Considering a Ponant Cruise (Le Bellot) with itinerary that includes Union Island, Bequia, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, in the Grenadines. Soufriere, St Lucia, Pigeon Island St Lucia, Dominica and BVI Jost van Dyke. Has anyone seen the reefs here recently? We are experienced divers, serious underwater photographers. Saw bad stony coral tissue disease in Roatan - heartbreaking. Is it worth it to do a Caribbean trip, or better to spend our efforts elsewhere?
Condition of reefs in Lesser Antilles - Grenadines, St Lucia, Dominica?
- Thread starter JillDives
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diverswifey
Contributor
Union Island, Mayreau and other areas in the Grenadines had very substantial damage from Hurricane Beryl last summer and are slowly, slowly recovering. Hubby, the diver, dove with Dive Bequia for a week in late November 2024 and we took a day trip (not diving) sailing to the Tobago Cays- we had been there back in 2017 and I loved Mayreau then and had wanted to spend a few days in Union for this last trip but most of the accommodations were still wiped out.
That itinerary sounds wonderful though- hope you will get some info.
That itinerary sounds wonderful though- hope you will get some info.
I stopped diving in the Caribbean a couple of years ago due to the condition of the reefs. Coral disease, dying reefs, multiples of hurricane damage especially since Maria and Irma in 2017 and 2019, lack of fish and color has overtaken many places in the Caribbean. IMO, the South Pacific has better diving than the Caribbean. If you're sailing with Ponant, you might consider Paul Gaugin in the South Pacific (Tahiti and other islands) and they are owned by Ponant now. PG has a dedicated onboard dive operation, and if you pick the right itinerary, you can dive at every island stop. The PG ship underwent an extensive rebuild in January 2025. If you have loyalty status with Ponant, PG will do a status match.
I can highly recommend Fiji, too.
I can highly recommend Fiji, too.
