, but the sheer volume and quality of dive sites along the whole west coast of the island are only now being explored. There are virgin areas, especially near the north end of the island, that dive masters are mapping and learning for the first time. Divers could easily spend a month or more on St. Lucia and never dive the same site twice. And, the sites run the gamut of dive experiences from reefs to wrecks to walls to caves. Virtually all the sites are amenable to snorkeling as well.
St. Lucia boasts the clear waters of the blue Caribe. Water temperature is fairly constant at 83 degrees so wet suits are unnecessary. The variety and colors of the corals, sponges and fishes are stunning. All the St. Lucia dive masters are ecologically conscious. Knives and gloves are not allowed. The west side of the island (the Caribbean side) is in the lee of the constant easterly trade winds so the dive sites are basically calm water. The west side may be divided into three general dive areas.
The North (Pigeon Island)
It is in the north where the virgin sites are being discovered. The Pigeon Island area is very accessible to the resorts and hotels of the north. Here a shark cave, underwater volcanic peaks, and huge rock formations are greeting divers for the first time. Some of these require divers with significant experience but others are accessible by any certified diver even the relative novice.
Central (Anse Cochon area)
This is an area of great variety. Many spots along the coast may be drift dived. The two principal wreck dives of St. Lucia are here. Both wrecks were intentional for the purpose of creating dive sites, and both were sunk a decade ago so that aquatic life has now come of age. The "Lesleen M" is a 168 foot freighter sitting upright on a sandy bottom in 35-40 feet of water. Her interior may be safely penetrated, and some magnificent fan corals have developed. For the more experienced diver is the Japanese barge the "Dani qualamaru" lying in 110 feet. She will be one of the highlights of your St. Lucia dive experience with her schools of barracuda and other large fish patrolling this huge 350 foot barge.
The two sides of Anse Cochon bay are very popular dive spots. The bay itself is a regular stopping point for many of the boat excursions along the coast. There is an excellent beach here with wonderful snorkeling protected from wind and waves. This can be a breathtaking introduction to the wonders of snorkeling or diving the Caribbean. North beach is known for its parrot fish and south beach for tiny sea horses. Turtles are regularly sighted here.
The South (Pitons and Soufrière Bay)
This is the most popular and well known dive area of St. Lucia. The entire area is one huge dive site extending several miles in length. Here is fantastic wall and reef diving at the base of the majestic extend straight up from water's edge half a mile into the clouds. It is an unanswered question whether the scenery is better above or below the waterline. There are a number of named dive sites here including Superman's flight (one of the movies featured him flying between these peaks), the Pinnacles where four volcanic peaks rise nearly to the surface, Coral Gardens, the Blue Hole, Chastanet Reef, Grand Kai, and Turtle Reef.
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