Most dives focus on the big ticket items. It's easy to get caught up in the multi-colored drama of huge schools of brilliant reef fish, gigantic purple sea fans, not to mention entire shipwrecks encrusted with coral, along with sharks, sea turtles, and the occasional dolphin sightings.
But those who scuba dive in St. Vincent with Bill Tewes will find a whole different world when they , explore the nooks and crannies in sea-grass beds, under rocks, or in a tiny hole in the sand. This is the realm of what Tewes, who owns Dive St. Vincent, calls "critters," creatures like sea horses, shrimp, clams, and jaw fish. It's its own miniature universe of fascinating marine life that is often overlooked on traditional dives.
Dive St. Vincent is located a few minutes from downtown Kingstown, and a five minute boat away from Young Island Resort.
Critters To Look For When SCUBA Diving in St. Vincent
Tewes can't exactly predict what divers will see on a critter dive. Light conditions, wave action, currents, tides, and water temperature all affect who is hanging out where. Among the possibilities (and this is only a partial list): sea plumes, sea whips, sea fans, sea snakes, sea horses, gorgonians, red banded lobster, fingerprint flamingo tongues, frog fish, clams, crabs, a variety of shrimp in their anemones, peacock flounders, brotula, pikeblennies, flying gurnards, box crabs, yellowface pike blenny, flying gunards, cardinal fish, and a species of blue bar jaw fish that moved up to St. Vincent from Brazil, traveling on the Gulf Stream. Tewes carries a pointer, an underwater slate and a marker, so he can point to and identify each creature. He also writes down interesting facts, and hands over creatures that are safe to touch.
St. Vincent SCUBA Sites for Critter Diving
Tewes typically goes to about a dozen dive sites, most on the leeward side of the St. Vincent. The sites range from 20 to 120 feet deep, and include sea-grass beds, reefs, and "muck" diving (where some of the strangest and most interesting creatures are found). There are a number of shallow dives, which are ideal for critter diving: Not only do they allow for longer bottom times, but the light at shallow depths is better for photography.
The seas on the leeward side are typically calm, visibility is excellent, and water temperatures are warm - about 85 degrees Fahrenheit, making wetsuits optional. Good buoyancy control is important, as stirring up the ground decreases visibility and sends sea creatures scurrying.
Underwater Photography for St. Vincent Critter Divers
Tewes is known as an underwater photographer, and divers interested in underwater photography should talk to him about what they want to shoot, because chances are he knows where to find it and how to shoot it. Five of his photos were used on special collectors government issue stamps - and a photograph of Bill himself is on a postage stamp for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In fact, that's what he "stamps" his guests' logbooks with after the dive!
Karen Berger - Karen Berger is the author of 15 books. Please click on her name to read her full bio.
