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There's an old axiom that says if you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing no one. But when it comes to diverse dive attractions, stunning topside ecotourism and value for the dive dollar, Tobago manages to make just about everyone happy.
Everyone who knows about it, that is. Tobago has long been the near-exclusive playground of Europeans, grabbing just a few thousand North American divers a year. But diving this diverse--from shallow reefs, to deep pinnacles, to fast drift dives to big animal encounters--can't stay under wraps forever. The word is out, and more and more divers can point out Tobago on the Caribbean map and tell you with pride about their experience there.
The tourism infrastructure is growing and adapting more and more to North American standards and tastes, with a range of hotel options, dive amenities and topside diversions. But overdevelopment has been restrained--good news for an island where ecotourism comes naturally and even better news for divers seeking an island with true escape potential.
The Dive Report
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With the Caribbean Sea on its north shore and the Atlantic Ocean on its south, Tobago offers a variety of diving options:
Shallow Reefs and Walls
Often overlooked by divers in search of faster and deeper thrills, shallow sites range from coral gardens in sheltered coves to nearshore miniwalls. All are beginner-friendly and all feature healthy sponge and coral formations, an abundance of reef fish and calm water. One site--Speyside's Kelleston Drain--even features the Caribbean's largest brain coral.
Drift Dives
Tobago has been compared to a boulder in the middle of a swift river; in this case, the Guyana Current, which flows up along the South American coast and hits the island's Atlantic shore. The water then shoots around the northern and southern tips of the island. With an average top speed of about four knots, a typical Tobago drift dive offers safe excitement for divers of all skill levels.
Big Animal Encounters
Not too many years ago, manta rays were sighted so often they were dubbed Tobago Taxis. Manta encounters then became rare at many popular dive sites when too many overeager guests tried to hitch a ride on the winged animals. Don't worry--the mantas are still around, but they've moved. Riding mantas is now forbidden by Tobago dive operators, but you can watch the animals perform an acrobatic feeding ballet during night dives in Bloody Bay on the island's Caribbean shore.
Shark encounters are becoming more common on Tobago. A territorial school of hammerheads is reliably found swimming lazy figure-eights through the canyons of The Sisters on the Caribbean side. Reefs sharks are also commonly sighted at Flying Reef, a fast, current-swept dive on the southern Atlantic tip of Tobago.
Whale shark encounters are also becoming more common. From early spring to early fall, the gentle giants migrate through the pass between Tobago and the larger island of Trinidad. Three-tank day trips to remote Toco Reef often encounter the passing sharks, allowing divers the chance to snorkel with the biggest fish in the sea. Encounters are even more reliable when pilots from Tobago's new helicopter tour company radio in the location of whale shark families to the dive boat.
The Dive Drill
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Tobago diving has always had an adventurous feel to it. Most operators still use the wooden pirogues--nimble outboard boats of local design and construction that hold a small group of divers. You take only the gear and tanks you need for one dive. Divers roll off the boat at the same time and dive together as a group, particularly on drift dives. The divemaster carries a surface float and the boat follows to pick everyone up as they surface. The boat returns to shore for surface intervals and to pick up fresh tanks.
Pirogues have advantages and disadvantages. Their size limits the group to a small number of divers, and they don't need to anchor, which helps protect the reef. But while all members of the Association of Tobago Dive Operators (www.visittnt.com/?ToDo/Sport/scuba/operator-listing.html) carry radios and emergency equipment to ensure safety, the small boats obviously don't have the amenities of the larger, more modern dive boats a few operators are now using for longer runs to remote, unexplored sites.
Crown Point: Buccoo to Culloden
The bulk of the tourism growth in Tobago has occurred on the southwestern tip of the island and along the Caribbean coast to Culloden Bay. This is where the majority of nondiving tourists come to relax, lounge on picture-perfect beaches or enjoy topside activities that range from tennis and golf to ecotours and bird-watching.
For snorkelers, the big underwater attraction is the waist-deep, four-acre Buccoo Reef National Park. Divers can sample a number of shallow, calm reefs in the series of coves along the Caribbean coast, including Mt. Irvine, Courland, Arnos Vale and Culloden bays, as well as Tobago's newest dive, the Maverick, a former inter-island ferry turned artificial reef.
Experienced drift divers with a taste for speed can jet over the deep, alpine ridges of Diver's Dream and Diver's Thirst off the southern Caribbean coast. Both are part of a subsea plateau known as The Shallows that is swept by strong currents. Closer to shore, the shallow formations of Flying Reef run parallel to the airport's runway and can take many dives to explore. This end of the island is also a jumping-off point for trips to Toco Reef, a remote collection of dives in the passage between Tobago and Trinidad.
Crown Point Dive Sites
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Mt. Irvine Wall
Depth: 40 feet.
Skill Level: Novice.
