Diving on St. Eustatius, an unspoiled gem

St. Eustatius has no fewer than 36 unique dive sites, making the island a popular diving destination. The sea around the island belongs to a protected marine park, which ensures that the underwater world is virtually untouched. The seabed offers you a beautiful color palette of coral, fish of all shapes and sizes, rays, sharks, and turtles. The diving conditions on the island are optimal. All dive sites can be found between 5 and 20 minutes away by boat and the water is almost always calm. With water temperatures between 26 and 28 degrees Celsius, you’ll always enjoy a tropical dive. Have you seen our dive offers yet?

Blue Bead Hole dive spot

There are plenty of beautiful dive sites around the island, such as the Lost Anchor and the Grand Canyon. Each one is unique because you’ll find eight different ecosystems here. The Blue Bead diving hole is an unmissable dive. It’s not just schools of colorful fish that you’ll find here - you also have the chance to find a historic blue bead. The Dutch West India Company used these beads for the cotton, rum, tobacco, and slave trades.

There are two diving schools on the island: Scubaqua and the Golden Rock Dive Center. We work closely with both diving schools. Both can be found in Oranjestad.

Snorkeling on St. Eustatius

Discover the special underwater world of St. Eustatius by snorkeling. Thanks to the crystal-clear water you’ll be able to see far ahead, and chances are you’ll be accompanied by curious turtles. It’s possible to rent or buy snorkel sets from the two diving schools, and they’ll also be happy to inform you about the best snorkeling spots on the island. Book a guided snorkeling tour at our reception or go on a self-guided adventure off the coast of Oranjestad where the old, sunken city walls offer a beautiful snorkeling backdrop. The best snorkeling spots on the island are at Oranje Bay, Inner Jenkins Bay, and Twelve Guns.

This is what makes your diving holiday on St. Eustatius a unique experience:

• Dive at the St. Eustatius National Marine Park and enjoy the underwater paradise of colorful reefs and historical wrecks. St. Eustatius offers 36 unique diving sites all within a 5 to 20 minutes sailing distance. The dive sites vary in difficulty level, offering experiences for beginners or advanced divers.
• St. Eustatius, called Statia by the locals, offers the most diverse diving experiences in the Caribbean. You will find no less than 7 different ecosystems, all with different structures and special marine life. When diving in Statia, you can spot the complete variety of fish and marine animals that inhabit the Caribbean Sea.
• A dive to the Chien Tong wreck during daytime is an amazing experience on its own, but at night time, the Chien Tong is super special. Corals open their brightly colored polyps to filter food from the water, giving you an orange glow. What is equally impressive are the many giant sea turtles that sleep in this wreck. Night dives are also offered here at Oasis Golden Rock and are definitely reccommended!
• Snorkel at Orange Bay, Inner Jenkins Bay and at Twelve Guns. This can be done individually or under supervision.
• Intensive cooperation with the PADI diving schools Scubaqua Dive Center and Golden Rock Dive Center. Both can be found in Oranjestad and feature a ship with a captain. All dives are mandatorily accompanied by a dive guide. This is to protect the completely intact coral reefs. Therefore, no anchors are dropped.
• Statia has a variety of sea turtles that swim around the island, like the leatherback and hawksbill turtles lay their eggs on the turtle beaches of Statia from March to October.
• Statia offer the unique opportunity to whale watch from January to March, both in the sea and from land.
• You will find the many 17th and 18th century shipwrecks in Statia, including one of the most famous wrecks in the caribbean called the Charles L. Brown which is 100 meters long!
• The famous Bluebeads hole dive spot, is where you will enjoy the search of the blue beads that were used as curreny in the time of the slave trade