Original article written by One Caribbean USA Staff Writer
There are plenty of reasons to pack a swimsuit for the Caribbean. For some travelers, though, the beach is really just the starting point, and the true adventure awaits just beneath the waves.
The region is home to an enormous range of diving experiences, and the differences from one island to the next can be quite significant. Depending on the destination, a dive trip might center around easily accessible reefs, historic shipwrecks, volcanic formations or marine parks that protect some of the area’s most interesting underwater sites.
Bonaire, Dominica, Sint Eustatius and Martinique each offer a distinct diving experience, with enough variety in their sites to suit different interests and experience levels. And with hiking, beaches, historic towns and plenty to explore on land, these four gems work well for trips where diving is part of the trip, rather than the entire itinerary.
Bonaire
Two divers explore Bonaire’s clear waters just off the coastline – yes, where shore diving is possible! Photo courtesy of Slagbaai Diving Bonaire.
Bonaire‘s reputation among divers is hardly a secret anymore.
The island has more than 85 dive sites around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, with many accessible directly from shore. That shore access changes the experience considerably. Rather than organizing every day around boat departures, divers can rent equipment and a vehicle, follow the island’s distinctive yellow dive-site markers and explore at their own pace.
1000 Steps, Salt Pier and Hilma Hooker, a 236-foot cargo ship resting offshore, are among the names that regularly appear on Bonaire diving itineraries. Despite its name, 1000 Steps is reached by a much more manageable limestone staircase and is known for its coral reef and frequent turtle sightings. Salt Pier takes divers beneath the towering pillars of Bonaire’s working salt-loading facility, where you’ll see schools of fish gather around the coral-covered structures. Hilma Hooker offers something entirely different — a 236-foot cargo ship resting offshore that has become one of the island’s best-known wreck dives. The waters surrounding Bonaire and Klein Bonaire are protected as part of the Bonaire National Marine Park, established in 1979. Healthy reefs, generally good visibility and year-round warm water have helped make repeat dive trips particularly common here.
Choosing accommodation built around the sport can make things even easier. Buddy Dive Resort has long catered specifically to divers, with its own drive-through air and Nitrox station, on-site dive operation and direct access to the water from the property. The setup is designed to make independent shore diving particularly simple, allowing guests to load tanks into their rental vehicle, choose a site and head out without having to organize each dive around a scheduled excursion. For travelers planning multiple dives over several days, that flexibility is a big part of the appeal.
Dominica
A diver shares the water with a whale off the coast of Dominica. Photo courtesy of Discover Dominica Authority.
Above water, Dominica is known for its mountains, rainforest and volcanic terrain. Below it, however, much of that compelling geography continues. Steep underwater walls, pinnacles and drop-offs make diving here noticeably different from the gentler reef systems found in other pockets of the Caribbean.
Much of Dominica’s best-known diving is concentrated around the southern end of the island, particularly within the Soufrière-Scott’s Head Marine Reserve, where the island’s volcanic geography has created steep walls, drop-offs and reef systems close to the shore. Sites throughout the area are also known for encounters with sea turtles, rays and seahorses, with the variety of depths and conditions giving divers good reason to spend several days exploring the southern area rather than treating it as a one-dive stop.
One of the area’s most recognizable sites is Champagne Reef, named for the streams of tiny bubbles that rise from geothermal vents underneath the seabed. The warm bubbles filter through the reef as divers and snorkellers explore the coral formations peppered with sponges, tropical fish and other marine life.
Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort in Roseau is a practical base for travelers planning to spend several days diving, with an on-site dive operation and easy access to the south. It also works well for mixed groups. Non-divers can spend their days hiking to waterfalls, visiting hot springs or exploring the rainforest before everyone reconvenes in the evening.
Sint Eustatius (Statia)
A diver encounters a stingray resting on the seabed in Sint Eustatius. Photo courtesy of Golden Rock’s ‘Statia Divers’.
