Top 10 Best Diving Sites in Sint Maarten (Netherlands)
Best Diving Sites in Sint Maarten (Netherlands) is a scuba diver's dream come true, with crystal clear water and calm waves. The French and Dutch island of ... read more...Sint Maarten (Netherlands) is one of the greatest places to go diving and exploring the underwater world.
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Creole Rock, located just offshore of St. Maarten's French side, is a popular snorkeling and diving spot. Because of its accessibility, shallow depth, and protection from the wind and ocean currents provided by the surrounding rock structure, this is an excellent choice for a beginning scuba diver.
Sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, prawns, sea anemones, and stingrays should all be seen. Barracuda, trumpet fish, angelfish, lionfish, trumpet fish, and parrotfish are some of the fish that live in the region. As you explore the seas, be amazed by the vibrant hues of these beautiful creatures.
Listen for the clicking of nearby dolphins, since they are known to show up from time to time. Creole Rock is also recognized for being a fantastic night diving site, where you may see octopus and a variety of sleeping fish. Many visitors consider this to be one of the Best Diving Sites in Sint Maarten (Netherlands).
Diving in St. Maarten is primarily about having fun and learning about the amazing underwater plant and animal life. You don't have to travel far out to sea to feel the full range of emotions that this fragile world has to offer at Creole Rock. At the heart of the Nature Reserve, the undersea world's treasures will be exposed to you. You'll be allowed to visit this refuge just across from Grand Case as long as you're aboard a boat that's no more than 50 feet long.
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This scuba dive takes you through the maze of bright coral in Simpson Bay's Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area's fascinating underwater playground. The Maze, one of the world's top diving locations, runs 50 feet beneath the surface and has gorges bordered with gorgeous coral and tropical marine life.
Eagle rays, moray eels, parrotfish, grouper, frogfish, and trumpetfish visit this beautiful underwater spot. While exploring the labyrinth-like reef, you may have a high chance of encountering friendly sea turtles. Coral reefs, lava rocks, pinnacles, and artificial reefs generated by wrecks make up the underwater landscape.
Eagle rays, reef sharks, sea turtles, moray eels, blue tangs, trunkfish, sergeant majors, surgeonfish, and a variety of other reef fish and intriguing animals are among the abundant fish life. Many visitors consider this to be one of the Best Diving Sites in Sint Maarten (Netherlands).
Following your dive in the maze, relax in the sun at Simpson Bay Beach. Relax while listening to the gentle lapping of the waves, gazing out at the turquoise ocean, and basking in the warm Caribbean sun. While drinking a cool cocktail at one of the beachside beach bars, watch jets take off and land at the nearby airport.
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Gregory Wreck, located on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, is a renowned diving location. Explore tunnels, vibrant reefs, and shipwrecks rich with aquatic life. Prepare to see a broad variety of water species at Gregory Wreck, one of the most well-known diving locations. This is one of the best Diving Sites in Sint Maarten (Netherlands).
The barge shipwreck sunk fifteen years ago and is located 55 feet beneath the surface. Knife fish, snappers, scorpionfish, spider crabs, and barracudas may all be found in its flipped-over configuration, making for an exciting dive assignment. The underwater panorama is further enhanced by a variety of hard and soft corals, as well as tube and vase sponges.
Gregory Wreck, a shipwreck on the side of Sint-Maarten, is 17 meters deep. The 33-meter shipping barge flipped upside down when it sank 15 years ago, and is now home to a diverse fauna. Through the portholes, you may see spider crabs and knife fish. Trevallies, snappers, lizardfish, scorpionfish, sergent major, barracudas, and a slew of other fish lurk about the wreck, keeping an eye on it!
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One of St. Maarten's most famous diving spots is this underwater sanctuary in Philipsburg. The HMS Proselyte, a historic British cruiser that came aground on the reef in the early 1800s while en route to St. Kitts, is the site's principal attraction. Many visitors consider this to be one of the Best Diving Sites in Sint Maarten (Netherlands).
View the remarkable relics that were tossed overboard when the ship was beached at roughly 50 feet underwater, including massive anchors, barrel hoops, cannons, and cannonballs. Proselyte is also part of the Man of War Shoal Marine Park, which is home to a diverse range of sea life.
Glide through the magnificent reef, stopping at a canyon drop-off where you'll discover triggerfish, stingrays, lobster, conch, crabs, and barracudas lurking. If you're lucky, you could spot some Caribbean reef sharks, as well as whales and dolphins. This diving location is also noted for having excellent visibility, which is one of the reasons it is one of the best scuba diving spots in St. Maarten.
The Proselyte, which lies in shallow water just outside the opening of Great Bay, is popular with divers of all abilities today. Anchors, ballast bars, cannons, and barrel hoops can all be found on the seafloor around the ship. This wreck diving location is also known as the Proselyte Reef because of the rich coral development.
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The Fish Bowl is one of St. Maarten's most well-known dive destinations, named after the abundance and diversity of tropical fish that occupy the reef. This circular-shaped location, which is also part of Man of War Shoal Marine Park, has 60 feet of depth to explore. This dive is suitable for divers of all experience levels because to the warm, inviting water and exceptional visibility.
