Diving the Golden Rock Reef

The waters around St Eustatius are a marine park and among the least-dived in the Caribbean, which means the reef is in excellent condition. The marine park encompasses the entire island, with visibility regularly exceeding 30 metres. The dives range from shallow coral gardens to walls dropping to 30 metres or more, with a collection of 18th-century anchors, cannon, and shipwrecks on the sandy bottom that amounts to an underwater museum.

The Golden Rock reef, on the northern side of the island, is one of the best-known dive sites — named for the island's former golden reputation. Two dive operators on the island run regular trips, and the combination of uncrowded conditions, rich marine life, and historical artefacts makes Statia a genuine divers' destination rather than just an island that happens to have a dive shop. Snorkelling in the shallower areas around the old Oranje Bay waterfront also turns up interesting finds.

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A story
When the Dutch and British fought over Statia repeatedly in the 18th century, ships were sunk in the harbour and goods thrown overboard to prevent capture. The seabed around Statia is littered with the physical evidence of this — anchors, cannon, ballast stones, and the scattered remains of warehouses that stood at the waterline. The Golden Rock African Burial Ground was discovered on what is now dry land near the airport; the underwater equivalent of this kind of archaeological deposit extends all around the island's coast.

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