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Namale Resort

Namale Resort is a scuba diving destination on the north island of Vanua Levu. There are 22 private bures and villas set out on a 525-acre former coconut plantation. There are garden bures, ocean view bures, Honeymoon bures, villas, and Luxury grand villas with 2 bedrooms. It’s the perfect adults only get away. Furthermore, if you need more privacy, you can rent out the entire Namale Resort. So, each accommodation has complimentary wifi, private deck, and mini fridge. Enjoy our blog article on Experience the Fiji Firewalkers of Beqa Island.

Namale Resort Diving

Namale Dive is the onsite scuba diving center. The Namale Pearl is parked at the private cove and waiting to take you almost anywhere in this region of the soft coral capital. Here, you can arrange multiple day 2-tank packages. In addition, rental gear and enriched air are also available. Some of the top destinations near the Namale Resort are the Namena Marine Reserve, Purple Gardens, Lepper’s Wall, and more. So, most divers visit here to view the kaleidoscope of several hundred soft coral species colors. However, Ribbon eels, clownfish, and juvenile coral trout along with 1,000 other species of fish put on a daily colorful display. Oh, and don’t forget the 500 species of uniquely shaped and colored mollusks. Finally, the turtles, sharks, and sea snakes avail themselves for the perfect photo/image opportunity.

Attractions and Activities

For indoor options, Namale Resort has a Spa, fitness center, an oceanfront basketball court, billiards, darts, a bowling alley, and private lounges. To enjoy time outside, there are two resort pools, hot tubs, a 9-hole golf course, and a tennis and volleyball area. Outside, you can go kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, or go on a reef walk. Tours to waterfalls, villages, game fishing, and sandbar picnics are also arranged.

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St. Lucia

St. Lucia is an Eastern Caribbean island. Scuba diving offers varied experiences because the island lies between the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. Arawak Indians in 200AD named it Louanalao, meaning Island of the Iguanas. Subsequently, in 800AD the Carib Indians arrived and assimilated their culture. Carib descent can still be found on island today. Similarly, Dutch, French and English settlers began arriving in the 1600s. The English took control in 1814. Inhabitants of the island derive from Indian, African and European cultures. Official language is English with Creole spoken locally.

Diving St. Lucia

Together with colorful reefs; walls, wrecks, slopes, pinnacles and canyons form the underwater world topography. Likewise, fringing reefs also allow for shore diving. There are 25 named dive sites. The majority are in the central to southern section of the country. They are protected by the Marine Park and Soufriere Marine Management Association. There are hundreds of marine species, invertebrates, crustaceans, sponges, soft and hard corals. Beyond, smaller marine inhabitants expect eels, sharks, rays and turtles.

St. Lucia scuba diving sites will satisfy all divers. Such as, the 165-foot freighter wreck Lesleen M home to soft coral, sponges, hydroids and many fish. Also, Pinnacles has four spectacular seamounts that rise dramatically from the depths. These structures shelter trumpet fish, filefish and seahorses. Besides hawksbill and green turtles, there are pillar coral as well as barrel sponges at Turtle Reef. The Anse La Raye wall highlights colorful reefs and is popular for underwater photography. Lastly, Rosemond’s Trench is a must dive. Expect valleys, trenches, a small tunnel all with seahorses, frogfish and turtles.

Accommodations, Attractions, Activities

Larger luxury resorts, small to upscale boutique hotels have appeal for all travelers. Especially, the Pitons are famous landmarks to explore. Each Piton has its own name: Gros Piton (at 2,530 ft high) and Petit Piton (at 2,438 ft high). Here, exotic plants and animals call the area home. Also, you can sail to see the Pitons from the water. Pigeon Island is a National Park and site of the British Fort Rodney. Next, visit the Folk Research museum in Castries. In Soufrière, see St. Lucia Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens. Hike out to Toraille to cool off in the natural rainforest. Similarly, Edmund Forest Reserve is a must for its waterfalls, rushing streams and best views of the island. Beaches, hiking, ziplining, numerous day tours compliment scuba diving, kayaking, snorkeling, and swimming.

