Caribbean · Caribbean Netherlands
St. Eustatius
Lava flows, old wreck sites and night turtles in a marine park
Photo: SV Zanshin · CC BY-SA 3.0
Statia's National Marine Park protects 36 dive sites around a volcanic island: lava flows split by deep cracks, the remains of 18th-century wrecks and artificial reefs such as the 100 m Charlie Brown. Barracuda Reef holds large numbers of barracuda, Chien Tong is the island's night dive for sea turtles, and The Humps rise as coral-covered lava bombs from fields of white sand.
About diving in St. Eustatius
Diving here is by boat, with guided dives for everyone from first-time visitors to experienced divers. Before the boat enters the water the crew checks the current; when it is too strong for the planned dive, the dive becomes a drift dive or moves to a site with milder flow. Divers in the marine park pay $6 per dive or $30 for a yearly tag with unlimited diving. Hurricane season and boat maintenance mean there is a chance of no diving in September.
Underwater the island is volcanic. Lava flows at Grand Canyon are split by deep, narrow cracks, and The Humps are coral-covered lava bombs and fingers set against white sand. Barracuda Reef is long, with vertical walls, cracks and overhangs holding coral and sponges, while at STENAPA Reef sponges are taking over the deck of a sunken barge. The wrecks include Charlie Brown, 100 m long, and Double Wreck, where ballast stones and two huge anchors are all that remain.
The mix suits divers who like lava formations, wrecks and walls within one marine park, with night dives for resting turtles, and reef sharks and eagle rays patrolling the walls. Macro life includes octopus, squid, scorpionfish, seahorses and frogfish. The current is usually very mild, though it changes from day to day, and the deepest dives reach 40 m (130 ft).
Best time to dive St. Eustatius
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime |
| Sea surface | 27°C81°F | 26°C79°F | 27°C81°F | 27°C81°F | 28°C82°F | 28°C82°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F |
| Daytime high | 27°C81°F | 27°C81°F | 27°C81°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F |
| Rain | 23 mm0.9 in | 21 mm0.8 in | 20 mm0.8 in | 37 mm1.5 in | 67 mm2.6 in | 48 mm1.9 in | 54 mm2.1 in | 79 mm3.1 in | 83 mm3.3 in | 99 mm3.9 in | 84 mm3.3 in | 34 mm1.3 in |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 27°C81°F | 26°C79°F | 27°C81°F | 27°C81°F | 28°C82°F | 28°C82°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 27°C81°F | 27°C81°F | 27°C81°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 23 mm0.9 in | 21 mm0.8 in | 20 mm0.8 in | 37 mm1.5 in | 67 mm2.6 in | 48 mm1.9 in |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 54 mm2.1 in | 79 mm3.1 in | 83 mm3.3 in | 99 mm3.9 in | 84 mm3.3 in | 34 mm1.3 in |
2011–2025 averages. Sea surface: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, measured at the surface, so deeper water can run colder. Daytime high and rain: NASA POWER.
December to April is the drier stretch; August and September carry the hurricane peak, and diving may pause in September.
Best months: January, February, March, April, December
St. Eustatius water temperature and weather by month
The sea surface runs from 26 °C (79 °F) in February to 29 °C (84 °F) in September. Most rain falls from August to November, peaking at about 100 mm (3.9 in) in October; January to March are the driest. Daytime highs sit around 29 °C (84 °F) all year. The coldest water here is about 26 °C (79 °F), so pack a 3 mm full suit.
Dive types & marine life
Green and hawksbill turtles come to Chien Tong to rest after sunset. Caribbean reef sharks and spotted eagle rays patrol the walls, and the overhangs of Barracuda Reef are a likely place to find a nurse shark napping by day.
- Wreck
- Reef
- Wall
- Drift
- Night
- Sea turtles
- Reef sharks
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Reef fish swarms
- Nudibranchs
- Eagle rays
- Macro critters
- Frogfish
Best dive sites in St. Eustatius
- 1
Charlie Brown
One of the largest wrecks in the Caribbean at 100 m (327 ft), now an artificial reef
- 2
Barracuda Reef
Long reef of vertical walls, cracks and overhangs, known for barracuda and sleeping nurse sharks
- 3
Chien Tong
The island's night dive, where giant green and hawksbill turtles settle in to rest
- 4
Double Wreck
Ballast stones and two huge anchors mark ships sunk nearly 300 years ago
- 5
Grand Canyon
Steep lava flows cut by deep, narrow cracks to explore
- 6
The Humps
Coral-covered lava bombs and fingers standing out from white sand
- 7
STENAPA Reef
Moored to a huge sunken barge whose deck is being taken over by sponges
Site guides
Reef
A coral-covered French anchor of the 1750s, hooked into the reef
Reef
Barracuda over a volcanic mini-wall, in groups of five to twenty
Reef
A small coral island with a vertical wall, to 19 m
Muck & macro
Seventeenth-century Dutch beads in the sand at 17 m
Wreck
A 100 m cable layer with a 40 m cable corridor through her hull
Wreck
A 52 m Taiwanese trawler, top at 15 m and seabed at 27 m
Reef
Ballast fused into the shape of a ship, and two anchors at 18 m
Wall
An almost vertical drop at the island's southern tip
Wall
Steep lava flows and narrow cracks dropping past 40 m
Reef
A coral-grown lava labyrinth in 10 to 17 m of water
Artificial reef
A sponge-covered barge, a pipe and a tug on sand at 20 m
Wall
Fan-covered vertical walls and creole wrasse past 40 m
Reef
Coral-covered lava bombs standing out of white sand at 16 m
Reef
Ballast, cannon, anchors and yellow Dutch bricks at 19 m
How to get to St. Eustatius
Most visitors fly through Sint Maarten (SXM); Winair makes the 20-minute flight daily into F.D. Roosevelt Airport (EUX). Taxis and rental cars cover onward travel on the island.
Photos from St. Eustatius
Denniz1972 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Diving Sint Eustatius: A Close Look at Its Incredible Sea Life · Scuba Hank NYC on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Do divers pay a fee to dive in the marine park?+
Yes. The St. Eustatius National Marine Park charges $6 per dive or $30 for a yearly tag with unlimited diving.
Can diving be cancelled in September?+
Hurricane season and boat maintenance mean a centre may not dive in September, although it is otherwise open every day of the year. Checking with the centre before travelling is advised.
What happens if the current is too strong?+
The crew does a current check before entering the water. If the flow is too strong for the planned dive, they turn it into a drift dive or move to a site with a milder current.
Sources
- Dive Sites — Scubaqua
- FAQ´s — Scubaqua
- Caribbean Diving in St. Eustatius | Statia Divers by Golden Rock Resort — Golden Rock Resort
- Frequently Asked Questions — Statia Tourism Development Foundation
- Practical information about Sint Eustatius — Statia Tourism Development Foundation
Photo credits
- Turquoise coastline of St. Eustatius with palm-lined road, looking out toward the island of Saba by SV Zanshin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rusted pilings of a colonial-era warehouse standing in clear shallow water at the Lower Town waterfront by Denniz1972, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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In The Logbook
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
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