For equipment rental, advice, courses and boat dives check one of the many dive shops located in St Lucia. Many hotels offer scuba diving facilities and rent snorkeling equipment, but there are also several independent dive centers, such as: Buddies, Caribbean Dive Center, Dive Fair Helen, Eastern Caribbean Diving, Endless Summer Cruises, Frogs Diving, Island Divers, Marigot Beach Club, Oasis Marigot and Scuba St Lucia.
Get started at Anse Chastanet Beach for some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean. Called Fairy Land, the snorkeling area is buoyed off so you have no concerns about boats near the area. Just beyond the reef is a plateau which drops from 20 to 140 feet into a wall of coral and a brilliant world of underwater life. The crystal clear waters provide great viewing and photography.
Enjoy an afternoon snorkeling at the site of the Wreck of the Lesleen M freighter, south of Marigot Bay. This ship was intentionally sunk in 1986 by the Department of Fisheries to provide artificial reefs. Covered with sponges, hydroids and corals, the ship also is home to turtles, sea horses, and soldier fish. This is an excellent dive for close-up photography and is a good night dive as well.
Head to Anse La Raye for some of the best wall and drift dives on St. Lucia. Anse La Raye Coral Gardens has a spectacular array of fish, sponges and both hard and soft coral. Five-finger corals are located under 15 to 150 feet of water.
For another spectacular wall dive, check out Superman’s Flight beneath the Piton mountains. The wall drops to a depth of 1600 feet and boasts excellent visibility in the crystal clear waters.
A good spot for snorkelers of all levels is Virgin Cove/Point, which is a semicircular reef/wall. This area is brimming with schools of snapper and spade fish, as well as barracuda and turtles.