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Hawaii

The State of Hawaii is a scuba diving destination 2,000 miles SW from the mainland of the United States. The Hawaii archipelago consist of 137 islands and is 1,500 miles long. However, there are only 8 main islands. The largest population of Hawaiians are on the island of Oahu. Ironically, the second largest group of Hawaiians live in or near Las Vegas, Nevada. The islands were first populated by waves of Polynesians from 124AD to 1120AD. The Hawaiian language is similar to spoken Marquesan and Tahitian Polynesian. Captain Cook was the first European to land on the islands in 1778 and called them the Sandwich Islands. However, there is evidence that the Spanish passed by the islands in 1542 on their way from Mexico to the Philippines.  They wrote down their own island names, but kept their route secret. Sea Turtles; The Godfathers of Scuba Dive Magazines?

Nevertheless, after making contact with the Europeans, half the Hawaiian population died from influenza, small pox, and measles. Immigrants from the Gwondong region of China, the Philippines, Korea, Japanese, Germans, and Portuguese were brought in to work the sugar and later pineapple plantations. In 1893 Queen Lili’uokalani was overthrown by a group of US citizens with the assistance of US military troops. In 1959 Hawaii entered statehood. So, 1993 Hawaii received an official apology for the abrupt takeover signed by Bill Clinton.

Diving Kauai, Molokai, & Maui

Scuba diving around the islands is all about the former volcanic activity. You can dive caves, lava tubes, and tunnels; also, canyons, fingers, and craters. The beaches of Hawaii are black sand or white sand depending on the island. The islands have had time to acquired their own species of fish, birds, and plants. On Kauai, the garden island, there are over a dozen dive sites. However, currents and undertows can make many beach dive entrances difficult. Some of the top sites include Three Fingers, Sheraton Caverns, and Brenneckes Ledge. You can also go by boat over to the privately own island in Hawaii called Niihau to dive seldom seen reefs. Over at Maui you can scuba diving around 15 sites including: Molokini Crater, 5 Caves, or Airport Beach.

You can also take a boat over to Molakai and dive Fish Rain or go over to Lanai and dive the Cathedrals and tunnels. Keep in mind it is like a bathtub between the islands and you have a good chance of hearing humpback whales while diving.

Diving Oahu & Hawaii Island

Oahu has another 15 scuba diving sites. However, the local fish population has been more impacted by multiple factors. However, the minesweeper Mahi sunk in 1983, is a major attraction. So, Three Tables and Shark’s Cove are also quite popular. Look for juvenile white tip sharks under the ledges, crevices, and rocks. On the big island of Hawaii there are over two dozen scuba diving sites to choose from. The top dives have to be Pelagic Magic where you go 3 miles offshore at night and dive in the middle of a bioluminescent show, and The Manta Ray Night Dive where you watch mantas feed. You can watch the turtles get cleaned at Turtle Pinnacle. Au Au Crater, Black Coral Forest, Catacombs Manuka Bay and Pohoe Bay are all great dive sites.

To see most of the best dive sites on the Hawaiian Islands, you need to take a liveaboard boat. Finally, plan on a diving a week to fully experience the great diving.

Accommodations Attractions, Activities

In the islands you have a choice of luxury resorts, hotels, & inns. Now, you may like to go hiking mountains, visiting falls, and exploring rivers. You can surf, snorkel or boogie board til your heart’s content. Furthermore, Hawaii is the only state to produce coffee. They also have Portuguese sausage and rice for breakfast. So, plate lunches feature spicy Korean beef ribs, sweet Japanese teriyaki chicken, or grilled spam. Finally, dinner menus can be a fusion of Asian delights. They also have American favorites and traditionally cooked Hawaiian treats or feasts.

