Page 527 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

ENT REEF AREA (4 dive sites): Just dive. The sandy top of the wall is home to be exceptional when the weather is calm.
hundreds of garden eels, razor fish and Most of Saba’s diving offers views of coral
T west of the Fort Bay harbor is another southern stingrays. A three dimensional encrusted boulders of volcanic origin, but
mural of colorful mollusks, large barrel and only Greer Gut and Giles Quarter are true
unusual geological structure known as drooping sponges are guaranteed on this coral reefs (i.e. made out of limestone). Di-
Tent Reef. It is an extended rock ledge that dive with the schools of sergeant majors, verse species of reef fish and other marine
starts at only 4 meters (13 feet) deep but queen angelfish, french angelfish, frogfish life along with the white sand covering
becomes progressively deeper as you head and of course, Buddha, the resident bar- the sea floor provide a very different div-
northwest. The ledge is deeply under- racuda who likes to hang out with divers ing experience compared to Saba’s other
cut at some points, providing shelter to and is naturally curious. The swim through sites. Exposure to the Atlantic side yields
large snappers. It turns into a sheer wall at Tent Reef is a treat day or night with yel- the development of hard coral structures
that gradually becomes fragmented and low cup corals, black coral, a family of black more often than soft coral. Close to shore,
appears as a series of steep coral outcrop- margates, and spiny lobsters. The resident well-developed Elkhorn coral formations
pings separated by deep sand channels. dog snappers have learned to follow night occur although the risk exists of periodic
Tubular sponges, Elephant ear sponge and divers and attempt to hunt prey with the destruction by wave action and storms. The
Black coral dominate the steep wall. Tent assistance of your dive lights. Tent Reef coral branches are fragile, but they tend to
Reef is also a favorite site for night dives is a favorite for night dives with frequent recover quickly due to high growth rates.
with frequent octopus, sleeping turtles octopus sitings and a chance to see a blue More dependent on weather conditions are
and Spiny lobster sightings. Less than five manytooth blue conger. our Windwardside sites: Greer Gut, Giles
minutes from Fort Bay, our only harbor, Quarter, Big Rock Market, Hole in the Cor-
Tent Bay offers spectacular diving at Tent E AST SIDE DIVING (8 dive sites): Diving on ner, David’s Dropoff, Core Gut, Cove Bay.
Reef Deep, a small but interesting reef. this side of the island depends on suit-
Dives at the vertical Tent Reef Wall can able weather. However, visibility tends to
be conducted as a shallow dive, a deeper
multi-level dive or as an exhilarating drift