Page 560 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

ne can dive coral and sponge covered showings. Hundreds of critters make their sharks, rays and other pelagics. Be sure to
home in numerous cracks and ledges. This make the hike to the “The Quill”, a 2,000-
O walls and pinnacles with dramatic is truly a photographers delight. foot dormant volcano with a rainforest
nestled in its crater. Exploring the many dif-
backdrops of visual delights. These walls a T o help preserve Statia’s pristine marine ferent ecosystems of St. Eustatius is diving
frequented by black grey reef sharks, eagle life, the St. Eustatius Marine Park, man- in constant changing environments. Almost
rays, hawksbill turtles, green turtles and aged by Stenapa, was established in 1998. all of the 36 official sites are moored to save
larger fish varieties such as nurse sharks. All dive sites are marked with a mooring the reef from anchorage. In order to dive in
The shallower reefs of 40 feet (12 meters) to line (anchoring is forbidden) and only one the Marine Park, divers have to pay a fee of
75 feet (23 meters) have been carved from dive boat is allowed per dive site: a perfect $6 per dive or $30 for a yearly tag with un-
volcanic fingers that are covered with a va- way to enjoy a quiet dive with a limited limited diving. This fee is used for installing
riety of soft and hard corals. Barrel sponges number of divers underwater. Protected and maintaining the dive moorings.
and pillar coral seem to be the norm for the and managed by the St. Eustatius National
visual backdrops. The fish life is abundant Parks, these sites offer frequent encounters
with a few rarer species like the flying gur- with a wide variety of marine life including
nards, high hats, spotted drum fish, jack-
knife fish and huge lobsters making daily