Eye Of The Needle Liveaboard Diving

Liveaboard Diving in Eye Of The Needle

What to Expect On an Eye of the Needle liveaboard

An Eye of the Needle liveaboard is the best way to experience a unique dive site and is likely to take your breath away as you come across it. This site is often taken in as a side to a dive on the Third Encounter site - another part of this set of volcanic pinnacles that are situated 1 mile from the west coast of Saba. You will leave the horseshoe of rock pinnacles at the Third Encounter site and you will swim off into the blue feeling as though there is nothing around for miles.

Once you start to get accustomed to the vast expanses of blue ocean around you, you will find yourself spotting a submerged pinnacle at a depth of 90 ft as if from nowhere. This experience will only add to the awe-inspiring views at this site. You will understand immediately where this site received its name: The Eye of the Needle, as this thin protruding formation (only a few feet wide), sticks up from the very depths at the bottom of the ocean. It will feel as though it has come out of nowhere as you approach this stunning site. On your dive here you will make a few rounds of this incredible pinnacle before making your ascent due to it being a deep dive. Liveaboard diving to the Eye of the Needle is truly an incredible underwater site to be seen: a must for your diving bucket list in this beautiful part of the Caribbean waters. Divers can expect up to 5 dives per day on an Eye of the Needle liveaboard.

What You Can See

Liveaboards to The Eye of the Needle, or 'The Needle' as it is commonly referred to, explore this pinnacle which does not grow greatly in diameter as it reaches the bottom. To dive a site like this is a rare opportunity and in such stunningly clear waters, you will be amazed at what you see. As always the rich waters surrounding the volcanic rock here has loads of life on offer. As you reach this pinnacle, seemingly out in the blue, you will notice it is encrusted with corals, barrel sponges, and fabulous brightly colored corals. You cannot miss the life on this site. There are often large grouper and reef sharks swimming slowly and happily around this site so you should see them here sometimes you may spot the odd reef shark hunting. Keep your eyes and ears peeled in the months of January to April as these sites are sometimes a great place to spot or hear humpback whales with their calves and even orcas. Rich plankton life here brings with it the yellowtail snappers and schools of reef fish; on your way to The Needle, you may spot a Yellowfin Grouper or a large Nassau in the blue, and never forget to keep your eyes peeled as you ascend to the surface as divers have been known to be privileged to be accompanied by Manta Rays here too.

Getting To Eye of the Needle

Because of the location of Eye of the Needle, a Saba & St. Kitts liveaboard is the best way to see this dive site. These boats depart from St. Kitts or St. Maarten every Saturday. These islands can be reached both direct internationally and from the USA with WINair or Liat airlines. When you reach St. Kitts take a taxi to downtown Basseterre.