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Tortola & British Virgin Islands

Tortola & The British Virgin Islands are a scuba diving destination in the Caribbean West Indies. The islands are adjacent to the United States Virgin Islands and 59 miles east of Puerto Rico. There are 60 islands in total and Tortola is the largest island measuring 12mi long and 3mi wide. Most islands are volcanic in nature. However, Anegada Island was formed by limestone and past coral reefs. The islands were first inhabited by Amerindians around 1500BC, then by the Arawak from South America around 100AD, and then by the more aggressive Caribs around the 1400’s. Christopher Columbus stopped in 1493 and named the island group after St. Ursula and the 11,000 virgins. So, like most other Spanish discovered islands, after the 1511 Spanish royal decree to get gold by any means, the local indigenous populations were either killed outright, enslaved, or died from European diseases.

The Point is, that the local inhabitants vanished sometime after the Spanish first arrived and prior to pirates such as Blackbeard and Captain Kidd making the islands their home. The Dutch first settled the largest island and renamed it Tortola. In 1672 the English captured Tortola and started sugar plantation with imported African slaves. By 1834 the British abolished slavery and by 1967 the British Virgin Islands had full autonomy. Enjoy our blog article on The Cuttlefish; The Undisputed Master of Camouflage.

Tortola & the British Virgin Islands Diving

There are over three dozen main scuba diving sites to choose from near Tortola and the British Virgin Islands. There are swim throughs, seamounts, pinnacles, caves, reefs, and wrecks. The most popular dive out of Tortola & the British Virgin Islands has to be the RMS Rhone. This steam sail mail ship sank in 1867 during a storm. The navy blasted the stern section in 1950 but the rest of it is still relatively intact. You can still see the crow’s nest lying in the sand as well as a large 100lb wrench and silver teaspoon. Ginger Steps, Alice in Wonderland, the Aquarium, Painted Walls, Twin Towers, and the seamount of Blonde Rock all have interesting topography, colorful corals, and lots of fish. Wall to Wall is named after the amount of fish one encounters at the dive site.

Whereas, Brown Pants got its name in honor of a up close sighting of 4 bull sharks. However, scuba diving Tortola & the British Virgin Islands is really about exploring the coral structures, coral arches, coral canyons, and coral bowls full of fish. Around the corals expect to see angelfish, grunts, and sea turtles. Lobsters, octopus, and eels hide in the coral. Conch shells and stingrays rest in the sand. As for wrecks, Coral Gardens has a plane with no wings or tail. Typically, liveaboard vessels and private charter boats go out to the 246ft long refrigerator ship Chikuzen. So, Wreck Alley has 4 boats with the 90ft Beata and the Pat being the more interesting of the 4. Finally, the Kodiak Queen is the newest attraction. It has an 80ft sculpture of a Kraken hanging on the aft section of this Pearl Harbor survivor.

Accommodations, attractions, Activities

Tortola Island in the British Virgin Islands, BVI has Villas, Hotels, Cottages, Inns, Resorts and Beach Clubs. For activities you can spend time snorkeling around Bays, Cays, and islets. Moreover, you might like to try sailing. Some like to hike to the top of Mount Sage (1,740ft tall) on Tortola Islands. Others try the deep-sea fishing and Dolphin Derbies; Dolphin here means mahi mahi fish. So, others sample the tropical adult beverages and relax on the beaches.

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St. Vincent & The Grenadines

St. Vincent & The Grenadines are a scuba diving destination in the Caribbean. The islands are 24 miles south of St. Lucia and 75 miles north of Grenada. 32 islands form the country and some are privately owned. The islands were formed by volcanic activity. Saint Vincent is the largest of the islands at 18 miles long and 11 miles wide. Moreover, it is home to Mt. Soufriere which rises 4,049ft above sea level and was last active in 1979. Fortunately, due to modern advanced warnings there were no casualties during the last eruption. Now we aren’t experts, but according to our math, the volcano shouldn’t become active again until sometime between 2056- 2120. As far as past history goes, Columbus named this island in 1498 much to the surprise of the indigenous native population.

