t Coral and sponges richly hued in orange and shades of green
Off the tourist radar, the eerie volcanic underwater world of these tiny Dutch outposts constitutes one of the Caribbean’s best-kept diving secrets. Each island boasts pristine marine parks brimming with life and a fusion of astonishing colors: from Saba’s spectacular pinnacles to Statia’s glorious shipwrecks, they can be enjoyed with scarcely another diver in sight.
t Coral and sponges richly hued in orange and shades of green
Covering volcanic rock formations and encrusting sunken ships, the thriving kaleidoscopic corals and sponges are dazzling. An unforgettable night dive round Statia’s Chien Tong wreck reveals cup coral polyps opening to feed in a blaze of color, while sea turtles bed down inside.
The islands’ volcanic origins have created stunning underwater scenes out of lava flows including “fingers,” bombs, and basalt boulders. Saba’s towering seamounts loom up from the seabed, to 90 ft (27 m) below the surface, including the legendary Third Encounter. Piercing the blue void, the jaw-dropping Eye of the Needle is topped with a giant barrel sponge, attracting sharks and rays.
Low visitor numbers, well protected marine parks, and professional local operators make for great visibility and healthy reefs teeming with fish. Encircling the entire island, Saba National Marine Park (sabapark.org) offers around 30 brilliant dive sites, from the sheltered nursery of Well’s Bay to the more exhilarating “bottomless” drop-offs farther out. Statia’s surrounding reserve contains 36 sites, including coral gardens, walls, and wrecks, with shallower spots that are accessible to snorkeling novices, too.
Shipwrecks are a trademark of Statia’s underwater world. The star attraction is the Charles (“Charlie”) Brown, a vast steel hull sunk in 2003. At Blue Bead Hole, sift the sandy seabed in search of “treasure” – pentagonal blue glass beads, the currency of 17th century Dutch slave traders.
Saba Bank is the Atlantic’s largest submerged atoll and is home to 270 species of fish.