Marine Activities

Diving in the Caribbean? Think of Statia!

Sint Eustatius offer divers an underwater utopia which wraps an impressive 27 km around its coast. This protected marine reserve harbors the rare biodiversity of eight different ecosystems that remain completely intact. Strict environmental rules allow access to only 36 of the richly diverse dive sites to ensure protection of its inhabitants. Wallow in the depths of the quiet, scenic surroundings on your dive and see things you’ve only dreamt of. Statia is one of the best diving destinations in the Caribbean!

Download map with dive sites

Hundreds of fish species

Dive into a rainbow of hundreds of fish species and marine life. Stumble on a large concentration of turtles or nurse sharks drifting past. How about swimming among gray reef sharks or watching sensational eagle rays looking for a resting place? Or floating curiously among barracudas, moray eels, stingrays, sea horses and huge lobsters, all totally unimpressed by the presence of divers? Even more sensational: catch a rare glimpse of a flying gurnard!

Pristine coral reefs

Indulge and allow yourself to be overwhelmed by this beautiful underwater paradise of fan corals gently swaying to the rhythm of the current. The seabed beneath, carpeted with a dazzling color palette of volcanic rock covered by various types of soft and hard corals, sponges and plants is a sight to behold.

Antique shipwrecks

The pristine coral reefs are impressive, but there are other marvelous things on which you can indulge your senses. More than a dozen eighteenth-century shipwrecks at 12 to 40 meters below sea level are waiting to be explored! Even at this depth, visibility is around 25 to 30 meters, so you have every opportunity to explore a rich and exciting history at the bottom of the sea. Uncover treasures of antique glass, porcelain and other relics from the time when the island was an important trading center; you might even be lucky enough to find a historic blue glass bead, the currency in use at the time.

An oasis in the desert

Statia is a real treasure. Biodiversity has been severely damaged almost everywhere in the world by overfishing and pollution, but Statia shows that there is another way to co-exist with nature. Sint Eustatius National Parks Foundation (STENAPA) monitors endangered animal and plant species and protects vulnerable ecological zones above and below water.

The rules for divers are clear: anchoring is prohibited and a maximum of one boat is allowed per dive site. The result? A rare abundance and diversity of plant and animal species that you will enjoy to the fullest!

Snorkeling

Are you lying on the beach wanting to do something different? Then grab your snorkels. Snorkeling is very popular here and for good reason: the old city wall that protected Sint Eustatius in the 17th century has been taken over by the sea so you can snorkel along this submerged wall which stretches for hundreds of meters. Weave your way through remnants of warehouses, and around clay pipes, pottery and the endless species of fish that hide among these relics. And do you know what else is really nice? The fact that you will be snorkeling with very few other people – there are no crowds. This offers the undisturbed opportunity for pure enjoyment of the beauty around you.