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The Saba Marine Park
offers 29 permanently moored dive sites that are all reached with 5 to
20 minute boat rides from our Fort Bay base of operations. So hop aboard
the Giant Stride or Sea Dragon and take a virtual dive of the Saba
Marine Park by clicking on any of the diver down flags above to learn
more about each dive site. At the end of your virtual dive, drop into
our Windwardside office
and let us know how your dives were, and where we can handle your
land-based needs.
Who discovered diving on Saba? and how did
the park get set up?
The history of the Saba Marine Park can now be found on our
Some Saba History page
along with other topside information.
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| 1.
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Mont
Michel
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| Mooring Depth: 95 feet |
Maximum Depth: 110 feet |
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Newly established in 1999
and discovered by Michel Cleveau, formerly of Sea Saba, this site is located
south of the main plateau where two pinnacles rise to within 100 and
120 feet of the surface. The higher peak supports a dramatic vertical wall on one
side with a gentler slope connecting it to the shallower peak. Look for
pelagics or enjoy a wealth macro photography opportunities that
this site presents. |
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| 2.
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Third
Encounter
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| Mooring Depth: 95 feet |
Maximum Depth: 110 feet |
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Located at the eastern end of the
horseshoe shaped seamount, this dive can be conducted completely
on top of the plateau or with a short trip out into the deep blue to the tip of the
"Eye of the Needle" rises majestically up from the deep to 90
feet. It's common to encounter large Blacktip Sharks and Yellowtail Snappers along the edge of the outcrops where
the plankton rich water reaches the plateau and schools of shallow reef fish abound. |
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| 3.
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Twilight
Zone
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| Mooring Depth: 95 feet |
Maximum Depth: 110 feet |
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Starting your dive at 110
feet the reef sharply plummets with dramatic drop offs. A series of rocky outcrops with shallower peaks at
80 feet provide more bottom time and excellent opportunities for seeing Nassau or Yellowfin Groupers or
circling Reef Sharks while beneath the overhangs sandy areas are home to
the more docile Nurse Sharks. |
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| 4.
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Outer
Limits
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| Mooring Depth: 90 feet |
Maximum Depth: 110 feet |
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Swimming northeast towards the tip of this narrow ridge prepare yourself for
a dramatic vertical drop off. Enjoy schools of Chromis and Creole Wrasse
along with hunting Blackjacks and mature Hawksbill Turtles. |
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| 5.
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Shark
Shoals
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| Mooring Depth: 90 feet |
Maximum Depth: 120 feet |
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An aptly named small isolated pinnacle about half a mile east of Well's Bay with one main
pinnacle at 90 feet saddled to a second set of outcrops at 120
feet that rise from 300 foot sea bed. This site offers
spectacular fish life, dramatic sponge formations and excellent up-close shark encounters. |
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| 6.
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Diamond
Bank
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| Mooring Depth: |
Maximum Depth: |
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| 7.
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Diamond
Rock
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| Mooring Depth: 80 feet |
Maximum Depth: 80 feet |
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Saba's famous landmark sits on a flat, sandy bottom at
80 feet. Circumnavigation near the bottom provides excellent opportunities to see Southern Stingrays and Flying Gurnards in the sand. A
trip through the canyon on the northeast side allows you to
multi-level this dive with an upward spiral while watching for a sharks,
schools of Horse Eye Jacks and marveling at the fish life this
jewel attracts. |
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| 8.
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Man
O' War Shoals
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| Mooring Depth: 20 feet |
Maximum Depth: 70 feet |
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Just east of Diamond Rock,
this similarly steep rock structure lies in the sandy bottom at 70 feet with twin peaks rising to 15 and 20 feet of the surface.
A multi-level dive profile works best here by circumnavigating
the base and slowly spiraling upwards between the two peaks in
figure eight fashion. A final safety stop at the top maximizes
your bottom time while enjoying the show below. This site offers
some of the most diverse and luxuriant marine life and fauna in
the Saba Marine Park ranging from Black Coral and hoards
Sergeant Majors to industrious Sand Tile Fish. |
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| 9.