Massive boulders from the shoreline cliffs of Mt. Irvine Bay have tumbled into the Caribbean to become encrusted condos for everything from tropical fish to moray eels and lobster. Bring a light to explore deep crevices. Currents are light, and the fish life is dense. Look for massive schools of silversides being chased by big tarpon.
Flying Reef
Depth: 25 to 65 feet.
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced.
Running parallel to the landing strip of Crown Point airport, this sloping bank of coral is swept by fast and strong westerly currents. Look for reef sharks among the usual fish suspects and duck into coral canyons to escape the current.
Culloden Bay
Depth: 25 to 80 feet.
Skill Level: Beginner.
This U-shaped reef follows the contour of the bay and both tips branch out into fingers of spur-and-groove coral. It's a coral-rich site with elkhorn branches stretching toward the surface atop coral ridges of brain, star, finger and leaf corals.
Speyside: Drift Diving Deluxe
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Speyside is one of those little island villages you dare to hope exists in the year 2001. With two dive-centered lodges and a handful of small restaurants, it offers all the comforts you need, while palm-lined beaches hidden in tiny coves and bays provide the solitude you want.
Speyside is located on the Atlantic side of the island's northern tip where the Guyana offshoot flows through a 250-foot-deep channel between the main island and Little Tobago. The channel is filled with an obstacle course of submerged reefs, pinnacles, small islands and exposed wash rock that create a maze of currents of varying size, speed and direction. Sites like Bookends, Flying Manta and Black Jack Hole are safe challenges for most experienced recreational divers on reef slopes of hard and soft corals.
There are are also gentle rides well-suited to beginners, like Japanese Gardens, a picturesque slope off Goat Island that's dominated by sea fans and colorful tube sponges and the reefs of Kelleston Drain.
Speyside Dive Sites
Japanese Gardens
Depth: 60 feet.
Skill Level: Novice.
A shallow sloping reef that begins at 30 feet and ends at 80, Japanese Gardens is dominated by waving fields of sea fans and groves of colorful tube and vase sponges.
Kelleston Drain
Depth: 30 to 50 feet.
Skill Level: Novice.
The entire reef is pretty, and the tropical fish are nice, but the real attraction to this dive is the Caribbean's (some say the world's) largest brain coral. Bring a camera and pose a diver next to this 12- by 16-foot living boulder for scale. Just keep your hands and fin tips off because it's still growing.
Bookends
Depth: 80 feet.
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced.
A rich, current-swept reef slope of hard and soft corals where big tarpon stand guard over a playground of blue tang, striped and French grunts, and creole wrasse.
Black Jack Hole
Depth: 20 to 70 feet.
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced.
Located on the exposed southern wing of Little Tobago, this reef is exposed to strong currents and choppy seas. Dive operators say a family of dolphins frequents this site.
Charlotteville: The Old Caribbean Experience
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Just over the central ridge of mountains from Speyside, Charlotteville is a hillside fishing village overlooking Man-of-War Bay. There are no hotels in Charlotteville, just a few guest houses and beachfront cottages for rent. No phones, no fax, no e-mails, just the quiet pace of life measured out one dive at a time.
From the protected waters of the bay, divers have easy access to the deeper exposed sites like the Sisters, and the famous London Bridge arch. Off the very northern tip of the island, the St. Giles Islands exist in the mixing zone of Atlantic and Caribbean currents where conditions are as unpredictable as the pelagic wildlife.
Charlotteville Dives
London Bridge
Depth: 110 feet.
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced.
This impressive natural rock arch rises from a depth of 110 feet. When conditions are right, divers can line up single-file to ride the surge through the center passage. If the conditions are too rough for the eye, drop down to 80 feet and ride the prevailing current through the encrusted canyons and rocky folds of the pinnacle base.
The Sisters
Depth: 130 feet.
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced.
During the right seasons and conditions, divers can now view circling packs of scalloped hammerhead sharks in the canyon-like crevices of this deepwater pinnacle. Even if the sharks aren't present, you'll often find mantas, barracuda or even schools of African pompano.
Topside Ecotourism
Come to Tobago to dive, but make time for topside activities too.
Take a Hike. Schedule an extra day for touring the dense rain forest of the Tobago Forest Reserve. Originally set aside in 1780, it's the first such preserve ever created in the Western Hemisphere.
Watch the Water Fall. Heavy rainfall flows out of the jungle and down the steep hills--and that means waterfalls. There are several on Tobago--the prettiest and easiest to tour is Argyle Falls.
Look for Birds. Bird-watching is a popular activity in the jungle of Tobago, and the island boasts more than 210 different species. From Speyside, pack a lunch and spend a day touring Little Tobago. The uninhabited island off Speyside is a bird sanctuary and offers isolated beaches and easy hiking trails.
Hit the Links. In the Crown Point region, the Mt. Irvine golf course overlooks the bay and dive site of the same name. A new Hilton hotel is also finishing its own 18-hole PGA course.
