Trinidad and Tobago Scuba Diving

Angel Reef
This reef is shallow enough for snorkelers and glass-bottomed boats, but is also used as a dive site. It is located just off Goat Island, where Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond 007 novels, used to own a house.We start this dive on a flat area of the reef, where the Japanese Gardens ends. The current starts out slow, but as we move down towards the slope we move into the main stream and begin to pick up speed. As we continue, we start to see little grooves and canyons in which the fish hide. Tangs, sergeant majors, trumpet-fish and Spanish hogfish all call this reef home.
All skill levels. 50 to 60 ft.

Coral Gardens
This site, also called Kelliston Drain (if done on the deep side), just off Little Tobago, features both hard and soft corals, but mostly the latter. Barracuda and trunkfish are common here. What is believed to be the world's largest brain coral calls this reef home. It is 16 feet in diameter, almost the size of a small house.

Cathedral
November through June, you can experience Tobago's famous encounters with the elusive manta ray. This site is one of their regular hot spots. It is a gently sloping reef with fairly consistent mild currents, usually flowing north. Fish calling this reef home include: creole wrasse, black durgeon, angelfish and tiger grouper.
50 to 60 ft.

Flying Manta
Sometimes, the northernmost end of the Cathedral reef is dived as another site called Flying Manta. It all depends on where you enter the water and where the currents take you. Beware of an area to the northwest of Little Tobago known as the "washing machine." The swirling currents create a whirlpool effect making it a dangerous dive. Do not consider diving this area unless you are accompanied by an experienced local divemaster.
50 to 60 ft.

Black Jack Hole
Black Jack Hole is a sloping reef that runs from the southwest corner of Little Tobago to Coral Gardens (also known as Kelliston Drain Reef). The site is named for the abundant schools of black jacks and chromis that call the area home. Apparently attracted by the whirlpool of currents here, a family of dolphins is a frequent visitor. Playful antics and joyous merriment best describe the activities of these fascinating animals. Known inhabitants include: black durgeon, southern serrat, chromis, boga, sharks, rays, and dolphin. Green moray eels, black tip sharks, purple and gold creole wrasses make for lots of photo opportunities.
Intermediate to Advanced. 50 to 60 ft.

Japanese Gardens
This site gets its name from the sea whip corals which resemble Japanese bonsai trees. It seems almost as if a Japanese artist sat down and painted his royal garden. This site features many hard and soft corals. It is a shallow sloping reef that begins at 30 ft and tumbles down gracefully to 100 ft. Just when you are sure that your leisurely visit is complete, we encounter the "Kamikaze Cut." The current picks up speed and you come barreling down towards two huge boulders, sure that the coming impact will spoil your day. But wait, you discover that a crevasse has been cut through the rocks and you pass between them, slow down, and find yourself returned to the calm and tranquil waters of Tobago. Nurse sharks, large barracudas like to hang out near the small caves at this site. There are large brain corals and large schools of jacks. Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond 007 novels, owned a house near here, on Goat Island.
Beginner to Intermediate. 50 to 60 ft.

Spinny Colony
This site has beautiful coral formations and little current. Manta rays, tarpon, and barracuda are schooling fish frequently found here. This site is for beginners thru advance.

Bookends
Two stately nubs of black granite break through the surface providing the classic set of Bookends, but also make for rough surface conditions, which classify this dive as intermediate in difficulty. To start, you pass between the rocks into a large bowl, which is about 35 feet deep. It accommodates about 10 divers. Look up and you will see the waves breaking over the bowl. It looks very similar to storm clouds passing overhead. Don't be surprised if you see what looks like a large airplane shooting across, it's just a tarpon. A school of the large fish has claimed this turf as their own. As you continue to drift at about 50 feet, you will also see jacks, parrotfish, trumpetfish, and grouper that live among the giant barrel sponges. The mild current propels you along a gentle sloping wall. The current seems to tease you by drawing you into deeper water.
Intermediate to Advanced. 50 to 60 ft.

