St. Lucia · St. Lucia · Reef · Drift
Fairyland
Drift over a 12 m to 18 m plateau, then the drop
Area photo: Martin Tuchscherer · CC BY-SA 3.0
One of the afternoon boat sites close to Anse Chastanet, dived as a drift along a plateau that slopes from 12 m to 18 m before the ground falls away. The site sits on a major headland and is sometimes subject to strong currents, which keep the corals and sponges clean. Turtles are often seen on the dive.
Where it is and how deep
13.8640° N, 61.0792° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
You drop on to the plateau, which begins at about 40 ft / 12 m and slopes gently to around 60 ft / 18 m. That shelf is where the dive is spent: the current sets the pace along it, and you cover ground rather than working a small area. Turtles are often seen here and are described as usually friendly, though the resort dive centre rates them an occasional sighting rather than a certainty.
Beyond the lip of the plateau the ground continues down — the tourism board gives the site a range reaching 200 ft / 61 m — and the outer edge is the colourful wall the resort operator rates as one of the best in the Caribbean. The site is on a major headland and is sometimes subject to strong currents; they are what keeps the coral and sponges clean enough to show their colour, and they are also why the dive is briefed as a drift.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows St. Lucia: December–April is the dry season with the calmest seas; September–October carry the highest hurricane risk.
Know before you go
- The site sits on a major headland and is sometimes subject to strong currents. Get the day's conditions in the briefing, stay with the guide and carry a surface marker for the ascent.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Fairyland?+
The plateau most of the dive runs on slopes from about 12 m to 18 m. The site as a whole is given a range down to 61 m where the ground drops away past the lip.
Is there current at Fairyland?+
Yes. The site is on a major headland and is sometimes subject to strong currents. They keep the coral and sponges clean, and they are why the dive is run as a drift.
Are you likely to see turtles at Fairyland?+
Turtles are often seen on this dive and are usually friendly, according to the tourism board. The resort dive centre puts it lower, describing them as occasionally seen, so treat them as likely rather than guaranteed.
Sources
- Diving with Scuba St Lucia — Scuba St Lucia (Anse Chastanet Resort)
- Diving in Saint Lucia — Saint Lucia Tourism Authority
More dive sites in St. Lucia
Coral in 6 m a short swim off the beach, wall to 43 m
From 1.5 m to 18 m over coral, boulders and sand
Reef, boulders, walls and pinnacles inside 12 m
A sloping wall dived between 18 m and 34 m
Reef
Five-finger coral from 5 m down, under Gros Piton
Reef
A shallow terrace running out to a gorgonian wall lip
Wreck
A 1986 artificial-reef freighter lying in 20 m of bay
Finger coral with valleys, a tunnel and a chimney
Similar dives elsewhere
A strong south-to-north drift over shallow reef, to 17 m
A long reef drift on the lip of the Gulf Stream drop-off
Coral fingers and sand channels, usually with some current
650 m of coral heads and shifting sand valleys