Scuba Diving in Barbados
Barbados is bursting with scuba diving experiences for divers of all abilities to enjoy. From exploring historic shipwrecks, to diving amongst the well-preserved coral environments, Barbados provides outstanding scuba diving all year round. Most notably, the variety of animals belonging to the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean captures the attention of many diving enthusiasts.
Barbados differs from other Caribbean islands, as it is not volcanic, but instead a limestone island. As a result, Barbados’ geological makeup has created extraordinary coral unlike other islands, which encourages its diverse marine life. Below we have discussed some spots to explore during your vacation in Barbados.
Carlisle Bay
Carlisle Bay is immensely popular with scuba divers in Barbados. It hosts a large variety of sea life including green and hawksbill turtles, rays and thousands of fish. Divers can swim amongst 6 different shipwrecks in Carlisle Bay, all located with 200m of the shoreline. These ship wrecks include the Berwin, which sank over a century ago in 1919 and the Bajan Queen, which sunk in 2002. As all the wrecks are buoyed and shallow, ranging from 3-17m in depth, these wrecks are easily accessible and great for beginners.
Arak Cement Plant Pier
Diving at the Arak Cement Plant Pier offers a novelty experience for divers. Diving schools will guide you amongst the submerged cement factory, which is home to a variety of marine life, including scorpionfish, lobsters and seahorses. Dive amongst the imposing columns, with excellent coral cover! Divers may also choose to experience the Arak Cement Factory Pier at night time, accompanied by only a diver’s torch. After switching the torch off, your eyes will adjust to see the thousands of bioluminescent plankton.
SS Stavronikita
Alongside Carlisle Bay, the SS Stravonikita is considered to be the best shipwreck in Barbados, resting upright on Barbados’ West Coast since 1976. Having sunk over 30 years ago, the boat is now encrusted with a wealth of coral and sea life, making it an extraordinary dive.
East Coast
The East Coast is home to the Atlantic Ocean, which means the water tougher to navigate than on the West Coast. During the summer, divers are likely to come into contact with a host of marine life, from sharks to turtles, diving amongst sharp cliff drops and underwater caves.
Paynes Bay & Johnsons
Paynes Bay is perfect for novice divers, ranging from a shallow 30-50 ft. Divers can explore a multitude of reefs and large coral heads. For more experienced divers, it is possible to go onto Johnsons after Paynes Bay. This dive ranges from 70-80 ft along the reef, home to parrot fish, turtles and barracuda.