Alps
If the idea of wind blowing through your hair excites you, then the Alps are for you. There is no skiing here but plenty of current and great diving. Huge mountain-like formations give this locale its name because it resembles a view of the Alps. Outstanding underwater mountain peaks seem ready for skiers. The currents are strong and unpredictable. Don't be surprised if bubbles descend before beginning to rise. We begin this dive with a swim through an Alpine mountain-like passage. This site is just on the other side of Bookends. It attracts many reef fish and invertebrates. You will see tangs and parrotfish as well as many gray and French angelfish. Tarpon and sharks are also found here occasionally.
Advanced.

Special
This site just south of Little Tobago Island features a knife edge ridge of coral covered volcanic rock barely breaking the surface, coral covered slopes, and canyons with an abundance of fish. Marine life featured at this site include: blue head wrasse, rainbow runners, green morays and African pompanos.

Sleeper 7
This reef has it all from shear walls and long slopes to level plains and striking canyons along with abundant marine life.

Aquarium
This site is loaded with fish, which explains its name. It features black durgeon, glassy eyed snapper, and angelfish to name only a few of the species found here. It's a spectacular drift dive. This reef is very versatile. The gently sloping area of the reef is perfect for navigational training. Depths start as shallow as 12 ft and go all the way down to 150 ft. But look out for those changing currents. There are other interesting areas of this site to explore too. Rocky overhangs and ledges marked by two rocks further out on the reef create a beautiful marine habitat.
All skill levels.

Picker
Because of the rough surface conditions, this site is reserved for intermediate to advanced divers and, even with this restriction, is visited only when weather conditions permit. Large pelagic fish, nurse sharks, barracuda, black and crevalle jacks, tarpon, mackerel, moray eels, lobsters and mantas frequent this area. The dive is along a slope with a rocky bottom and plenty of hard corals. Even on a bad day there is an abundance of fish.
Intermediate to Advanced.

London Bridge Rock
The forces of the ocean designed a natural arch bridge amidst the swirling currents off Charlotteville, on the north-west coast of Tobago, a porthole to a new dimension. Until you have experienced London Bridge you have missed out on the island's alter-ego. The natural rock arch crowns a large ocean pinnacle which rises up from a depth of 100ft. Dive groups may ride the surging rapids in a single file through the porthole arch, then drop with the drift and enter a cosmic realm reminiscent of mountains of the moon! After a mystical period of hovering in the open water, one then drops to 80 ft and rides the prevailing current around canyons and folds of the pinnacle base. Visiting this dive site depends on the weather. When you arrive the dive master will determine if the conditions (waves, surge and current) will make the dive through the arch safe. The arch is covered with colonies of brain and star corals. Sponges make their home on the vertical walls while tangs, angelfish, trunkfish and trumpetfish lay claim to the waters at the mouth of the arch. This rocky reef is also home to moray eels, lobster and schools of jacks.
Intermediate to Advanced Dive. 35-55 ft.

Shark Bank
This site, named for the sharks frequently found here, has sweeping currents and offers abundant and varied marine life. Many divers are attracted by the need to occasionally swim into the current at this site.

Grand Canyon
We usually plan this as an early dive because the rough surface conditions usually worsen during the day, and it is a deep dive. Vertical walls with striking overhangs and drop-offs create an interesting underwater seascape featuring abundant marine life.
Intermediate to Advanced. 100 ft.+

Caribstu Dive Sites

Black Jack Hole Speyside
A stunning fringing reef which starts with a crest at 9m and drops down a steep slope to a sand bed at 30m. The reef is fullest around the 12 - 19m region where schools of reef fish such as Creole wrasse, Brown Chromis, Bogas and Black Jacks are teaming. Predatory fish such as Rainbow runners and Barracuda are also common. The dive site is a good introduction to drift techniques as currents here vary from slack to medium. The reef itself is about 90% coral cover made mostly of Mountainous boulder corals, blushing star corals, low relief lettuce corals and a variety of tube sponges, sea plumes and rods. At the deeper region the reef is mostly barrel sponges and sea whips that stretch out into the blue.

Favourite, Speyside
I named this site Favourite simply because I could dive it everyday and still love it. We begin at 30m at the bottom of a steep sloping reef. Here are barrel sponges, octocorals and gorgonians. The fish life is abundant and pelagic common. Halfway through the dive we ascend to 17m and find a rock wall full of cracks and perfect for macro species. The wall leads us onto a reef plateau at 8m where a forest of sea plumes await. A good place to begin offgasing. The three different types of topography and distinct change of coral species for each is what makes this dive truly wonderful.

