Arnos Vale Bay on Tobago’s Caribbean coast is a popular snorkel and diving destination, including night diving in the bay. The Arnos Vale reef extends outward from the bay along the eastern and western fringes, where the reef grows on submerged rocks. Divers can swim through channels covered in corals, sea fans and sponges.
ARNOS VALE BAY, TOBAGO
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Diver’s Dream consists of a series of shallow reef banks found 4 km off the south coast of Tobago between Trinidad and Tobago. The banks are covered by giant barrel sponges that thrive in the high currents. Encrusting coral and macroalgae are also prominent at this site. The banks are often visited by pelagic marine life, such as turtles, sharks and barracuda.
Pirates Bay reefs consist of two small patch reefs located on either side of Pirates Bay in Man-O-War Bay, Charlotteville. This shallow coral community grows over sunken rocks. The reef is home to encrusting fire coral and hard corals, numerous long-spined sea urchins and sea rods. Many reef fish and juvenile marine turtles visit these reefs.
Culloden Bay is home to a unique spur and groove coral reef formed by water movement. The growth of corals over time has created these rocky underwater spurs that project out to sea like fingers. Each spur is separated by a sandy groove where one can find turtles, eels and lionfish lurking.
Located north of Charlotteville, this island is a bird sanctuary and home to a number of nesting species, including the Magnificent Frigatebird and the Brown Booby. Coral reefs surrounding St Giles are exposed to high currents that form reefs dominant in brain corals that cover the shallow areas.
Along the south coast of Tobago are three dives sites. From east to west, they are Cove Reef, Flying Reef and Stingray Alley. Coral reefs in this area are gently sloping and exposed to high currents. These are the haunts of large schools of reef fish including grunts and chub.
Iguana Bay is located north of Charlotteville and can only be accessed by boat. Although there are coral communities, there is little structure, likely because of the exposed wave environment. It is home to some colonies of the incredible rare Acropora cervicornis.