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Otto
Limits
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| Mooring Depth: |
Maximum Depth: |
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| 10.
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Torrens
Point
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| Mooring Depth: 20 feet |
Maximum Depth: 50 feet |
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Referred to as Saba's nursery, all things are possible at this calm and
protected dive site that also offers fabulous snorkeling. You can do your entire dive
in less than 25' of water exploring the small caves while poking about the huge
boulders in the area just north of the point. Keep your eyes open for
everything from juvenile Spotted Drums to Spotted Snake Eels and
even an Octopus... day or night! |
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| 11.
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Well's
Bay Point
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| Mooring Depth: |
Maximum Depth: |
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| 12.
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Ladder
Bay Deep (Custom's House)
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| Mooring Depth: |
Maximum Depth: |
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| 13.
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Porites
Point (Lou's Ladder)
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| Mooring Depth: 50 feet |
Maximum Depth: 75 feet |
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Large encrusted boulders that over time have developed into a continuous reef
structre with sandy alleys characterize this dive site. Large fields of
Club Finger Coral along with the many ledges and small crevices provide the perfect
hideouts for Spiny Lobster and an abundance of smaller reef fish. |
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| 14.
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Babylon
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| Mooring Depth: 47 feet |
Maximum Depth: 80 feet |
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Dramatic ledges host the Deepwater Sea Fans
that are found as you head seaward from the mooring. Cross over several lava flows and sand chutes, returning to the
mooring and head towards shore where the coral encrusted boulders become larger and more
numerous. Opportunities to see Hawksbill Turtles, large Barracuda, Nurse
Sharks and Morays are the norm at this site. |
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| 15.
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Ladder
Labyrinth
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| Mooring Depth: 42 feet |
Maximum Depth: 80 feet |
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The labyrinth of 10 foot coral and rock ridges just seaward of the mooring
provide numerous nooks and crannies for shrimp, crab and
lobsters while making it clear how this site was named. Heading
east the labyrinth gives way to a more organized system of lava flows and
sand chutes. Look for healthy populations of Filefish, and French
Grunts and Spanish Grunts. Don't overlook the many sandy alleyways
that offer a close-up look at Yellowhead Jawfish. Since
Summer '99, a pair of seahorses
found here--don't forget the camera! |
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| 16.
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Hot
Springs
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| Mooring Depth: 40 feet |
Maximum Depth: 80 feet |
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So named because of the hot water springs coming through vents in the sea
floor, this dive site is proof positive that Saba's volcano is
merely dormant not extinct as suggested elsewhere. Pick a dive
here! Head seaward from the mooring and then south over a series of coral
heads separated by a sandy bottom. A huge anchor (one of several at this
dive site) is a good point to turn inshore and back to the mooring.
Alternatively, head seaward and then north for a shallower version among the
coral encrusted boulders before heading back to the mooring. Especially
interesting are the large colonies of Garden Eels in the sand and numerous schools of French
Grunts that you'll find here. |
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| 17.
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Tedran
Reef
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| Mooring Depth: 70 feet |
Maximum Depth: 100 feet |
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A series of coral outcrops at the edge of a sandy slope and a vertical
drop-off provide a varied multi-level wall dive. The mooring pin at the edge
of the wall is the drop-off point to your recommended maximum depth of
100 feet. Head north along the wall and then return to the mooring over the tops of the
coral outcrops at 60 feet. Look for several big, old anchors in the coral along
with large Southern Stingrays in the sand. |
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| 18.
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Tent
Reef Wall
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| Mooring Depth: 23 feet |
Maximum Depth: 80 feet |
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A dramatic multilevel wall dive with rich color and looming overhangs.
Heading out along the wall at 80 feet and back along an overhang ledge at
50 feet provides a close look at the myriad of colorful encrusting sponge species.
