Coral Reef Diving in St Lucia

The beautiful Caribbean island of St Lucia has long been known as a haven for serious water enthusiasts, and scuba divers have the chance to explore some of the world’s finest coral formations.

The west side of the island offers pristine corals, sponges and reef fish as well as underwater mountains and caves to explore. Resorts like The Body Holiday will organize outings for you and you can also opt to take a Professional Association of Diving Instructors course, which consists of a 45-minute classroom session, 45 minutes in the pool, then an ocean dive to a maximum depth of 20 feet on the reef at the resort’s Cariblue Beach.

Intrigued? Do the extra day and become a certified scuba diver, which will allow you to dive in other locations on the island. Start with Virgin’s Cove, a sheltered lagoon with a pristine coral garden, underwater formations to explore and plenty of curious fish. From there, head to the Trou Diable or the “Devil’s Hole,” where you will be able to see large barrel sponges and coral along a steep slope and possibly the rare sunfish; the Petite Trou, or small hole, with eels and scorpion fish; and Fairy Land, with depths of 50 feet that reveal turtles and fish, hiding in the reefs’ nooks and crannies.