Sint Eustatius, better known as “Statia”, remains one of the Caribbean’s quieter diving destinations. The waters surrounding the island are protected by the Statia National Marine Park, and diving is done via local operators rather than independently. With far fewer visitors than many other established dive destinations, the sites here rarely see the same volume of divers found elsewhere in the Caribbean.
There is plenty to see once you’re down there. Statia’s volcanic origins have created an underwater landscape of coral-covered lava formations, walls and reefs, with sites that support everything from reef fish and sea turtles to rays and larger pelagic species passing through.
The island’s history adds another layer to the diving. During the 18th century, Statia was one of the Caribbean’s busiest trading ports, and traces of that period remain underwater today, including anchors, pottery, old harbor structures and other archaeological remains scattered across the seabed. More recent wrecks have since become part of the underwater landscape as well, including the Charles L. Brown, a former cable-laying ship deliberately sunk in 2003 and now one of Statia’s signature wreck dives. Together, the archaeological sites, wrecks and natural reefs give divers the chance to explore several very different sides of the island within a relatively small area.
Golden Rock Dive & Nature Resort provides a more contemporary base on the island, with spacious grounds, a pool, a 17-hole mini golf course, padel & pickleball courts, a spa and easy access to the island’s diving through its on-site dive center, Statia Divers. NEW! Their dive offerings have been further enhanced by the integration of Scubaqua. Guests can enjoy convenient access to the beach and dive center with complimentary shuttle service available between Golden Rock Resort and Scubaqua, ensuring a seamless experience from resort to reef.
The Old Gin House, meanwhile, offers a smaller, more historic stay along Oranjestad Bay, within walking distance of Lower Town and close to the harbor where many dive trips depart. Both work well for a diving-focused visit, with Golden Rock offering more “resort-style” amenities and The Old Gin House putting guests closer to the historic center of the island.
Martinique
A sea turtle glides through vibrant coral reefs of Crique Abricot in Martinique. Photo courtesy of the Martinique Tourism Committee.
Martinique brings yet another kind of diving to the list, particularly around Saint-Pierre on the island’s northwest coast. When Mount Pelée erupted in 1902, the disaster destroyed Saint-Pierre and sank numerous ships anchored in its harbor. Over a century later, several of those wrecks remain beneath the water, creating one of the Caribbean’s more unusual historic dive sites.
Some of the wrecks around Saint-Pierre sit at considerable depths and are best suited to experienced or technical divers, while shallower sites around Martinique give recreational divers plenty of options as well. Of course, the diving sites hold wonders that extend well beyond the island’s maritime history. Reefs, drop-offs and volcanic formations are found around the island, giving divers a good mix of underwater terrain over the course of a trip. In the south, Les Anses-d’Arlet has generally calmer waters and accessible reefs, making the area popular with both divers and snorkelers. Sea turtles are regularly spotted around the bays, alongside tropical fish and coral, making this a particularly good part of the island for newer divers or diving groups traveling with snorkelers who still want to experience Martinique below the surface.
For accommodations, Hôtel Bambou at Anse Mitan has easy access to the southwest of the island, with a beachfront setting and easy access to the restaurants, beaches and activities around Trois-Îlets. Its location also puts several dive centers nearby, making it relatively easy to organize trips to sites along this side of the island.
Farther south, Village Pierre & Vacances Sainte-Luce is well positioned for travelers planning to explore dive sites around Martinique’s southern coast. The larger resort has pools, restaurants, direct access to the waterfront and plenty to do between dives, which can be particularly useful for couples or families where not everyone plans to spend their days underwater.
Editor’s Note: The wonderful dive shop known as Dive Natiyabel, is both a dive and conservation center located in Sainte-Anne – and they offer a personalized approach to diving!
Choosing What Lies Below
A good dive trip is rarely determined by a single spectacular site. Access, conditions, skill level and what there is to do between dives all matter. Bonaire makes independent shore diving easy. Dominica brings volcanic terrain into the mix. Statia combines protected waters with wrecks and maritime history, while Martinique offers the chance to dive sites shaped by one of the Caribbean’s most significant volcanic events.
Four islands, and four very different reasons to bring the dive gear.