By 1511 when the slave expeditions were given Spanish royal sanction, escaped and shipwrecked slaves from African known as “Garifuna” joined forces with the local natives. Together, they successfully kept the Spanish from taking over and decimating the local population as they had done on all the other surrounding islands. The French were the First Europeans to control St. Vincent followed by the British, then the French, and then the British again. In 1979 St. Vincent & The Grenadines became independent from the British. Enjoy our blog article: Scuba Diving Specialties: What is MUCK Diving?

Diving St. Vincent & The Grenadines

There are 67 scuba diving sites to visit here. Most of the beaches on St. Vincent have black sand and most of the beaches in the Grenadines have white sand. Because of the multitude of islands, there is almost a niche for every sea creature in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. St. Vincent & The Grenadines are called the critter capital of the Caribbean. From shrimps, flamingo tongue cowries, to dwarf frog fish, they have them all. Flying gunards, peacock flounder, lizardfish, and garden eels love the sandy area, and pelagics love the walls. So, one of the most popular scuba diving sites is The Cave. Here you enter a cave where bats are sequestered above and come out between a fissure to the reef.

Two locations near Fort Charlotte are The Steps to view a red lipped batfish and Bottle Reef to view rum bottles tossed from the 1806 completed fort. Anchor reef has swim throughs, New Guinea Reef at 100ft has black coral, and Tobago Cays is home to green sea turtles. If you want to discover a deserted island surrounded by sharks, then Mopion Reef will not disappoint you. Moreover, Bequia has a variety of sea life from sharks to seahorses. Drift diving around the coral is all the rage at Mustique. Now, for some dive sites the name says it all: The Wall, The Pinnacle, The Garden, and The Forest. For wreck divers there is The Capital Wrecks; a group of 3 and Mayreau Gardens with the 1918 British gunship called the Puruni.

Accommodations. Attractions, Activities

St. Vincent & The Grenadines have a variety of resorts, hotels, inns, as well as private island rentals. You may wish to visit the Bequia Maritime Museum or the St. Botanical garden. Above all, from 600ft up at Fort Charlotte you get a sweeping view and the Vermont Nature Trail is nearby. Besides scuba diving, you can go snorkeling in the Tabago Cays Marine Park. You might also like to take a guided tour up La Soufriere in search of the endemic Saint Vincent Parrot.  You can also tour the Dark View water falls or the Walliabou Heritage Park. Finally, did we mention that you can see the movie set/beach of The Pirates of the Caribbean movie: Curse of the Black Pearl?

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St. Eustatius

St. Eustatius is a scuba diving destination in the West Indies. If you draw a line between Saba and St. Kitts, you can find the island almost on the midpoint of that line. It is presumed that Christopher Columbus came by the island in 1493, but little of the history of the island is known before this point.  We do know that after that point, the island changed hands between the Dutch, British, and French 21 times. So, St. Eustatius or Sint Estatius is only 8 square miles in size, but it was the Switzerland of the Caribbean and up till 1781 half of the supplies, arms, and ammunition destined for the 13 colonies and the Continental Army to fight against the King of England made their way through St. Eustatius. However, they were also part of the sugar, tobacco, and slave trade.

The island was called The Golden Rock due to the profits that they made during this time. In a rare twist of fate, the British pillaged, looted, and plundered the island in 1781. The amount of loot was so great that British Admiral Rodney sent part of his fleet to protect his looted booty back home to England. He then, due to greed, sort of disobeyed orders and stayed over longer to look for more hidden treasure. By the time he sailed towards the colonies, the French had won the Battle of the Chesapeake against a weaker English fleet. More importantly, soon afterwards, British General Cornwallis, without means to reinforcements or supplies by sea, was forced to surrender to General Washington. So, the island of St. Eustatius played a pivotal role in the American Revolutionary War. Enjoy our blog article on Sea Turtle’s; The Godfathers of All Dive Magazines?

