Caribbean

The Caribbean is a vast region of the Americas comprised of the Caribbean Sea, more than 700 islands, islets, cays and reefs, and the surrounding coasts. The islands of the Caribbean form a wide-ranging archipelago in the far west of the Atlantic Ocean, between North America and South America. The Caribbean is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the north, the Straits of Florida to the east, the Northern Atlantic Ocean to the northeast and the coastline of South America to the south. The chain of islands that make up the Caribbean vary in topography, from flat, non-volcanic terrain to minor volcanic features to rugged mountain ranges.
The beauty and tropical climate make each of the Caribbean islands a popular holiday destination.

Scuba Diving in the Caribbean

The vastness and richness of the islands offer the best scuba diving in the Caribbean. The waters are noted for exceptional coral reef formations, large schools of migrating fish and turtles of all shapes and sizes. The diverse marine ecosystems feature 70 species of hard corals, as many as 700 species of reef fish. Each of the islands of the Caribbean offer a dive vacation that features diverse small and large marine life. Diving in the Caribbean features incredible pinnacles, challenging steep walls, mild drop offs, and both old and new shipwrecks. With so many islands to explore, liveaboard Caribbean cruises are the best way to get the most out of a dive travel itinerary. Divers live aboard a luxury dive boat and enjoy quick access to remote dive spots with some awesome sights. These islands are considered to offer some of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean:

Bahamas - Known for its shark diving, a Caribbean liveaboard cruise brings divers right to the action, offering some fantastic underwater photography opportunities. Dive travel to this beautiful island also features underwater caves, blue holes and rich coral reefs.

Cuba - Reef sharks swimming about the unspoiled reefs are the star of Caribbean scuba diving in Cuba. The island’s famous underwater masterpiece, the Jardines de la Reina (translated: the Gardens of the Queen) Marine Park, is accessible through various liveaboard dive cruises.

British Virgin Islands - Scuba diving vacations to these islands feature great wreck and reef diving. Liveaboard dive cruises take divers to sites that thrill with coral gardens and interesting seamounts.

Belize - A liveaboard trip is the only way to visit the Belize Blue Hole, a must when diving in the Caribbean. Other incredible dive spots include the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Lighthouse Reef. Belize also has great dive sites featuring atolls and cays.

Turks and Caicos - A Caribbean liveaboard brings divers to the many uninhabited islands known for their stunning reefs and plenty of walls. The Columbus Passage, which separates the two islands, is a waterway for many migrating fish, humpback whales, turtles, rays and dolphins.

Cayman Islands - A dive vacation to the Caymans wouldn’t be complete with the renowned interactions with stingrays. A liveaboard Caribbean cruise takes divers to the North Wall on Grand Cayman Island. With a drop of more than 6,000 feet, the wall provides diving adventures among sea turtles and spotted eagle rays.

St. Martin / St. Maarten - When liveaboard diving in the Caribbean, this small volcanic island offers 55 outstanding dive sites. A great number of shipwrecks are around the island, along with some incredible reefs for diving.

Saba, St. Kitts and Nevis - A liveaboard trip to the Lesser Antilles islands in the Caribbean Sea features dive spots with renowned deep water pinnacles and common sightings of nurse sharks and schools of fish. The clear waters are ideal for enjoying the colorful coral show, with shipwrecks scattered throughout the formations.

Honduras - Scuba diving vacations to Honduras are a must for divers looking to spot whale sharks. On a live aboard, divers have easy access to the renowned Roatan Bay, home to Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest coral reef in the world.

No matter the island, each make an ideal holiday destination and offer some memorable Caribbean scuba diving.

When to Go

Scuba diving in the Caribbean is a year round activity, thanks to the tropical climate that keeps the islands sunny and refreshing. The average high temperature is 28 degrees C or 82 degrees F.
Most of the Caribbean has two seasons, a dry season and a rainy season. The dry season runs from December to May. The rainy season runs from June to August. Hurricanes and tropical storms are common in early fall. Liveaboard diving in the Caribbean offers year round trips to the various islands.

Getting There

Most of the Caribbean islands have international airports that connect divers to their Caribbean liveaboard diving cruise departure port.

Visas and Passports

Most travelers to the Caribbean staying 90 days or less do not have to obtain a visa. This exempt list includes visitors from the United States and the European Union countries. However, proof of citizenship, such as a passport, is required. Visitors from countries not on the exempt list must obtain a short-stay visa. All travelers, including those exempt from a visa, must meet visa-free travel entry requirements. They include:
•A passport that is not more than 10 years old;
•A passport that is valid for the entire stay in the Caribbean;
•Proof showing the reason for the Caribbean stay, such as a hotel or Caribbean liveaboard diving reservation;
•Proof, such as a passport, residence permit, or visa, indicating eligibility to return to one’s applicable country of departure or transit through another country;
•Enough money to cover one’s stay and expenses in the Caribbean;
•Valid medical or travel insurance to cover any medical expenses.

Time Zone

Most of the islands of the Caribbean are on one or two time zones, GMT -4 in Western Caribbean and GMT -5 in Eastern Caribbean. The GMT -5 time zone corresponds with Eastern Standard time in the U.S. and Canada, while the GMT -4 time zone corresponds with Atlantic time.

Currency

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Electricity

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Language

Different languages are spoken on the various Caribbean islands. The prominent languages are Spanish, French and English. The English speaking countries in the Caribbean are Anguilla, Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin / St. Maarteen, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the Virgin Islands.
The Spanish speaking countries in the Caribbean are Cuba, Central America, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
The French speaking countries in the Caribbean are Dominica, Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barthelemy, St. Lucia, St. Martin / St. Maarten.