Saba is a tiny island roughly 5 square miles is size and 150 miles east of Puerto Rico and 28 miles S.W. of St. Maarten in the northeastern Caribbean, forming one of the three Windward Islands of the Dutch Caribbean. Nicknamed the “Unspoiled Queen”, Saba earns this title from her crystal clear protected reefs that form a part of the Marine Park, additionally the dense pristine rain forest that rise 2,861 feet above sea level from the center of this volcanic island lends to its reputation.
Saba’s Marine park was established in 1987 soon after Sister island Bonaire had officially designated its marine park in 1981 to control diver impact, fishing and protect the pristine marine ecosystem. Today it is one of the best marine parks in the world, winning several honors for its promotion of research and education of the reef. The Park extends around the entire island from the shore down to a depth of 200 feet and is divided into different zones.
Diving in Saba is an unparalleled experience. There are three well-experienced and fully equipped local dive shops on shore that work with the Marine park manager in collecting data and ensuring compliance to the parks rules and zoning. The Island has its own four person hyperbaric chamber donated by the Dutch navy, to treat diving accidents and decompression sickness. All diving is done in the protected zones of the marine park and no anchoring is allowed. There is a system of mooring buoys set up at each dive site where dive boats can anchor and there are 30 mooring buoys representing the 30 odd dive sites ranging in depths from 15 to 120 feet. The marine park charges a $4 fee per diver which is used to maintain and improve the Saba Marine Park. A majority of the dive sites are located towards the South West Caribbean facing portion of the island while there are a few sites in the Atlantic facing side as well.
Saba is a great place to spot some of the larger pelagic fish such as Sharks, Barracuda, Jacks, snapper and Grouper and there are certain dive sites such as Saba’s famous pinnacles that to allow you to do just that. The Volcanic origins of the island have also left divers with some spectacular lava tubes, swim-through’s, caves and hot-springs that are a spectacular sight. There are also dive sites that are so abundant with marine life that almost every kind of fish and marine creature in the Caribbean can be found here in one location which is almost a sensory overload for divers.
Saba is truly the Unspoiled Queen of the Caribbean and a must visit destination for any scuba diver. The LeisurePro Travel Portal currently offers diver’s a 7 night’s stay travel package to Saba as one of their featured deals which offers a great itinerary custom designed for divers.
photos from flickr by: alfonsator, peacenik1, underwatertourist
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