Diving St. Eustatius

There are officially 36 scuba diving sites about the island. Most of them are boat dive sites on the Caribbean/west side of the island. The entire island is surrounded by a marine park and marine reserves. Besides the typical numbers of Caribbean fish and corals, you’ll see four species of turtles. Female Hawksbill, Green, leatherback, loggerhead turtles all come ashore here to lay and bury their eggs in the black/gray volcanic sand. Dive sites such as Grand Canyon, Barracuda, Drop Off, Mushroom Gardens, Aquarium and the Cave, give some idea as what the particular site is like. Perhaps Shark Reef, the Ledges 1&2, and the Cliffs are easier to decipher. Blue Bead Hole is named after the blue beads discovered here. Blue Beads were how slaves were paid, the beads gave the slaves status, as well as how they paid for slaves before the abolishment of slavery in 1863.

Finally, for wrecks, you might like the 327ft long cable layer Charles. L. Brown. There is also the Double Wreck, the Triple Wreck, and the Chieng Tang.

Accommodations, Attractions, Activities

In St. Eustatius you can stay at an inn, cottage, villa, hotel, or Resort.  Beside water sports a hike up the 1,972ft tall Mt. Mazinga and the Quit crater. You can also visit Fort Oranje, the St. Eustatius Historical Museum, or the Historical Foundation Museum. The botanical Gardens on the far side of Mt. Mazinga are beautiful too.

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Egypt

Egypt is the cradle of civilization and is bordered by Libya, Sudan and the Gaza Strip. The scuba diving mecca called the Red Sea forms a natural geological border from Saudi Arabia.  So, hunter/gatherers roamed this region until milling grain became the dominant way of life some 10,000 years ago. The first major recorded expedition of the Red Sea was 4,500 years ago. The Red Sea was at one time the preferred trade route between Rome and India. Since that time, many ships and small boats sank beneath the waves. The deepest part of the Red Sea Rift is 9,970ft deep. The rift in the middle of the Red Sea is widening and has created several currently dormant volcanoes. So, this is one of the warmest and saltiest seas in the world. In addition, the currents are quite minimal. Enjoy our blog article on 110.000 Reasons to Go Liveaboard.

Diving Egypt and the Red Sea

The Red Sea has reefs, pinnacles, walls, coral caves, and atolls to explore. There are over 1000 species of fish and 44 species of sharks. More than 150 species of hard and soft corals are just off Egypt’s eastern shores. In addition, they have 175 species of nudibranchs. Lobsters like to hide in reef crevices and Dugongs prefer the southern sand and sea grass beds. Out at Brother Islands, you may view spectacular soft coral colored walls, hammerheads, silver tips, oceanic white tips, and thresher sharks. During the Islands of the Stream excursions, you might visit St Johns, Rocky Island, the famous Elphistone walls, Dolphin Reef, and/or Marsa Alam.

Out of the thousands of wrecks in the Red Sea, the WWII Thistlegorm is the most popular wreck with divers. The 1869 Carnactic, the 1881 Shag Rock wreck, and the 1876 Victorian steamer Dunraven are also very popular. You really need to take two different liveaboard scuba diving trips to see both the highlights of the northern Red Sea and the highlights of the southern Egypt waters.

Accommodations, Attractions, Activities

There are many hotels and boutique resorts in Egypt to stay at before and after your liveaboard adventure. Furthermore, you may wish to stay at other hotels and resorts while sightseeing and taking land-based excursions. Egypt has sights to visit dating back to the beginning of hieroglyphically written time. There are 118 pyramids to date to visit. You can also visit temples or the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. At the museum you can view a bust of Akhenaten: the first Pharaoh to believe in one god. Moreover, you can view the gold mask of Tutankhamun; Akhenaten’s son whose burial chamber was hidden under a stream bed in the Valley of the Kings. You can also tour vast desserts and/or find an oasis, or ride a camel. Oh, and there are beaches.