Mount Irvine Wall, Mt Irvine
This is actually a shallow dive really and not the kind of drop off you associate with Roatan wall dives for example. It's 15m and follows a rock headland around into Mt Irvine Extension reef. The Wall is full of cracks holes and crevasses that are home to octopi, frogfish and macro species. A great place to take a long slow dive and search for those shy elusive beauties to photograph. Go too fast and you'll miss everything. I've also seen big stuff her too.

Cathedral, Speyside
This is a dive site where the reef is large enough to dive it several different ways without covering the same ground. I call them Cathedral High, Cathedral Deep and Cathedral Out. Overall the reef is a wonderful mix of 90% sponges and coral cover. Layers of disc and plate corals make beautiful shapes and perfect hiding places for spotted drums and the like. Up on top you'll see massive stag horn formations. Day or night this dive site can match any in the world.

Cove Ledge, Crown Point
This is a backside reef ledge that site behind the main Cove reef and runs perpendicular to the strong current. It's shallow, the ledge crest is 4m and the sand bottom around 12- 14m but it makes for a fantastic dive. You drop down and hide behind the ledge as the current whips overhead. There's often some serious fin work to be done but the pay off is well worth it. I shall say no more.

Hide and Seek, Charlotteville
A reverse profile dive. The reef is seemingly innocuous at first, mostly plumes and hard corals and quite patchy. Then the current starts to take you and you're gently carried around a rock headland where the bottom is mostly a sand bed with patches of turtlegrass. There are dozens of bombies and rock outcrops which are scattered across the sea bed and make for great exploration. Shark encounters are frequent. The reef gets deeper toward the end and eventually falls away. Not the expansive reef and coral cover of Speyside but a great dive none the less.

Kelleston Drain, Speyside
Currents carry you along the edge of a coral plateau with a channel of deep blue water to your side. A rich and varied coral garden makes up the sloping reef you traverse and you can spot big stuff out in the blue. It's a dive site where if current permits you can sit in one spot and watch the marine world go by. However Kelleston Drain is most famous for the Big Brain Coral which sits at the end of the dive in 15m. Some 6m diameter and 5m in height its possibly the largest in the world.

Japanese Gardens, Speyside
A stunningly beautiful coral garden that starts at 12m and drops down steeply to below 40. Currents carry you gently around the south side of Goat island until you reach a reef ledge at 14m where things pick up dramatically. You whip round three large bombies and the reef ledge drops away to your side. Here it can get tricky as you often encounter a strong down current. Past the bombies you meet Kamikaze Cut, a thrilling feature where you traverse a 15m wide sand channel against an oncoming current. The other side of the cut are some caves to look in and then the current drops to a gentle relax drift dive. A good chance to spot Nurse sharks in the many small caves or eels poking out from their holes.

Arnos Vale, Arnos Vale
Similar to Mount Irvine a rock headland is the formation of this reef. It's shallow starting at 9m and maxing out at 16m but it's a reef where you need to go slow or you'll miss everything. There's a narrow gully 2m wide and 15m deep that is the main feature. Take your time look in all the holes and cracks, there are all kinds of things to find. Down side is this reef is only really dive-able when the water is flat or it becomes too turbid, but when its good it's a beauty.

Stingray Alley, Crown Point
It's a long fringing reef made of hard corals and mountainous limestone formations. A steep slope from 4m down to the sand bed at 16m. Here currents carry you along and your likely to encounter big morays as well as passing pelagic species. To end the dive head up onto the reef crest at 5m where stag corals and sea fans hide more surprises. Admittedly it's not the most spectacular coral reef but the dive is well worth it.

Runway, Speyside
This it the outer seaward side to a long bank reef. Bookends being the inner side. It's a low pitched reef starting at 11m and gradually dropping to 26m. very open and flat but there's so much to see here. You need to keep one eye in the holes and cracks, one eye on the deep blue to your side and one eye….you get the idea, there's a lot going on. To end the dive you head up toward the crest where several large bombies make great hiding spots for macro, lobster and even big fish. The current picks up and carries you around the outer edge where suddenly the reef drops away, here barrel sponges encrust the sides of the bombies and shoaling fish duck out the way of the current.

