Saba · Caribbean Netherlands · Reef
Tent Reef Deep
A steep patch reef from 21 m with a cup-coral swim-through
Area photo: Patrick Hawks · CC BY 2.0
Tent Reef Deep is the deep patch reef at the outer end of the Tent Reef system near Fort Bay, starting at 21 m. It is small and steep-sided and usually combined with a visit to Tent Reef itself. The feature is a swim-through decorated with yellow cup corals, with spiny lobsters backed into the cracks around it.
Where it is and how deep
17.6151° N, 63.2556° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is the deep end of the Tent Reef system, a short run out of Fort Bay and often combined with a visit to the main Tent Reef site rather than dived on its own. The reef starts at 21 m and is small and steep-sided, so the dive is a circuit of one compact structure: drop onto the top, work around and down the sides while the gas is fresh, and keep the deeper ground for the start rather than the end.
The feature is a swim-through decorated with yellow cup corals. Take a light through it and check the cracks for the spiny lobsters that back into the rock here. Dived at night the same swim-through is where octopus come out and manytoothed conger eels show themselves, which is a fair argument for taking this site after dark instead of as a straightforward daytime second dive.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| 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.
Know before you go
- Only the top of the reef is published, at 21 m, and its steep sides drop away below that, so agree a turn depth on the boat rather than following the structure down.
Sources
- Tent Reef Deep, Saba — Scubago/SSI MyDiveGuide
- Dive Saba, read Alert Diver Q3 — Divers Alert Network
- Diving in Saba - Dutch Caribbean — Dive The World
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