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St. Croix

St. Croix is located in the Caribbean Sea and is part of the United States Virgin Islands. This scuba diving location is directly south of St. Thomas and St. John; its two sister islands. So, the island is 22 mi long and 7 mi wide. The two main towns are Frederiksted on the west end, and Christiansted on the road to the hilly east end. Above all, the highest point is on Mt. Eagle and is 1,165ft tall. St. Croix was inhabited by the Igneri some 2,000 years ago. Arawaks from South America first arrived in 100AD, and with a sub group called the Taino in a second wave in 700AD. A third wave of south Americans called the Carib or Kalina, from which we got the word “Cannibal”, came in 1425 and enslaved the Tainos.

European History

Columbus arrived in 1493 after which all islanders were either enslaved by the Spanish, massacred, or died due to the introduction of European diseases. By 1590, the island was uninhabited. The English came in and took control of St. Croix in 1641 and started building a fort. However, the Dutch couldn’t stand it, so they came in and finished building Fort Flamand in 1642, the French took over in 1650 and in 1655 the Knights of Malta made a settlement here. So, the Danes from Denmark took over in 1733, but lost control of the island temporarily to the British during the Napoleonic Wars. Finally, Denmark sold St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. Johns for $25 million to the United States in 1917. Enjoy our blog article on Giant Sharks Through Time.

Diving St. Croix

There are almost 60 scuba diving sites to choose from. The main attraction has to be Cane Bay Wall. You can explore this extended wall from shore as well as by boat. The wall starts at 40ft and can descend to 3,200ft deep. So, another outstanding shore dive is at the Frederiksted Pier. Under the pier are corals, sponges, seahorses, butterfly fish, and lobsters. So, for boat dives, while staying in St. Croix, there’s NorthStar, Rust Op Twist, Captain Morgan (wall dive), Sea Mount, Davis Bay, Twin Palms, and Pavilions. The Wrecks at Butler Bay feature five separate wrecks. On the east end you might like Blue Chute, Sleeping Shark Hole, and Little Cozumel. There are almost 60 dive sites around the island and for some peculiar reason Gentle Winds and Love Shack seem to be more popular dive sites than Swirling Reef of Death.

Accommodations, Attractions, Activities

There are several hotels, resorts, and inns to choose from. We should mention that St. Croix is the home to the Cruzan Rum Distillery. Since 1760 they have been making rum here. Alexander Hamilton was a youth during this time and you might like to rise up and see the see the old buildings, “the place where it happened”, from his perspective on a tour. So, for activities, you can participate in the turtle watch program when female leatherbacks, green, and hawksbill turtles come ashore to lay eggs or when the eggs are about to hatch. Moreover, you can visit Fort Frederik Museum, tour downtown Christiansted and the 1734 Dutch fort. For more information about ancient times, you may wish to visit the Salt River Bay National Historical park.

Finally, besides scuba diving, we have to add horseback riding, deep sea fishing, paddle boarding kayaking, and snorkeling around Buck Island Reef.

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Tobago

Tobago is the sister island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.  They are the southernmost islands in the Caribbean. Many people work in Trinidad, but they take a 20min flight over to Tobago for the scenic beauty, scuba diving, ecotourism, or for a getaway vacation. So, Arawak, Caribs, Dutch, English, French, Spanish, and Swedish have all tried to control Tobago at one time or many times. More importantly, the natural mountain beauty of this 25-mile-long and 6.2-mile-wide island was recognized and preserved as a reserve back in 1776, making it the oldest reserve in the western world. The highest point is 1804ft at Pigeon Peak near Speyside. So, the southwest end of the island nears sea level and this area accumulates one third of the rainfall that permeates the mountain ridge. Enjoy our blob article on Tobago. The Less Known Dive Vacation Island.