During a swim among the stunning natural structures, explore the colorful reef and uncover the two famous coral arches. Keep an eye out for thrilling Caribbean reef and nurse shark sightings, which are thought to be common in this region. Spiny lobsters, blue tang, and barracudas are some of the other sea species you could see.
Within the Man O'War Shoal Marine Park, The Fish Bowl is a circular diving site with a stunning swim-through. It is home to a diverse range of corals and sponges, as well as nurse sharks, reef sharks, barracudas, and spiny lobsters. While the dive is shallow and suitable for divers of all levels of expertise, the water can be choppy at times.
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The Bridge, formerly known as Simpson Bay's Bridge, is a refuge for aquatic life and ideal for beginners and intermediate divers. Dive down 50 feet to locate the bridge's ruins, as well as the artificial reefs created by a few boats that were intentionally sunk. Following Hurricane Irma, a vessel that served as a popular floating bar was added to the artificial reef lineup.
Swimming around the pillars of the bridge is a great way to see starfish, urchins, eels, sea turtles, and stingrays. There's a chance you'll see a reef shark swimming nearby. Furthermore, the artificial reefs that surround these sunk buildings act as the island's coral nursery, bringing life to the island's devastated coral reefs.
Because the bridge isn't very large, a group of diving schools banded together and scuttled numerous boats there as well. Underwater, the mixture creates an oasis of life. It just so happens that this is also where our coral nursery is located. Our 'Acropora' coral fragments have been moved from the damaged coral nursery to their new home here.
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This deep dive to the tugboat wreck La Renee will appeal to experienced divers. La Renee Shipwreck, which is located between St. Maarten's northeastern coast and the offshore island of Tintamarre, delivers an exciting underwater exploring experience. This is a very stunning dive site.
Descend over 140 feet to swim amid the tugboat wreckage, where you'll come across schools of unusual fish including barracudas and big trevallies. Keep an eye out for sharks, who are known to frequent this region, while you watch stingrays and eagle rays glide through the beautiful waters.
Spend the afternoon on La Renee Shipwreck, a natural wonder just a few kilometers off the coast of St. Maarten. Popular activities to enjoy the warm, sunny atmosphere of this Caribbean gem include catamaran sailing cruises and snorkeling. Take a walk along the nature trail or relax on the beautiful island beaches. Sea turtles have been spotted in the seas surrounding the island.
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Carib Cargo, a sunken cargo ship and popular diving location for all skill levels, is located on the outskirts of the Man of War Shoal Marine Park. The wreck, also known as the Carib Ghost, sunk under Hurricane Bertha's fury. It currently has an incredible variety of sea life that would enthrall any divers passing by. Stingrays are attracted to the sandy bottom surroundings, which are a popular attraction.
For divers and underwater photographers alike, the crystal clear visibility offers a great window to the undersea world. Look for reef sharks, sea turtles, moray eels, lobsters, snapper schools, and eagle rays as you explore. You could even get a glimpse of a playful dolphin now and again. This is considered one of Best Diving Sites in Sint Maarten (Netherlands).
Carib Cargo was discovered standing in 85 feet of water, at a depth of 60 to 65 feet. The Carib Cargo is located on a sandy stretch that is popular with southern sting rays, so you'll see many of them there. It's a simple ship for wreck divers to navigate, and some dive shops utilize it for penetration training.
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In 1995, the Fuh Sheng, a 120-foot fishing vessel, was damaged and then allowed to sink. The Taiwanese ship has a bow of 114 feet and a stern of roughly 90 feet. The visibility is excellent, usually exceeding 100 feet, so you can see the wreck below you as you begin your descent.
The line is attached to the bow, and there are hundreds of garden ells and sting rays in the sandy bottom in front of the bow. Lobsters abound around the deck, and sharks keep a close eye on everything. Due to the short amount of time spent on the bottom, divers have little opportunity to examine the wreck. Technical wreck divers frequent this wreck, which is regarded the best deep location in Sint Maarten.
Swim around the stern first as you make your way around the deck and bow. Garden eels, eagle rays, stingrays, crabs, and possibly sharks may be among the aquatic species you'll meet. Explore Fuh Sheng renowned as a popular St. Maarten diving spot to see schools of tropical species including trumpetfish, angelfish, and blowfish.
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Turtle Reef at Grand Case Bay is the place to go if you're looking for turtles. This spot is well-known for its frequent sightings of sea turtles and excellent visibility. Swimming around two unique rock towers allows visitors to witness a diverse assortment of marine life in addition to the main attraction. This is considered one of Best Diving Sites in Sint Maarten (Netherlands).
You'll swim through large schools of colorful tropical fish and look for eels, lobsters, arrow crabs, stingrays, and eagle rays hidden in crevices against a backdrop of coral-encrusted rock, soft sand, and brilliant blue seas. Make time for some beach time while you're in the region, since Turtle Reef has been one of the best diving sites in the Caribbean.
Relax on the pristine sands and enjoy the view of the neighboring island of Anguilla from the seaside of Turtle Reef. If you've worked up an appetite, stop by one of the beach bars and restaurants serving real local cuisine for lunch.