Blogs
Photo Gallery: St Eustatius
In our new Gallery feature, we let the photos tell the story… Each Gallery showcases a selection of outstanding images on a chosen theme, taken by our Underwater Photography Editors Nick and Caroline of Frogfish Photography. This week, we focus on the tiny but beautiful Caribbean Island of St. Eustatius.
St Eustatius is a Caribbean island that is very close to our hearts. We lived on this volcanic island, working as dive instructors at Dive Statia, when we first started out in the diving world. We also worked as marine park wardens for a few months at the end of our stay. We were involved in the sinking of the island’s most famous wreck, and were the first people to dive, the 100 metre long Charlie Brown. Statia (as it is fondly known) is a small island with some great diving. Almost all of its coastline is a protected marine park, and this really apparent when you head underwater and see the amazing marine life. Turtles thrive here, and are found sleeping on the artificial reefs at night. You may never have heard of St Eustatius, but once you have been there, your heart will never leave. Visit www.scubaqua.com and www.statia-tourism.com to find out more.
Image 1: A hawksbill turtle on the Charlie Brown wreck. The turtle’s flipper briefly touches my camera dome as it swims past. The wreck of the Charlie Brown has been underwater for over 10 years now and plenty of marine life has made it their home.
Image 2: Nurse sharks live in many of the overhangs that are cut into the reef and this one surprised Caroline. As you can see, fantastic visibility is common around these waters, so when we visit, we like to shoot in wide angle.
Image 3: Huge barrel sponges sit on the tops of the reef, and Caroline has posed near this one to show off its size. If you look inside these sponges you might find a turtle, porcupine fish, arrow crabs and more.
Image 4: The bow of the Charlie Brown. The odd shape of the bow is because this ship used to be a cable layer. I think this shot works very well in black and white and the diver really emphasises the huge size of this impressive wreck that lies in 30m of water.
Image 5: The reef is in fabulous condition, as it has been a marine park since 1996 with all waters protected that are 30m deep or shallower. In this shot, Caroline approaches a trumpetfish, with her fins high in the water so as not to touch any part of the reef.
Image 6: There are a whole host of wrecks that have been sunk as artificial reefs on Statia. This tug boat is one of the oldest and has amazing coral and sponge growth on it and in it. It this shot, Caroline has gone into the wheelhouse carrying strobes that fired remotely, so that Nick could light both the bow of the boat and the inside of the wheelhouse at the same time.
Image 7: A final shot of one of our favourite wreck dives – the Charlie Brown. You can see here the amazing visibility as you descend towards to the wreck in clear blue Caribbean water. We have returned to the island on several occasions, and it has been amazing to see how the marine life continues to make this into a home. I hope we can return soon.
Want to hear more?
Here is Dive Centre Owner Mike talking about Statia:
https://www.scubaverse.com/dema-2016-review-scubaverse-talks-mike-scubaqua-st-eustatius-watch-video/
For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com
In this ongoing series, we speak to the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
What is your name?
Ben Williams and Kay Van Leuven
What is the name of your business?
Sunchaser Scuba
What is your role within the business?
Owner/operator
How long has the business operated for?
32 years in total and we have been here since 2010, working for the previous owner, then bought the current company from him starting in 2015.
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
Ben since 2003 and he is a PADI MSDT and SDI instructor
Kay since 2010 and she is a PADI MSDT and SDI instructor
What is your favorite type of diving?
Ben loves pinnacle dives; Kay loves shallow coral dives
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you, what would it be?
We offer valet diving for a trip of your lifetime. Personal service is key in our business, together with small groups.
What is your favourite dive in your location and why?
Ben favorite dive is the Invisibles because of the amount of marine life; Kay favorite dive is the wreck of the Rhone, because of it’s historical value, marine life and the amount of coral growth on it.
What types of diving are available in your location?
We offer reef and wreck diving, rendez vous diving with your charter boat so we can pick you up straight off your boat.
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
Being able to dive every day and show the underwater world of the BVI
What is your favorite underwater creature?
Ben’s favorite is sharks and for Kay it is dolphins.
As a center what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?
Ever rising supplier prices.
Is your center involved in any environmental work?
Yes, we do treatment for STCLD, shark sightings and beach clean ups
Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?