Diving Tobago

There are plenty of fish to see while scuba diving in Tobago. The local waters receive nutrients from the nearby Orinoco River in Venezuela, South America. So, you may see mantas, whale sharks, scalloped hammerheads, dolphins and lots of fish around the coral reefs. On the wall dive you will see shrimp, crabs, and lobsters, as well as sea fans and sponges. There are swift drift dives on the southern end and pinnacles and canyons to explore on the north end of Tobago. Nearby Goat Island on the northern end near Speyside has several excellent dive sites too. There are a few wrecks to explore. Moreover, the M.V. Maverick is 350ft long and is the largest purposely sunk local wreck. Finally, there is a giant Goliath grouper, part of the grouper family, that lives here. Leatherback turtles come ashore from April to July.

Accommodations, Attractions, Activities

There are hotels, resorts, and inns around the island of Tobago. Many people come here to take a guided tour along the mountain ridge to see water falls or go birding. Little Tobago Island and St. Giles Island have nest colonies for sea birds. Frigate birds, Audubon’s shearwaters, and red billed tropic birds appear to be unfazed by the antics of binocular laden tourists gawking in the wild. Others come here to play golf or visit the old sugar mills and plantation ruins. So, besides hiking or biking, you could go swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, as well as scuba diving. Moreover, some tourists just come here for the steel drum music and the “creole style” crab and dumplings. The Disney movie “Swiss Family Robinson” was filmed here, and for some, Pirate Beach is the best place to keep a lookout on the horizon or just relax on the sand.

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St. Kitts

St. Kitts is an 18-mile-long, 5-mile-wide island in the West Indies. This scuba diving destination is just east of the Virgin Islands and west of Antigua. The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is separated by a 2mi wide channel called “The Narrows”. The Arawaks first settled the island 5-7 thousand years ago. They left many petroglyphs on the black lava rocks. The last eruption was 1620 years ago.  Some 1200 years before Columbus discovered St. Kitts on his second voyage, the warlike Caribs took over the surrounding islands.  So, the Spanish brought with them influenza, non-negotiable work programs, and unrelenting musket fire. Those Caribs that were left alive were wiped out by the French and English combined forces in 1626.  After that, the Europeans brought in slaves from Africa while they continued to fight with each other.

Above all, between 1493 t0 1825 over 400 ships due to winds and war slipped down beneath the nearby waters. Enjoy our blob article Sea Turtles; The Godfathers of Scuba Dive Magazines?

Diving St. Kitts

There are close to two dozen boat dives and numerous shore dives to try on the west “Caribbean” side of the island. Expect to see crusted cannon balls, anchor chains, and anchors while scuba diving here. At Paradise Reef you may see iron cannons, musket balls, and old pipes as well. A hurricane revealed a 1740 vintage troop carrier in White House Bay. Most likely it went down during the battle of Frigate Bay in 1782. Modern wrecks around St. Kitts include the River Taw a 144ft long freighter, the MV Talata freighter, and the tug Corinthian. There is a nice drift dive at Nags Head. The Caves off of Nevis is popular for grottoes and swim throughs. So, Bloody Bay Reef is the site of corals, sea fans and small caves with spiny lobsters. Some of the areas are still thermally warm.

In addition, stingrays like to rest in the sandy areas while a few sharks such as nurse sharks hang along the reefs. So, as for sea turtles, green turtles, hawksbill, and leatherbacks swim near the shores. Moreover, leatherbacks come ashore in St. Kitts in March thru May. Humpback whales cruise by here January thru April.

Accommodations, Attractions, Activities

St. Kitts has inns, hotels, and scuba diving resorts. Non-diving activities include horseback riding, golfing tennis and shopping in Basseterre. You can hike 4,000ft up Mt. Liamuiga to view wild flowers and vervet monkeys left from French troops 200 years ago. You might also be interested in viewing the St. Kitts National Museum and the Brimstone Hill Fortress; both are full of historical artifacts.

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