When we were first planning our trip to the Grenadines, I knew that I wanted to get under the water and explore the Caribbean Sea on scuba. After my amazing dives in Belize, I was really looking forward to donning my mask and regulator to check out some more of this famous underwater world.
I looked on TripAdvisor for the best dive shop on Bequia, and was surprised to find out that there are only two on the entire island. I read up on them both and, with a little bit of research, it was obvious that Dive Bequia was the shop to go with. I rang them up, booked my dives and readied myself for some more underwater exploration!
When I arrived at the dive shop I was welcomed by an American instructor named Morgan. He showed me around the shop and gave me a good rundown of the dive sites in the area. He also introduced me to Charlie, the dive shop’s Parrot. Charlie doesn’t like to dive, but he likes to hang out with the divers and talk about fish. He also has a bit of a dirty mouth but that’s because he grew up at a beach bar.
After a quick dry refresher (reminder lesson on land), Morgan and the crew took me and a few other people out on our first dive. The crew helped us with our equipment and made sure everything was in order before we dropped off the boat and into the crystal clear Caribbean waters.
Our first dive was at Stratmann Wreck which sits just a few hundred meters off the shores of Admiralty bay. This old tug boat sunk here in 2003 and today she sits upright in about 18 meters of water. Slipper lobster and french angelfish were congregating around the propeller, while shoals of barracuda patrolled the outer perimeter of the site. Tiny spotted eels manned the helm, inquisitively poking their heads out the front window as we swam by.
After about 15 minutes exploring the coral-crusted nooks and crannies of the Stratmann, we headed for Devil’s Table, a rocky reef with deep valleys and towering boulders. Vast flat plateaus broke up the cracked underwater landscapes and I spotted a few trumpet fish and a lone spotted moray eel on the sandy seafloor.
As we came to the surface after that first dive I was ready to start another! Unfortunately, that was the last dive of the day and I’d have to wait until the next day to head back out.
The following morning I woke up early and headed for the dive shop, eager to get back into the water. My gear was waiting for me, as was Morgan and two other divers from the UK. We had another briefing and then headed out on the boat.
My second dive was at Moon Hole and while it wasn’t quite as exciting as the Stratmann, the rich and healthy sea life was mesmerizing. While Morgan was helping the other two divers get comfortable, I lazily floated over the colorful reef, occasionally peering into tiny vase corals where purple Pederson shrimps had set up their temporary cleaning stations.
Hundreds of thousands of tiny blue creole wrasse clouded the visible horizon, while the vivid colours of sponge and vase corals painted the seafloor below. My diving companions ran out of air a bit sooner than I had hoped, so this dive was cut a bit short. When we surfaced, the boat captain took us back to the dive shop where we hung out with Charlie and relaxed for about a half an hour before heading back out.
My final dive was at Robyn’s Reef, and I was happy to find out that there would be just three divers on this outing. We all dropped into the sea and embarked on what was to be my favourite dive in the Grenadines. We casually drifted over a garden of impossibly vibrant corals. I curiously hovered over each azure vase and occasionally found large crabs and lobsters hiding in their darkened cauldrons.
The dive was spectacular and although there was no large sea life to be seen, I was blown away by the sheer abundance of fish and coral. The slow drifting current gently carried us along the reef and the meditative inhale and exhale from my regulator put me into a euphoric state of calm. This is what diving is all about!
After three dives with Dive Bequia I was craving more, but unfortunately I didn’t have more days to explore the seas. The dive crew was great, the boat was large and comfortable, and the owners Bob and Cathy were knowledgable and friendly. My dive instructor, Morgan, was funny and relaxed, yet professional and really allowed me to enjoy the dives at my own pace. All in all, I had an excellent experience and would definitely recommend Dive Bequia for anyone looking to dip below the surface of these amazingly diverse waters.
Check out this quick video of my colourful dives at Bequia Island!
Are you a Diver? Where’s your favourite dive site? Share with us below!
Special thanks to Dive Bequia for hosting me for my three dives in the Grenadines.
If you’re interested in diving with Dive Bequia, you can contact them below:
Website: www.divebequia.com
Telephone: + 1 (784) 458 3504
or + 1 (784) 495 9929
Email: Click Here to send Dive Bequia a message
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Great pictures and it looks like you guys had a lot of fun. I’d love to dive at a wreck site.
Whilst it is a few years since I’ve taken a dive I’ve experienced a few off the coast at Cairns and also Langkawi in Malaysia. The water was all blown up for the Langkawi dive, as for the Great Barrier Reef – that was great fun.
I have only dived once in the Philippines but I would love to do it again! Looks like you had a lot of fun!
Diving wrecks is always a blast! They’re so interesting. Never been to the Great Barrier Reef, but it’s definitely on the list 🙂
Cheers!
The Philippines has great diving too!
I am afraid from diving, but after see your video now i am thinking i should give it a try. Great post overall.