Hit the Beach. The Kariwak Beach complex offers parking, picnic and restroom facilities. Spend the day here, and you'll find live music, beach games and a chance to mix with locals. Beachfront resorts also offer a full range of water toys, from waverunners to kayaks.
Take to the Sky. Helicopter tours, which depart from the Crown Point airport, may be a bit expensive, but the aerial shots are worth it.
Tobago Dive Savvy
- Look for shops that are members of the Association of Tobago Dive Operators, which are required to have marine radios and emergency oxygen and to provide surface signaling devices for all divers in case of emergencies. ATDO members also adhere to standards designed to protect the marine environment.
- The average Tobago dive shop is little more than a check-in counter and a compressor room. Don't expect a gleaming retail store with lots of replacement gear or overstocked rental gear lockers. If you have your own gear, bring it, including spare parts and save-a-dive kits, as well as dive lights and cyalume sticks for night diving.
- While the current does all the heavy work for you, be prepared to swim--hard--when necessary. Some advanced dives may be influenced by cross or counter currents that require short bursts of intense finning. If a dive involves swimming into or against currents, make sure you and your fins are up to the exertion.
Dive In: Tobago
Getting There: There are few direct flights from U.S. cities to Tobago. To get here, most travelers first fly into Trinidad on BWIA (800-538-2942; www.bwee.com) or American Airlines (800-433-7300; www.aa.com). BWIA's sister carrier, Tobago Express, offers regularly scheduled flights from Trinidad to Tobago. Depending on your flight schedule, you may have to overnight in Trinidad on the way in.
Getting Around: Taxis and rental cars are available.
Water Conditions: Average year-round water temperature is 78F. Most divers will be fine in a 3mm wetsuit, but cold-natured folks might want a 5mm/3mm combo to keep the chill at bay. Average visibility is 60 to 80 feet, thanks to an abundance of plankton that keeps the reefs healthy and well-fed and that attract manta rays.
Language: English, but with peculiar Tobagonian quirks and phrases that sometimes confuse nonislanders.
Money Matters: The Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) floats against other currencies and at press time was valued at TT$6.29 to US$1. Credit cards are accepted at hotels and dive shops, but most other transactions are in cash.
Time: Trinidad and Tobago are one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
Phones: The area code for the islands is 868.
Documents: U.S. and Canadian residents will need a passport and a return ticket. There is a TT$100 departure tax.
Health Matters: Food and treated tap water are generally safe to drink, but travelers with sensitive stomachs should stick to bottled water.
Electricity: May be 110 or 220 volts, so check before you plug in any U.S. appliances.
For More Information: Call the Tourism and Industrial Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago, (868) 623-1932.
Just In Case: A recompression chamber is in Roxborough. Staffed by volunteer divemasters, firefighters and nurses, it is on call 24 hours a day.
Drift Diving Tips and Techniques
- Streamline. Leave extra gear behind and tuck in all gauges and hoses that might create drag.
- Get Down Fast. Drift diving requires that everyone stay within sight of the divemaster, who will carry a surface marker for the boat to follow. Be ready to make a fast descent. If you have trouble clearing your ears, practice equalizing on your way to the dive site to help open air passages. Another tip for sinking fast: vent all the air from your BC before entering the water and as you descend.
- Stay in Trim. Pinpoint buoyancy control will help you maneuver in currents and perform drifting safety stops without a mooring or anchor line to hold onto. You can ascend the drift marker line as a reference, but you can't use it to offset negative or positive buoyancy.
- Bring Signaling Devices. An inflatable safety sausage and a dive horn or whistle are good precautions in case you get separated from the group.
Diver to Diver: Tobago Trip Reports
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From the Diver to Diver message board at www.scubadiving.com, here are two reviews of Tobago's famous Flying Reef.
Flying Sharks, by pjm
"Day one took us out to the Atlantic side and a fun dive known as Flying Reef. This reef has a strong current, healthy coral growth, and plenty of fish. At a maximum depth of only 48 feet, we had plenty of bottom time to enjoy the show. In our briefing, the divemaster told us that reef sharks had been frequenting Flying Reef of late and we should keep our eyes peeled for dorsal fins. Sure enough, less than two minutes into the dive, two large reef sharks cruised across our path and darted off into the blue ... "
More Flying Sharks, by Deja
"Next it was off to Flying Reef, a great wall-type reef that we would return to many times during the week. This reef goes on forever and is impossible to cover in even three or four dives. There were all sorts of animals living here. Morays were everywhere, big French angels patrolled just off the reef in the sand, several sharks were spotted and even a friendly turtle ..."
Reader Comments: Tobago
"The drift diving was great, with 3- to 4-knot currents, sloping walls and nurse sharks, turtles, eels and large tropicals in abundance." - B.N., Yarmouth Port, Mass.
"Tobago is a lovely island with very friendly people." - P.M., Dover, Del.
"The island was not too touristy, which made it a nice getaway from the U.S." - A.C., New York, N.Y.
