Snorkeling in Saba & St.Kitts
Snorkeling in Saba & St.Kitts
Snorkeling in Saba & St Kitts doesn’t just offer the enviable opportunity to step off a powder white sand beach onto a beautiful coral reef. The Caribbean island of Saba is home to an extensive marine park with beautiful walls and volcanic reefs. Water conditions on both islands are also ideal for snorkeling with calm waters, virtually no current and 30 meters plus visibility in most places. The only exception to this is the eastern coast of St Kitts island which is not suitable for snorkeling due to unusual currents Don’t worry though there are so many snorkel spots most people who come to Saba & St Kitts snorkeling find there isn’t enough time to do them all.
There are many options for snorkeling in Saba & St Kitts, reefs are the most common places. There are numerous fringing reefs around both islands, so often it is just a matter of walking off the beach. It is worth noting that in St Kitts there are many soft sandy beaches but in Saba you are more likely to find pebble beaches or rocky entries when you are snorkeling. For this reason, it might be worth using boots with your fins. The reward is well worth it, many of these pebble beaches have amazing walls full of rock lobsters and even octopus as well as huge shoals of reef fish. In some areas hawksbill turtles will come and swim close to snorkelers too.
Marine Life in Saba & St Kitts
Like much of the Caribbean, Saba & St Kitts enjoys huge expanses of coral reefs and plentiful reef life. Most of the snorkel spots are on fringing reefs which are home to plenty of hard and soft coral and sea fans in all shapes and sizes. The coral reefs are also home to a huge number of reef fish, angel fish and colourful trigger fish can be found living on the corals on both islands.
Turtles are one of the best things about snorkeling in the Caribbean and there are plenty of them in Saba & St Kitts. The turtles here are hawksbill turtles and are very relaxed around snorkelers so it is easy to follow them as they glide around the reefs searching for food. There are other bigger creatures around too, lucky snorkelers might spot a big barracuda or even a reef shark in some of the deeper snorkel spots in Saba & St Kitts.
Best Snorkel Sites in Saba & St Kitts
No snorkel trip to Saba & St Kitts would be complete without visiting Sandy Point Marine Park. The protected reef around Sandy Point is deep in parts around 30 meters but there are plenty of shallow snorkel spots too. In addition to lots of coral and anemone snorkelers will also have the chance to spend time with turtles. You can also spot crabs and lobsters hiding in the rocks and big barracuda hanging out above the reef in deeper water.
For those who are new to snorkeling or just like the easy life, Frigate Bay in the South of St Kitts is the perfect snorkel spot. Snorkelers can just walk off the white sand beach and onto a beautiful shallow reef. There are turtles as well as crabs and lobsters here, but the real highlights are the huge shoals of colourful reef fish that you can see while you are snorkeling.
The Edward S. Arnold Snorkel Trail at Torrent Point in Saba, is definitely one of the best snorkeling sites on Saba & St Kitts. The trail has eleven marked snorkel spots where you can see different types of corals, caverns and rock formations. The site is fairly large and the water can be deeper in places, around 9 meters, so this is one of the snorkel sites for those who are a little more advanced.
Best Time to Snorkel in Saba & St Kitts
It is possible to go on a snorkel tour in Saba & St Kitts all year round with excellent water conditions in all seasons. The water temperature does vary slightly with 27 degrees in the summer which drops down to 20 degrees in the winter. With the right wetsuit however it is very comfortable to snorkel in Saba & St Kitts whatever the time of year. It is worth noting that there is a slightly greater chance of rain in the summer but no problem, you will be wet anyway!
How do I get to Saba & St Kitts
Saba and St Kitts can be reached by plane and boat service. Saba is a short flight from St Martin Juliana International Airport which offers several flights a day to the island. There is also a ferry service from St. Martin a few days a week. St. Kitts has its own international airport which receives flights from the US, Canada and connections from further afield. If choosing a liveaboard for your snorkel trip then most liveaboards depart from either St. Maarten or St.Kitts.
