|
 
Barbados
Scuba Diving Vacation
"Explore Our Shipwrecks and Coral Reefs"
A Barbados scuba diving vacation has much to offer divers of all
abilities. The south and west coasts are where the best Barbados dive
sites can be found with a variety of reefs and ship wrecks to explore.
There
are a few sites on the east coast, but these are only accessible during
the summer as the Atlantic Ocean is too fierce during winter and lends
itself better to surfers.
The wide range of marine life that can be observed underwater
is
exceptional with
good visibility and warm waters for which a 3mm suit should be more
than sufficient, if necessary at all. Diving is taken seriously on the
island, with the most modern and up-to-date scuba equipment available,
experienced professional instructors, well equipped scuba boats and a
decompression chamber located at the Barbados Defence Force Head
Quarters.
-
Scuba
Diving Along The Coasts of
Barbados
The south and west coasts of Barbados boast around 2 dozen dive sites
between them and are the most popular diving areas. The waters are warm
and calm and there are numerous diving companies who can offer tuition,
equipment hire and diving trips.
The sheltered west coast is where you will find the Folkestone Marine Park,
and the south coast is the home of the Carlisle Bay Marine Park.
Both of these sites have a variety of reefs and wrecks for divers to
explore.
The east coast also has around ten reefs and during the summer months,
divers can venture into the calmer waters for the opportunity to spot
larger fish, particularly nurse
sharks. This coast is further away from the more built up
south and west coasts of the island but if you are looking for a scuba
dive adventure during your Barbados scuba diving vacation this coast is
a great option.
What Marine Life Will I See While
Scuba Diving in Barbados?
 There
is a wide variety of marine life to be spotted whilst scuba diving in
Barbados.
The coral reefs surrounding the island are home to to stingrays, sea
horses, barracuda, frog fish, octopi, reef squid, mackerel and moray
eels, turtles, parrot fish, lobsters, bar jacks, yellow tails, horse
eye, snappers, blackjacks, cavalee, nurse sharks and Bermuda chubs.
The Carlisle Bay Marine
Park in
Barbados is actively working to protect the species found here as well
as the coral that creates such a wonderful habitat.
Where
Can I Learn to Dive or Take a Barbados dive tour?
 Most of the Barbados
dive operators are based on the
south and west coasts of the island where the main diving sites area.
Most offer
diving tuition to PADI
and NAUI
standard, as well as diving equipment hire and diving trips.
Dive lessons are available for groups and individuals for both
adults and children. There are also different Barbados dive trips
available
including visits to shipwrecks, the reefs and night dives.
Many dive operators have partnerships with the Barbados hotels and
resorts and
will pick you up from your hotel and take you back there after a hard
days diving! A great example is the Hilton Hotel Barbados who
offer their guests
dive packages with The Dive Barbados Blue diving operator
looked right
next to the resort. This makes it very convenient for you to
organize your dives even if you didn't do so before travelling.
Exploring
The Reefs of Barbados
The reefs surrounding Barbados are Barrier
reefs which are to be found anywhere from 0.5 to 2 miles
from the shore, as well as Fringes
and Patching reefs
which you can find closer to the shore.
The barrier reefs are where you can spot thousands of fish and other
marine life such as turtles, whereas the smaller reefs near the shore
are teeming with plant life. Some of the most popular reefs in Barbados
where you can dive during your Barbados scuba diving vacation are Boot, home to many
Barbados turtles, as well as Lobster
Reef where you will spot many friendly stingrays. Dottins is also one
of the most popular Barbados dive sites on the west coast with
a large array of marine
life. But like I said before there are over 20 other dive sites and
reefs around the island to choose from.
Exploring
The Ship Wrecks of Barbados
Barbados is known as the
shipwreck capital of the Caribbean! There are numerous
shipwrecks for divers to explore, some of which sank naturally, others
deliberately to create reef conditions. The Carlisle Bay Marine Park
even boasts 6 shipwrecks for divers of all levels, so beginners won't
be left out!
Some of the
best shipwrecks to explore during your Barbados scuba diving
vacation include The
Stavronikita and The
Bajan Queen.
The Stavronikita is the most
popular shipwreck in Barbados and was deliberately sunk after being
stripped and prepared for divers. This ship was once a former Greek
freighter and is a must dive for any Barbados scuba diving vacation!
The Bajan Queen was
once a party
boat in Barbados which was deliberately sunk in 2002 in the Carlisle
Bay along south
west tip of the island and is also a popular shipwreck in Barbados.
|
|
What is RSS?
Subscribe via RSS
Add
To Google
Add
To My Yahoo!
Add
To My MSN
Add To
Newsgator
Subscribe
with Bloglines