Snap, Crackle & Pop, Speyside
Another one of mine. I named it so because of the noises from snapping shrimp, filtering sponges and general marine activity. Research on GBR showed the noisiest reefs have the most life and this is proof of that. Imagine highgate cemetery underwater, now imagine a coral reef that looks like that. That's Snap, crackle & Pop. The colours here are something else and there is so much variety of marine life to see. If the currents too strong it's hard to stay on the reef but otherwise it's a real cracker.

Extra Divers Dive Sites

Cove Reef
Depth: 10-27m
Cove Reef is a fringing reef that mainly consists of sponges and hard corals. The reef flat starts in 10 meters and is sloping gently down to 25 m. It is one of the deeper reefs in the South. With its numerous crevices and caves it is the perfect hideaway for lobsters, moray eels and nurse sharks. The typical Caribbean variety can also be found here: grouper, trumpet fish, rays, trunk and trigger fish, turtles and barracudas are dwellers on Cove Reef.

Flying Reef
Depth: 10-16m
Flying Reef is one of the most popular reefs in Tobago. Because of its length of some kilometers and depth of only 16 meters it is suitable for beginners and advanced divers. A forest of soft corals and enormous sponges dominate the under water scenery - and whoever thinks that is not enough - should have a look at the vast variety of different reef fish such as triggerfish, stingrays, moray eels, rainbow parrotfish, angelfish, butterfly fish, porcupine fish, turtles and much more.

Divers Thirst
Depth: 16-30m
This reef is located between Flying Reef and Divers Dream. Also here we are exposed to strong currents, but one can easily avoid it by diving just under the ledge of the reef. Big nurse sharks, barracudas and stingrays are frequently seen here. An encounter with other big fellows such as bull sharks or tiger sharks is possible.

Divers Dream
Depth: 15-20m
Divers Dream is a plateau, roughly 5 km offshore. The top of the reef is as shallow as 6 m and slopes down to a depth of 25 m. Beautifully covered boulders are found in this area, attracting an huge amount of barracudas, snappers, giant parrotfish and triggerfish. Being such an exposed dive site you also find nurse sharks, eagle rays and reef sharks.

R&Sea Diver's Company Dive Sites

Kariwak and Bopez are favorites for training dives and night dives. Both are shallow, sloping reefs with minimal current so they're great for new divers or those looking for nice easy dives with lots to see.

Flying Reef and Flying Reef Extension are both drift dives at the south end of the island. A 10 minute boat ride from our facility at Pigeon Point brings you round to the Southern Atlantic where the prevailing currents drift you along the reef from east to west. Sting Rays and the smaller Electric Rays can often be seen resting in the sand on the edge of the reef.

Majestan probably has more Lobsters per square meter than any other reef around Tobago, but, they're for viewing only and are not destined to be covered in Garlic Butter. Nurse Sharks and Sting Rays also like to chill out here. COVE CRACK is a site that deserves special mention for the myriad species you are likely to encounter on any given dive. The fish life is particularly prolific on this site; schools of fast moving Creole Wrasse, the slower Bermuda Chub tend to stake their territory and not move very far, Barracuda patrol the reefs keeping a wary eye on any intruders (such as a divers).

Diver's Dream and Diver's Thirst are aptly named sites for the more experienced divers. Conditions must be right to experience these dives because of the strong tidal currents that can sweep the area off the southern tip of the island. The ledges on the sites are perfect hiding places for Nurse Sharks and Turtles. Eagle Rays are often to be seen gliding through the area and Black Tip Sharks are not unusual visitors here.

Mount Irvine Extension
Depth: 10-25m
Mt. Irvine Extension starts off with huge coral boulders at a depth of around 8 meters. A few minutes into the dive the scenery turn into a massive coral reef that offers shelter to a variety of creatures like lobsters, giant crabs, octopus and scorpion fish. In the blue water above the reef you might see tarpons, cobies and eagle rays. Some groupers are strolling between a school of big eyes.