The hotel we work out of is still recovering from the 2017 hurricane so more places to stay will be coming along in the future. We have an amazing local non profit called Beyond The Reef in the BVI who are always making new artificial reefs.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?
We feel it is a great industry and it is very rewarding being able to teach people to dive and therefore increase awareness. One of the biggest changes that would be great to change is to be able to make things cheaper so it is more accessible to our local kids/divers and therefore increase the number of divers in our local community.
Finally, what would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
The BVI is very underrated and untouched, making it a great destination for both novice and
experienced divers.
Where can our visitors find out more about your business?
www.sunchaserscuba.com
info@sunchaserscuba.com
+12833442766
https://www.instagram.com/sunchaser_scuba/
https://www.facebook.com/sunchaserscuba/
Whilst we have been lucky enough to dive in much of the Caribbean, Saint Lucia was still on our wish list. Until November when we got a chance to visit this beautiful island on a 6-night diving trip that would see us enjoy with incredible scenery both above and below the waves. We were able to sample three different hotels, dined at a host of local eateries, spoke to local school kids about the ocean and even took a tour into the rainforest canopy. Find out all about this trip over this series of three blogs on Caribbean Dive Adventures.
Our final day of diving saw us heading south again to the wreck of the Lesleen M. The wreck was sunk as an artificial reef in 1986. It sits upright in the water just off Anse Cochon in about 20m of water at its deepest point. AS it has been in the water for over 3 decades, it is now covered in marine life. Yellow and purple sponges rise up from the deck and off railings. Gorgonian corals created huge curtains across the walkways and on the bow and stern. The prop is covered in orange sponges and cup corals. Barracuda and porcupinefish cruise the middle section of the boat. Schools of reef fish live in the covered section of the stern. There is life everywhere you look. To make the most of this dive, bring a light, as the colours are incredible.
We were lucky to have been able to dive the wreck as a buddy pair, without any other groups. But we loved the dive so much we asked if we could join the group for another dive on the wreck as our final dive of the trip. However, the group we were going to dive with were a little bit special! Two of the group had got married the day before. Nine of the family (mum, dad, the happy couple, sisters, brothers, and their partners) who had come to Saint Lucia for the wedding were on our boat. We offered to take an underwater photo of them. Getting the shot was not as easy as we had first thought though! Getting them all still, in the same place, not blowing bubbles at inappropriate times turned out to be a challenge! It was, however, a joyous way to finish off our diving on Saint Lucia.
Our final day saw us heading to new heights, via a cable car experience into the rainforest canopy. Not only does this trip offer stunning views over the island, but our guide was so knowledgeable we also learned plenty about the local fauna and flora of the island. This is the perfect activity for the non-diving day at the end of a trip. A final cocktail in the beautiful setting of the Harbor Club as the sun set saw us reflect on a super trip. We barely scratched the surface of what Saint Lucia has to offer. Alas we never got to experience the diving in the north of the island, so we will have to return to rectify that. Hopefully sometime soon!
Nick and Caroline were hosted by:
Reefs Go Live returns for new season
Diving with… Ben Williams and Kay Van Leuven, Sunchaser Scuba, British Virgin Islands
Lovin’ Saint Lucia: Two wreck dives and a wedding (part 3)
Lovin’ Saint Lucia: Kids and Critters (Part 2)
Top 5 Caribbean Wreck Diving Destinations
Barbados – The Shipwreck Capital of the Caribbean
Caribbean Conservation in Action: Coral Conservation during Covid
Caribbean Conservation in Action: Tagging Turtles in the BVI
Curaçao Dive Site of the Month – Smokeys (Watch Video)
Jeff chats to… Dr Katey Lesneski from Coral Vita, winners of the Earthshot Prize (Watch Video)
Reefs Go Live 2021 launches with special Quiet Oceans event
Caribbean Conservation in Action: Coral Conservation during Covid
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Blogs3 months agoLovin’ Saint Lucia: Diving in the Shadow of the Iconic Pitons (Part 1)
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Blogs3 months agoLovin’ Saint Lucia: Kids and Critters (Part 2)
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Blogs3 months agoLovin’ Saint Lucia: Two wreck dives and a wedding (part 3)
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Blogs1 week agoDiving with… Ben Williams and Kay Van Leuven, Sunchaser Scuba, British Virgin Islands
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News4 days agoReefs Go Live returns for new season