Diving on St. Eustatius: Discover the Underwater World of Statia
St. Eustatius is a small island in the Caribbean with a character all its own. The island is usually referred to by the locals as Statia mentioned, and you’ll see that the two names are used somewhat interchangeably. The island is located between Sint Maarten, Saba, and St. Kitts. With an area of about 21 km² and only a few thousand residents, Statia is considerably smaller than the well-known Dutch Caribbean islands of Bonaire and Curaçao. Statia also receives far fewer tourists than the ABC Islands, for example. You won’t find any large resorts or bustling tourist boulevards there, but rather a small local community, historic buildings, and plenty of unspoiled nature.
The island also has a unique history. In the 18th century, Statia developed into an important trading center in the Caribbean. Remnants of that period are still visible in and around Oranjestad, including Fort Oranje and the ruins of Lower Town. The landscape is also distinctive: the dormant volcano The Quill forms the green heart of the island and extends underwater into a volcanic landscape.
Administratively, St. Eustatius is part of the Netherlands. Since October 10, 2010, it has been a public entity of the Netherlands, just like Bonaire and Saba. This means that the islands are directly part of the Netherlands but have their own island governments. Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten have a different status: they are independent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
That small-scale character and the island’s volcanic origins are also clearly evident underwater. Statia is surrounded by a protected marine park with dozens of dive sites. Here you’ll find coral reefs, volcanic rock formations, drop-offs, shipwrecks, and historic dive sites. As a result, diving on St. Eustatius offers a very different experience from what you might be used to on Bonaire or Curaçao.
Why Dive on St. Eustatius?
Diving on St. Eustatius is ideal for divers who enjoy exploring a small-scale and peaceful destination. There are 36 official dive sites around the island, offering a wide variety of underwater landscapes. Thanks to the limited tourism, the dive sites are also much quieter than at many better-known Caribbean destinations.
Statia’s volcanic origins are clearly visible underwater. The Quill, the island’s dormant volcano, has shaped the underwater landscape with lava flows, large boulders, and steep cliffs. These rock formations are now covered with corals, sponges, and sea fans and provide a habitat for a wide variety of reef fish and other marine life.
The island’s history also comes to life while diving. In the 18th century, Statia was an important trading center, and ships from various parts of the world called at the island. Consequently, there are several shipwrecks and archaeological dive sites along the coast. The Charles Brown, a former cable-laying ship that was converted into an artificial reef in 2003, is one of the best-known wrecks.
The 36 dive sites offer plenty of variety. Among other things , you can go reef diving, wall diving, wreck diving, historical diving, macro diving, night diving, and deep diving here. Virtually all dive sites are equipped with moorings, so there’s no need to anchor on the reef.
Thanks to the combination of volcanic landscapes, coral reefs, shipwrecks, and relatively few divers, Statia is an interesting destination for divers looking for something different from the better-known diving islands of the Caribbean.
What is diving like on Statia?
Dives around St. Eustatius are primarily done from a boat. The dive sites are relatively close to the coast, so the boat ride is usually short. Depending on the dive site, the trip takes about 3 to 15 minutes.
A typical day of diving consists of two boat dives in the morning. If there is enough interest, a third dive can be organized in the afternoon. Night dives are also possible.
Most dive sites are around 20 meters deep, but there are also deeper locations. The Charles L. Brown wreck, for example, lies at a depth of about 31 meters.
Want to go diving on St. Eustatius, too?
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