M.S. Maverick
Depth: 15-30m
The ferry Scarlett Ibis was sunk in 1997 for diving purposes. The 70 meter long ship which was renamed the Maverick is sitting upright on a sandy bottom at a maximum depth of 30 meters. In her years under water she has put on a beautiful coat of corals and sponges. Schools of bait fish find shelter in the huge belly of the ship wreck. Jacks are attracted by this never ending stock of prey.

Mount Irvine Wall
Depth: 8-16m
With only 15 m max. depth in the protected bay of Mt. Irvine, the Wall is an easy but extremely interesting dive site. The steep cliff with beautiful canyons, cracks and ledges is the home of large groups of schooling fish, like surgeonfish or triggerfish. With some luck one might find a seahorse or short nose batfish. Caribbean angelfish and parrotfish will round this colorful under water picture off.

The Sisters
Depth: 15-30m
Heading north we will reach the rock formation of the Sisters, some 5 pinnacles coming up from more than 40 meters depth. A beautiful covered and bizarre underwater scenery makes the Sisters a memorable dive. In overhangs and caves you find not only lobster but also stingrays and nurse sharks. Depending on the season and current a school of hammerhead sharks can be seen here. The Sisters are fully exposed to the wind and open sea so that it can only be dived in good weather conditions.

Japanese Garden
Depth: 6-25m
One of the dives, in which you can see the vast variety of marine life in Tobago waters. After descending into the "fish soup" you will drift towards " Kamikaze Cut" and once passed, you are diving through four different zones of underwater scenery. A dive second to none.

Kelleston Drain
Depth: 9-20m
This dive is famous for the huge brain coral which you will see towards the end of this challenging dive. We are starting in a sheltered bay on a shallow plateau from where the current will take us to the deeper water. The nutrient rich water allows a luxuriant growth of sponges and soft coral. Big schools of Creole wrasse and jack fish are always there. Even nurse sharks and giant green moray eels are frequently seen.

Bookends
Depth: 7-26m
Bookends got the name from strangely shaped rocks coming up to the surface. Depending on the current this may be a quiet difficult dive site. A natural amphitheatre invites you to look at nurse sharks and turtles not to forget about the huge tarpons, like monuments in the blue water.

Tobago Dive Experience Dive Sites
The diving in Tobago is little known by the rest of the world, but recent reviews in Sport Diver and other diving magazines seem to be raising the profile of this small caribbean island. The Speyside area has some of the best diving in the Caribbean for the more adventurous diver, whilst the South-West has much more easy diving for the more casual diver.

Tobago Frontier Divers

The South West of the island has several good reefs and wrecks to visit, and are in general very easy and calm dives. We also teach BSAC, NAUI and SSI schools, so whichever path you choose, should you want training, we have an instructor to cover it.

Columbus Passage Dive Sites

Diver's Dream
This is a divemaster's favourite.
It has a maximum depth of 60 feet and has the potential for strong drifts.

Diver's Thirst
Maximum depth is 80 feet. Known for its strong drift and is recommended to the Advanced Diver.

Flying Reef
Located on the Atlantic side of the island, this dive starts in 35 feet of water with maximun depth of 50 feet. On this drift dive one is more likely to see stingrays, moray eels, turtles, sharks and reef fish.

Cove Reef
Located on the Atlantic sde, this dive has a maximum depth of 70 feet.

Western North Coast Dive Sites

Mt. Irvine Wall
Located on the Caribbean side of the island, this short wall dive has very little drift. Entry depth is 30 feet with maximum depth of 45 feet.

Maverick
This wreck dive is in 100 feet of water, approximately 70 feet tall and 200 feet wide. This is a "diver friendly" wreck.

Arnos Vale, Culloden

Central North Coast

Sisters, Brothers

Speyside Dive Sites

Bookends, Black Jack Hole

Keileston Drain/Coral Garden
This is known as home to the largest brain coral in our region.
It has an entry depth of 40 feet and maximun depth of 60 feet A dive site most definitely worth the trip.

Japanese Gardens
This dive site is rated one of the best in Tobago.
While it is known for its strong drift it is also known for its great visibility. Maximun depth 60 feet.

