Diving and Snorkeling in Grenada

There is an entire world in Grenada that you won’t want to leave undiscovered – the underwater world.  Just below the surface of the ocean are coral reefs teeming with tropical fish, dive sites, and amazing sites that can only be explored with a dive mask. 

Grenada is a great diving and snorkeling location due to the 30 to 100 foot range of visibility.  The best way to explore what lies beneath is by planning a diving or snorkeling tour during your Grenada vacation.  These tours may cost between $35 and $1500(USD) and include transportation, equipment, and knowledgeable guides who are able to take you to sites you may not have otherwise known about. 

Before you plan your underwater adventure, it is important to note the differences between diving and snorkeling.  Though the two activities are often spoken of in the same breath, they are two very distinct sports. 

Snorkelers need only a dive mask, fins, a snorkel, and a body of water.  Using these items, they float with their head just below the water’s surface, viewing fish that swim around them, and marine habitats in shallow areas.  Many resorts have snorkeling equipment available for guests, but you can also rent equipment at local dive shops.  Some of the more popular scuba diving locations may also have snorkel stands loaded with everything you need. 

Diving is a bit more complicated.  When one scuba dives, they make use of an air tank attached to a BCD (Buoyancy Control Device), which allows them to actually breath under water.  This affords them the opportunity to explore depths much deeper than snorkelers can reach. 

Scuba Diving can be an exciting, easy to learn, and safe activity if you learn the basics with a professional dive center. There are several different options available to get you started, ranging between one and four days of training. The Discover Scuba Diving Experience course teaches you the most important skills you can learn sans certification.  After this class, you will be ready to go out on a dive with your instructor. The Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver courses go into more detail, which will allow you to gain certification and begin diving on your own. Prices for these courses run between $100(USD) and $550(USD).

Diving and Snorkeling Opportunities in Grenada

Company	Phone Number
Aquanauts	473-444-1126
Arawak Divers	473-443-6906
Carriacou Silver Diving Ltd.	473-443-7882
D2O Scuba	473-444-3483
Dive Grenada	473-444-1092
Eco Dive & Trek	473-444-7777
LumbaDive	483-433-8566
Native Spirit Scuba	473-439-7013
ScubaTech	473-439-4346

Sites

Though you can dive and snorkel at many of the same places, there are some sites that are better for one activity over the other.  Listed below are a few of Grenada’s most popular sites for each.

Dive and Snorkel Sites

Site	Location	Diving or Snorkeling	Descriptions
Flamingo Bay	Grand Anse Beach	Diving and snorkeling	Coral reef
Dragon Bay	St. Georges	Snorkeling	Soft coral, sponges, and seahorses
Aquarium Beach	South coast	Snorkeling	Reef and turtle nesting grounds
Blue Lagoon	Southeast coast	Snorkeling	Sharks, turtles, rays, and other marine life
Hog Island	South coast	Snorkeling	Reef

Grenada is known as the Wreckage Dive Capital of the Caribbean.  Listed below are some of the diving and snorkeling sites at which there is a wreckage present.

Wreckage Sites

Site	Location
Bianca C Shipwreck	St. Georges
Buccaneer Wreck	Molinere Reef
Fiona Wreck	Grand Anse Beach
Hema 1 Wreck	South Coast
Hildur Wreck	St. Georges
Kapsis Wreck	Grand Canyon
Quarter Wreck	St. Georges
Unity Courier	St. Georges
Veronica L. Wreck	Grand Anse

Underwater Sculpture Park

In 2006 Grenada opened an Underwater Sculpture Park , the brain child of England’s Jason Taylor.  The sculptures tell the story of Grenada’s history, as well as showcases folklore and different aspects of Grenada’s culture.  Since the sculptures were first placed in the shallow waters, they have become artificial reef, and snorkelers and divers have the unique opportunity of not only viewing the unique artwork, but marine life as well.

Tips

There are a few tips that both snorkelers and divers will find are worth noting.

•    Be aware of currents and stay watchful of your location. Getting too far off course can make returning difficult.
•    Wear a watch so you don't lose track of time - it's easy to do underwater.
•    Don't feed the fish or touch the animals or coral. Their protective layers can be stripped away.
•    Never stand or walk on a reef, and tread carefully in shallow water around reefs. (Shuffle your feet to avoid stingrays, and watch out for sea urchins, spines.)
•    Never wear jewelry. Caribbean fish, barracudas especially, seem to be drawn to shiny objects that look like their natural prey, small silver fish.
•    Avoid jellyfish, fire coral, and other stinging creatures.
•    Never reach into holes or crevices; animals - especially moray eels - like to make their homes in them.
•    Shark sightings are rare, and sharks that are spotted are usually passive. If you do see a shark, stay calm, and if necessary, move slowly out of the water.
•    Never remove anything from dive sites and reefs; it is illegal to do so.

Pick your poison.  Whether you choose to snorkel, dive, or both, the beauty to be discovered under Grenada’s waters is unparalleled.