Don Wiss wrote:
>Both of these islands have diving, but Saba is know for deep diving and I
>don't know about Statia.
Statia is mostly diving; there isn't a lot of snorkelling, not
much to see. The diving on Statia, OTOH, is very nice and the
marine exclusion reserve has done a lot to preserve the reefs,
soft corals/gorgonians and particularly large examples of all
the local reef fish. Many of the dive spots made for nice
'manageable' dives, with blocks of reef that almost felt like
swimming in an aquarium for their cozy size and shapes with
overhangs and holes etc. There is also a 'created wreck' from
a deliberately sunk vessel, which was interesting for swimming
through, and at a good dive depth (too deep to snorkel). Statia
is also remarkable for archeological diving, with the skeletons
of old wrecks visible under reef, and things like clay pipes and
blue beads frequently turning up on the bottom. (Please don't
take them away!)
I wouldn't send any snorkeller there, better to go south to
something like Bonaire/Curacao or perhaps Tobago (haven't been
to latter, hope to one day!). For someone who likes other kinds
of wildlife and nature I'd point them at Dominica... there is good
snorkelling, and the experience of snorkelling through the warm
volcanic gas bubbles is really something different. If you are
good at deep snorkelling, you can see some impressive schools off
the walls. I was also impressed by the number of tiny hatched fish,
and octopus, squid, lobsters/crabs etc at the north of the island
in what looked like an unpromising Douglas Bay N of Portsmouth.
Dominica wouldn't classify as crime-free as a Statia or a
Montserrat, but even on those islands as a couple of women on
their own you'd be hounded relentlessly. Seems men tend to feel
that it would be rude not to try (frequently).
Montserrat, by the way, has good snorkelling and an especially nice
piece of reef where I'd go in the late afternoon to float around
and watch the seahorse (always on the same twig) and turtle, and
be followed by the friendly 4' barracuda. On one dive, the number
of rays lined up on the bottom was phenomenal. I think I remember
counting 50 in one spot; looked like an old car junkyard with them
all lined up. The reef is ideal for night dives due to its beach
location and depth, and you can find a nice sandy patch on a moonlit
night, turn off your light, and after 3 or 4 minutes see thousands
of long strings of pelagic tunicates flashing like strings of
christmas lights or electric space-wheat. I would be tempted to
suggest that as a location.
(That and Cuba. Cuba has some excellent snorkelling areas, and
will be much safer than Jamaica. Sounds like you'd be into staying
outside the resort areas, which I'd highly recommend. The number
of music clubs makes for good evenings, and it will be safe to walk
and drive around, and explore the history. Tirade now starts...)
--
Ken Tough |