Reefwander
A diver's fins beside a black sea fan and barrel sponges on a coral wall near Soufrière, St. Lucia.

St. Lucia · St. Lucia · Wreck · Artificial reef

SK2

A salvaged sand barge sunk as a reef, 21 m to 30 m

Area photo: WRI Staff · CC BY 2.0

A sand barge that ran aground and capsized near Hummingbird beach in Soufriere, then was towed to Anse Cochon and sunk as an artificial reef by the St. Lucia Dive Association and the port authority. She lies in about 30 m with parts of the structure up at 21 m, so the dive is short, deep and best run to a plan.

Also known as SK 2.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of SK2: typical dive 21–30 m (70–100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit21 m30 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

13.9273° N, 61.0590° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The barge lies in about 100 ft / 30 m, with the shallowest parts of the structure at roughly 70 ft / 21 m. That vertical spread sets the dive: you drop to the bed for the first part of the profile, work the hull while the deepest gas is still available, then come up on to the shallower sections and finish the tour there rather than yo-yoing between the two.

She is a working boat rather than a ship — a sand barge at the time she was lost — so the structure is plain, and what has moved on to it since is the interest: schools of fish, rays and other species have made the wreck their home. The 30 m bed keeps no-decompression time short, so the profile is one to plan before you get in rather than extend on the day.

The wreck

Vessel
SK 2
Type
Sand barge
Cause
Ran aground and capsized near Hummingbird beach, Soufriere, then was towed and sunk as an artificial reef
Lies
On the bed of the Anse Cochon area in about 30 m, shallowest structure at about 21 m

SK 2 was in service as a sand barge when she ran aground and capsized near Hummingbird beach in Soufriere. Rather than scrap her, the St. Lucia Dive Association, the port authority and others collaborated to tow the vessel and sink her in the Anse Cochon area as an additional dive site. She was laid to rest in about 30 m (100 ft) of water, with some shallower parts at approximately 21 m (70 ft).

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for SK2
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodFairFairFairFairFairPrime

Season follows St. Lucia: December–April is the dry season with the calmest seas; September–October carry the highest hurricane risk.

Questions divers ask

How deep is the SK2 wreck?+

The vessel was laid to rest in about 100 ft / 30 m of water, with some shallower parts at approximately 70 ft / 21 m.

What was the SK2 before she was sunk?+

A sand barge. She ran aground and capsized near Hummingbird beach in Soufriere, and was then towed and sunk deliberately as an artificial reef.

Sources

  1. Diving in Saint Lucia — Saint Lucia Tourism Authority

In The Logbook

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