Angel Reef

Undersea Tobago Dive Sites

Hammerhead Central, Sisters, Two Blokes Reef, Scotch on the Rocks, Castara, King Peter's Bay, Culloden Reef, Arnos Vale Reef, Mt. Irvine Wall, Maverick Wreck, Mt. Irvine Extension, 1720 French Wreck, Rainbow Reef, Kariwak Reef, Flying Reef, Cove Reef, Runway, Diver's Dream, Diver's Thirst and Kioto Wreck

Wild Turtle Dive Dive Sites

Easy dive - Caribbean side - 10 mins from shop - max depth 60 ft.

Mt. Irvine actually has three dive sites, the "Wall" is a shallow 30ft dive close to shore interesting for the crevices where Moray Eels, Rock Lobster and Spiny Crabs live.

Mt. Irvine Extension is a deeper dive site following the outcropping rocks of Mt Irvine Bay, Large Grouper, Snapper and Hawksbill Turtles enjoy this beautiful reef which is big enough for several dives. A favorite visitor is the Spotted Eagle Ray, Although they tend not to approach divers they do circle and are often seen in pairs.

Rainbow Reef is in the center of Mt Irvine Bay 50- 70ft, the reef is so named because of the schools of Rainbow Runner seen here, there is also a large fisherman's type anchor possibly 17th century wedged upright as if to stop a ship running aground.

Cove Reef
Intermediate dive slight current - Atlantic side - 15 mins from shop - max depth 70 ft most of dive in 40 ft.
Cove reef is located on the southern Atlantic side of the Island, cove has two reefs a shallow 35-50ft ledge which is a favorite with Turtles, Nurse and Sand sharks, also large Cubera snapper enjoy the protection of the small caves and coral run throughs. The area has large schools of reef fish and resembles a gold fish bowl. Because of the shallow depth the dive tends to last up to an hour and is a very relaxing slight drift dive. The deeper side of Cove drops from 35 to 70ft and has a beautiful healthy coral reef full of sea fans barrel sponges and Stag horn corals. On occasion, huge Jew fish can be seen passing in and out of the Stag Horn coral and large schools of Bermudan Chub cruise up and down the reef.

Speyside
Intermediate dive with current - diver stay above 70 ft - 10 minutes from shore - located at Speyside.
Dropping into 35ft the diver finds the edge of the reef sloping down to 50ft, this area is full of soft corals and barrel sponges, Black Durgon fish are plenty full here too. The reef gets steeper with a pronounced edge and becomes more rocky and Large schools of Barracuda patrol the edge. Towards the end of the dive we come across Tobago's "Brain Coral" reported to be the largest in the world; it is indeed very impressive, in excellent condition and still growing.

M.V. Maverick
Intermediate dive - Caribbean side - 10 mins from shop - max depth 100ft.
Lying in 100ft of water is the wreck of the M.V Maverick, once a passenger ferry between the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The Scarlet Ibis as it was then called served for many years before being replaced with a bigger faster ferry.
The top of the Wreck is 55ft and decent is down a line attached to the bow usually passing though a school of bait fish with Bonito fish darting in and out upon reaching the bow "Jacob "a resident Jew fish comes to greet the divers, weighing approx. 150lbs he is an impressive host to the ships tour. Because of the depth the dive usually lasts 30-35 mins and it is possible to penetrate the ship even as far as the diesel engine rooms. Reef building crabs, sennet fish and clams add to this interesting dive site.

Divers Dream
4 miles off the southern coast of tobago is one of the premier diving spots on the island. Divers Dream is a plateau with the Top being in 6mtr/20ft has a maximum depth of 25mtr. There is nothing around it but deep water so all the fish go there. Everything there is big and in large schools. Sharks and Turtle + Ray sightings are almost guaranteed. A very nice place and exiting dive. Caution this is intermediate dive and one must be comfortable in strong drifts.

Divers Thirst
Another fast paced dive off the southern coast of the island. 18-25mtr./60-80ft. Seems to be a series of faults or cracks along the see floor that (harbours) encourages large schools of fishes. Large Sharks and pelagies can be seen here. This divesite is a favorite of the divemasters and they don't hesitate to do this when conditions allow Advance dive.