1996 Chapbook
  St. Vincent and The Grenadines

 

Dive St. Vincent, Young Island, June, 1994. "We saw dive owner Bill Tewes every night and told him what we wanted to see. I saw frogfish and spotted drums three days in a row; until I said 'Enough.' When they show you slipper lobsters here you don't just see one or two species. Bill told me I would see my first cherub angelfish here but I wouldn't get a picture: he was right on both counts. I filled my log book with fish and invertebrates I had never seen before and left St. Vincent delighted, even without pelagics." Anon.

Palm Island, November, 1994. "125 acre island located one mile off Union Island, where there is an airport for small island­hopper. Hotel provides a boat launch. The resort is on a beautiful, calm, white/pink sand beach. Water temperature was 82F from the surface down to 85 feet. About 25 adequate, screened, clean cottages line the beach. Cottages have a ceiling fan, but no AC. A few still nights were stuffy, even with the fan. Three above average (for the Caribbean) meals are served in a covered common area on the beach. Resort staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. The answer to almost every request (reasonable and unreasonable alike) was yes. . . . The dive shop is 100 yards from the closest guest cottage. It serves divers who come on small yachts as well as guests. The owner/dive guide/shop manager has only a basic dive certification, but is familiar with the dive sites. Shore diving is possible, but the closest reef area is more appropriate for snorkeling. The dive boat is 18-20 feet long. The boat (left on island time, 15-30 minutes late) was comfortable for the four divers in our party, but would be crowded with more than six. There are no tank ranks or stern entrance/exit platform: back roll, or 3' giant stride leap. There is an adequate ladder to climb aboard. . . . The closest reefs are average for Caribbean diving. Mostly the usual Caribbean hard and soft corals, and small but colorful critters in an adequate quantity to keep you interested. Depth was 40-60 feet. However, the diving in the Tobago Cays area, a 30 minute boat ride, was very good. Visibility about 80 feet. Small and medium size fish and coral life were plentiful (one nurse shark). There is one wreck at 40 feet. Computers were permitted. We basically dived our own profile when the manager realized we had sufficient experience. There is no rinse tank. The manager offered to take our equipment for the night and rinse and store it or divers can use the water hose at the dive shop to rinse gear themselves, or lug gear back to their rooms to rinse. . . . A good location for a vacation with some diving, rather than a diving vacation. Hard core divers will be unhappy." Meo & Ramage


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