Caribbean scuba diving is one of the rare pleasures available to people vacationing along the warm and clear waters of that tropical paradise. Throughout the year the Caribbean offers comfortable and beautiful weather with white sandy beaches that make the perfect vacation spot for hundreds and thousands of tourists every year. Caribbean scuba diving can be enjoyed in more than 30 locations in the Caribbean Sea and they are all offer scuba diving facilities throughout the year. The difference between these various locations is that they offer you the choice of going the regular tourist way and saying in the company of other travelers like you or you could opt to go for a more non-tourist approach and try to spend the time there like the locals.
One of the rarer spots for Caribbean scuba diving is found on the island of Antigua. Replete with the usual Caribbean advantages of great beaches and clement weather it also has some historical locations that make it a good place to collect memories. While the scuba diving around Antigua is not really deep, it is still breathtaking with the coral reefs that are unmatched in the entire Caribbean.
Another great place for Caribbean scuba diving was the island of Montserrat. This island was the home to a presumed inactive volcano that went unexpectedly active in the year 1996 and destroyed many locations along with half the town. Though the locals still maintain that the scuba diving is excellent though this has to be confirmed with the fact that the town is not nearly as restored to what it once was. This is also a good place if you like to watch active volcanoes at close range. Though this is not for everyone.
Then there are the well known British Virgin Islands that also offer some good Caribbean scuba diving. The British Virgin Islands are a group of small islands that attract many tourists every year. There are many caves, sinkholes, canyons, and ledges that make scuba diving a very interesting prospect in these areas. The most popular spot in the British Virgin Islands is the Painted Walls which feature rainbow colors during the dive. Wreck Diving is also possible here around the R.M.S. Rhone.
If you really want a remote and almost unknown place for Caribbean scuba diving then you should go to Nevis. There are many scuba diving sites on the east side of Nevis. Scuba diving can be done inshore as well as offshore with some beautiful naturally formed coral reefs.
Many experienced travelers consider St. Kitts to be a well kept secret, this small tropical island boasts some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the Caribbean. With a wealth of virtually untouched dive and snorkel sites, there are unique opportunities for divers and snorkelers of all skill levels.
The western side of the island features placid waters, visibility in the range of 60-100 feet and reefs that are known throughout diving communities as some of the most immaculately preserved in the world. Adding to the allure, most of the finest dive locations are an easy boat trip from the shore.
As a travel tip, it is recommended to enlist a tour guide for your diving and snorkeling adventures. There are several dive operators on St. Kitts, all with the supplies you'll need to snorkel or scuba dive, but don't forget to bring your underwater camera.
Though this article will only scratch the surface of what St. Kitts has to offer, it will bring into focus some of the most ideal dive sites in Caribbean.
Our first stop is Sandy Point Bay, a favorite site of Caribbean snorkelers and scuba divers alike. A unique reef with finger-shaped coral formations, the reef is rumored to rest atop a sunken battleship, as this area of the Caribbean Sea was site of numerous sea battles. Divers still find anchors, plates and bottles dating to the 1700s within the swim-through canyons and undercut shelves.
Black Coral Reef is the place for snorkelers and divers to spot the most elusive of coral at depths of 40-70 feet. Ask your divemaster or tour guide to point out the black coral, as it is rather difficult to recognize underwater. Also for the explorer, Blood Bay Reef and the small caves in its vicinity are home to several varieties of coral, purple sea anemones, yellow sea fans and rust-colored bristle worms.
Coconut Tree Reef is one of the largest reefs in the area and offers a unique challenge for both novice and expert divers, as the reef begins at a depth of 40 feet and plunges below 200 feet. As with most sites surrounding St. Kitts, the reef is in excellent condition and teeming with spotted drums, queen triggerfish and large filefish.
Also off the western coast of St. Kitts, rests the Monkey Reef, an intriguing flat formation of both soft and hard coral. Visibility here is superb and the edge of the reef is home to lobster, passive nurse sharks and lizard fish.
For experienced scuba divers, Nags Head is a dramatic, plunging reef in strong waters where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean. Here, the waves are home to stingrays, sea turtles, squirrel fish, sea urchins and several species of large reef fish.
In the channel that separates St. Kitts and its sister island Nevis, divers and snorkelers can find the Grid Iron undersea shelf that rises within 25 feet of the surface. It contains a multitude of shallow water corals, sea fans, sponges and large numbers of angelfish.
According to records, more than 400 ships sank off the coast of St. Kitts between 1493 and 1825, yet only about a dozen have been identified to date. There is perhaps no finer testament to the fact that there remain plenty of sites to explore and secrets to uncover on St. Kitts.
Among the known ships, The River Taw Wreck, a 144 foot long vessel, sank in the waters surrounding St. Kitts only 10 years ago. Both the ship and the developing coral reef are in pristine condition, resting at a depth of 50 feet. This is another great site to photograph a seemingly endless variety of tropical fish and sea creatures. The Beached Tug Boat and Brassball wrecks offer excellent opportunities for both novice scuba divers and snorkelers. As each wreck lies in only 20-25 feet of water, the underwater visibility at these sights is unmatched. Lastly, the M.V. Talata freighter wreck may be a more technical dive than the aforementioned wrecks, but the opportunity to swim with an unparalleled assortment of reef fish is certainly worth the effort.
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James Penn has sinced written about articles on various topics from Abdominal, Destinations and Holidays. James Penn runs a highly informative Caribbean website which details exactly how to find and also the ten best. James Penn's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Justin Burch has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, The Beach Resort and Puerto Vallarta. This article was written by Justin Burch. Justin writes select pieces about travel in Caribbean for the