Tobago, Caribbean

One of the peaks of Caribbean diving and the perfect location for your dive holiday - Tobago. Located off South American shores, just north east of Trinidad, this tiny island republic is one of the most southerly in the Caribbean chain. Tobago is only 27 miles long and 6 miles across at its widest point, allows easily exploration of the sites. The nutrient rich waters of the Orinoco River are carried past the island in what is the start of the Gulf Stream. While this can result in a dramatic drop in visibility it also means lots of manta rays and even whale sharks. The island offers an excellent diving holiday location for all levels of diver. The main dive sites are Speyside in the north-east and Crown Point at the south-west. The Caribbean’s largest Brain Coral colony, measuring over 5m by 3m, is located nearby at Kelleston Drain. Due to the plankton enriched waters, there are frequent encounters with large Barracuda, Dolphin, Whale Sharks and Giant Sea Turtles. The wreck of the Maverick, a previous inter island ferry deliberately sunk in 1997, is sited along the north west coast. Other notable dive sites are the Tarpon Bowl and The Sisters which are huge rock towers that plunge to a depth from above the water to over 40m where Scalloped Hammerheads may be encountered. A memorable dive experience is to pass between these the rocks. Currents and surge can be a fast, so this is a good destination for the more experienced diver with fast drift dives with lots of big pelagics. A great time to travel is May when Leatherback turtles are nesting off the south west coast. Photographers will enjoy big photo opportunities as well as rare and unusual critters in the sheltered bays.