Tobago Dive Sites
Tobago “Round D’ Island” Dive Sites
Tobago although still a bit of a diver’s secret is widely recognized by those who’ve dived here as the best diving in Caribbean. Most would agree that the reefs are some of the healthiest in the Western hemisphere, perhaps only the Marine National Parks of Saba & Eustatious would be rated higher. Unlike Saba however you don’t need to dive 30m plus as Tobago’s reefs are dive-able from 5 to 25 meters. If you’ve already dived in the Caribbean then you’ll immediately notice two things, firstly the abundance of fish life and second, that unlike most Caribbean reefs that are “patchy” Tobago’s reefs are 80 to 90% coral cover. That is remarkable. Then the more you dive the more you will notice what an abundance of very very large brain, boulder, star and stag horn formations there are here. The dive sites vary from gentle sloping hard coral reefs to wild current swept rocky landscapes. In general the open ocean pinnacles and outcrops are rocky, while the coast features sloping fringing reefs. There is also a distinct difference between the Southern and Northern reefs. This variety is making Tobago diving increasingly popular and every year more divers are heading to Tobago for fantastic diving. Remember to visit my page on Tobago Marine Life.
The Islands Top Dive Sites
The following dive site descriptions cover the best in Tobago. They are not in any order, just what I believe are the best. At the bottom is a link to the following page which lists all my dive sites offered and their ratings.
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. Wonderful!
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.