Queen Angelfish and large Barracuda in the shadows make this a heads up,
as well as thumbs up, dive. |
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| 19.
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Tent
Reef
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| Mooring Depth: 43 feet |
Maximum Depth: 65 feet |
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A mini-wall, huge boulders and a dramatic swim thru provide a unique
combination of qualities at one of Saba's most popular dive sites. From the
mooring, head easterly on the outside of the boulders to a sand slope where
Garden Eels and Southern Stingrays are seen. Then swim to the base of the mini-wall slowly
through the boulders and the archway. Keep a sharp eye out
for Hawksbill Turtles, Scorpionfish and Nurse sharks in this dive
that offers unlimited possibilities. |
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| 20.
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Tent
Reef Deep
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| Mooring Depth: 70 feet |
Maximum Depth: 120 feet |
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A deep patch reef at the end of the Tent Reef system. This small,
steep-sided reef is often combined with a visit to the Tent reef dive site.
Schools of Yellowtail Snapper and large Margates can be found on the deeper
parts of the reef. |
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| 21.
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Greer
Gut
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| Mooring Depth: 60 feet |
Maximum Depth: 70 feet |
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A horseshoe shape of small coral islands separated by sand channels and sand
flats provides overhangs with a large Spiny Lobster population along with schools
of Goatfish, large Barracuda, Conch and Mahogany Snappers. |
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| 22.
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Giles
Quarter Deep
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Maximum Depth: |
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| 23.
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Big
Rock Market
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Maximum Depth: |
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| 24.
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Giles
Quarter Shallow
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Maximum Depth: |
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| 25.
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Hole
In The Corner
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| Mooring Depth: 40 feet |
Maximum Depth: 75 feet |
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A series of large coral encrusted boulders
lead to a sand bottom at 75 feet where a variety of hard and soft coral structures are the background for the
schools of Blue Tang and Chubs that inhabitant this dive site. Alleviate the
eyestrain caused by looking for the ever-elusive Nudibranchs found here by taking a
peek into the blue for rare Spotted Eagle Ray sightings. |
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| 26.
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David's
Drop-Off
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| Mooring Depth: 40 feet |
Maximum Depth: 120 feet |
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Saba's newest dive site
offers many possible profiles from the shallow
cascading boulders, which mirror the shoreline to the near vertical precarious chunks of
granite, which plunge to the sand bottom at 120 feet. Blacktip Sharks,
Bottlenose Dolphins and Queen Angels have paraded past the colorful gorgonians that grace this exciting new site
named after the Saba Marine Park's Director, David Kooistra.. |
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| 27.
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Core
Gut
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| Mooring Depth: 40 feet |
Maximum Depth: 90 feet |
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Peer through the looking glass at the mushroom shaped Honeycomb Plate
Corals and Sunray Lettuce Corals that create this majestic seascape. A northerly
route yields a deeper wall dive with Tiger Groupers and paired Black
Jacks as frequent loiterers. A southerly route traverses a steep slope where
Queen Angels and Hawksbill Turtles are usually found. |
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| 28.
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Cove
Bay
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Mooring Depth: 40 feet |
Maximum Depth: 100 feet |
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Newly established in 1999
after being discovered by medical students at their Cove Bay
campus,
a short surface swim to the northern side of the cove drops you to a vertical wall
covered in red and yellow soft corals with far-reaching Devil's Sea Whips.
Large Green Moray Eels and the Midnight Parrotfish are commonly spotted
here. |
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| 29.
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Green
Island
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Mooring Depth: 25 feet |
Maximum Depth: 65 feet |
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A counter-clockwise navigation of this small island unveils a grove of
gorgonians and a small colony of both Bushy and Feather Black Coral. Schools
of Bermuda Chubs are strongly represented along with Parrotfish and
Queen Angels on the backside of the island. |
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This page last updated on
11/22/2007
from our Windwardside office.
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