Tobago Diving is Something Special

Although all the common stony corals found in the Caribbean are present, brain corals have developed particularly strong in Tobago. The world’s second largest and the Caribbean’s largest brain coral is found here at the Coral Gardens dive site. There must be something in the water—there is: the Orinoco River. This massive river in South America floods out of Venezuela and is picked up by the Guyana current and carried north to Trinidad and Tobago. This rush of fresh water affects the water temperature, salinity, and turbidity. Green or a flowing yellow stream creating unusual light underwater replaces the clear turquoise of the winter months. The turbidity is caused by algae particles suspended in the water and attracts large numbers of fish. Fifty-eighty foot viz in the winter can drop to 30 feet in the summer with poor viz sometimes only at the top 15 feet or so.

Many dives are around rocks that have become encrusted with sponges and coral. Huge barrel and vase sponges, rope sponges, bright encrusting and boring sponges make color and texture variety on the reef. Since sponges attract Angelfish, you will see many and large specimens of these species in Tobago. Mantas do frequent the Speyside area of Tobago, but don’t count on seeing them, sometimes they don’t put in an appearance. Tobago diving has a great deal of variety including a wreck dive. The Maverick was sunk in 1997, an old Trinidad to Tobago ferry, 350 feet long, it sits in 100 feet of water just off Rocky Point near Mt. Irvine on the northern shore. The top of the wreck is at 50 feet.

The diving in Speyside is around the coral reefs fringing Goat Island and Little Tobago. Speyside can experience strong currents called the African Express by locals. Although some fringing reefs occur in and around Man of War Bay at Charlotteville, most of the good diving is around offshore rocks, notably the Sisters and St. Giles. Currents and rough seas need to be taken into account when diving in the Charlotteville area. Sisters, Brothers, and Cardinal Rocks can be dived in most any conditions. The underwater terrain is predominately volcanic rock encrusted with coral and sponges.

Reefs in Milford Bay and Mt. Irvine Bay are sheltered sites. Buccoo Reef is a shallow snorkel spot and visited by glass bottom boats, no diving. Most all Tobago diving is done as a drift dives. Experienced boat handlers are a must—don’t go out alone, currents and weather can change instantly. We sat on the veranda of our hotel and watched a rain squall roll in just minutes after we had returned from diving. The sky blackened the wind howled and the waves churned up into frothy whitecaps in a matter of minutes.

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