Saba · Caribbean Netherlands · Reef · Wall
Babylon
A cave under the overhangs, and reef sharks out in the blue
Area photo: Patrick Hawks · CC BY 2.0
Babylon is an inshore site in the Ladder Bay area, running from about 14 m down to 30 m across a set of ledges and dramatic overhangs. Lava flows and sand chutes break the ground up, there is a cave under one of the overhangs, and the inshore end finishes over coral-encrusted boulders. Caribbean reef sharks come in off the blue.
Where it is and how deep
17.6288° N, 63.2597° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
From the mooring the dive heads seaward along a series of ledges, and those ledges are where the deepwater sea fans grow. The profile runs between roughly 14 m and 30 m, so the ledge line is worked as a staged descent rather than a straight drop to the bottom. The hanging growth on the overhangs is what gave the site its name: Saba's original divemasters took it for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Under one of the overhangs is a cave worth putting a light into, where glassy sweepers pack the space and channel clinging crabs sit out on the rock at close range. From there the route crosses several lava flows and sand chutes, with time spent looking out into the blue for the Caribbean reef sharks that come in to inspect divers, before turning back to the mooring and finishing shallow over the coral-encrusted boulders inshore.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows Saba: December–April offers the calmest seas for pinnacle access; September–October bring the highest hurricane risk.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Babylon?+
The site runs from around 14 m at the inshore end down to 30 m, so it is dived as a multilevel profile: the deeper ledges first on the way seaward, then back to the mooring and the shallow boulders inshore.
Sources
- Babylon dive site — PADI
- Diving in Saba - Dutch Caribbean — Dive The World
- Babylon, Saba — Scubago/SSI MyDiveGuide
More dive sites in Saba
Reef
A loaf-shaped reef with a roughtail stingray cleaning station
Pinnacle
A full circuit of the rock, then up the canyon on its northeast side
Pinnacle
A needle-thin pillar rising to 27 m, dived with Third Encounter
Boulders down to sand at 23 m, elkhorn coral in the shallows
A shallow shoal off Torrens Point, capped at 25 m
Muck & macro
Open sand off the harbour, searched for batfish and blennies
Pinnacle
A narrow sponge ridge topping out at 33.5 m in open water
Pinnacle
A pinnacle at 27 m with outcrops at 37 m, dived for the sharks
Similar dives elsewhere
Broken walls and sand channels, 4.6 to 30 metres
Finger coral, a small tug and a slope to 28 metres
Black coral colonies and a cave at 23 metres
Caribbean reef sharks along a steep west-facing cliff