Diving in Saint Lucia
St. Lucia is kind to divers seeking easy explorations of colorful reefs. But it is equally accommodating of those who want to ride the currents or explore the depths. Sites on the island's west coast to the north of the town of Castries and near the Pigeon Island National Monument offer some of the most relaxed diving environments. This area includes a number of shallow reefs that can be accessed from shore, with slopes that begin at depths of 15 to 20 feet and drop gradually to 40 to 60 feet, with numerous trenches and shelves to explore. Also in the area are several exposed rock islands that rise from an intermediate sand bottom, with profiles that attract eagle rays, barracuda, kingfish and schooling snapper and jacks. Near Pigeon Island, a field of large boulders provides hiding places for moray eels and a variety of crustaceans. Close to the entrance of Castrise Harbor, the broken remains of a World War II-era vessel sit at a depth of 45 feet, creating habitat for lobster and shy marine life. The underwater landscape transitions to steeper slopes as you move south, and many of St. Lucia's most popular and dramatic dive sites are situated on the west-central coast between Anse Cochon and the Anse Chastanet region. This area includes two wrecks and a range of walls, pinnacles and reefs slopes with vertical drops of more than 100 feet. Mild currents are encountered at some sites, making for enjoyable drift diving opportunities. Notable sites include Anse La Raye Wall, where eagle rays often follow divers on a drift along a sloping wall that drops to a depth of 110 feet. Anse Cochon delivers walls, pinnacles, coral heads, boulder fields and sandy shallows on a single dive, and the semi-circular Turtle Reef is covered in the large barrel sponges that are a signature of many St. Lucia dive sites. Nearby, the 165-foot cargo vessel Leslie M sits upright at a depth of 65 feet. The open hold and shallow pilothouse of this wreck are ideal for first-time wreck divers and a good place to search for small marine life. A mile to the west, an huge abandoned dredge, the Daini Koyomaru, sits on its side at a depth of 100 feet, with its machinery intact and awaiting exploration. St. Lucia's most famous dive sites are found near the twin volcanic spires known as the Pitons. Most famous is the House Reef at Anse Chastanet, which is done both as a shore dive from the resort of the same name, or by boat. Dropping from depths of 25 feet to beyond 140, this reef supports more than 150 species of fish, including a rarely-seen creature known as “the thing,” which resembles a giant worm. An adjacent site that is the subject of countless photographs is the projecting point known as Fairy Land, where more frequent currents nurture riotous, multi-color growths of soft corals and sponges. Two of the island's more adventurous sites are also nearby. Superman's flight is a drift dive along a wall at the base of Petit Piton that carries divers along a wall that plunges to more than 1,000 feet. With typically excellent visibility, this profile creates the sensation of weightless flight. The Keyhole Pinnacles are a group of four tall spires that perch close together on the edge of a steep slope, reaching almost to the surface. Divers can swim into the narrow gaps between these monolithic formations to discover a wealth of fish and invertebrates.