Dive into Nevis History

Scuba Safaris, the only certified dive facility in Nevis, is putting the island on the Caribbean dive map with their new commemorative offshore diving experience to the largely unexplored Christena Ferry site, located between St. Kitts and Nevis.

“The Christena, a local ferry servicing St. Kitts and Nevis, sunk to the ocean floor on 1 August, 1970, taking the lives of 236 passengers. The tragedy is a big part of Nevisian history and it’s important that visitors know what a powerful effect it had on the island,” said Ellis Chaderton, Scuba Safaris owner/operator.

“While wreck diving is always a unique experience for divers, we’re confident the Christena dive will become one of the most well-known sites in the Caribbean not only for its history, but for its beauty and variety of sea life.”

In a collaborative effort, Scuba Safaris and Oualie Beach Resort, which are both located on Oualie Beach, have minted and are selling silver ($50 USD or approx. ?35) and bronze ($20 USD or approx. ?14) collective coins aimed at establishing and maintaining a protected underwater sanctuary surrounding the vessel. In addition to the Christena Memorial Dive, St. Kitts and Nevis offer a wealth of historical dive options as more than 400 ships sank off the shores between 1493 and 1825. However, only a dozen have been identified.

Scuba Safaris offers daily one- and two-tank dives to relatively new, untouched dive sites for divers of all levels including Monkey Shoals, a two square mile reef; Devil’s Caves, where divers can navigate through deep caverns and overhangs; and the Thermal Vents, where water as hot as 100F fizzes up from the island’s dormant volcano.

Underwater explorers can take advantage of being on the beach for early morning dives by staying at Oualie Beach Resort, a classic Caribbean hotel featuring charming guestrooms, a beachfront bar with tables in the sand and live music twice a week. Oualie is now offering a special dive package priced at $1,269 USD (approx. ?881) per diver, including taxes and gratuity, with accommodations for seven nights, breakfast daily and five daily two-tank dives. For reservations, visit oualiebeach.com.

Hotel dive packages are also available at Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, The Hermitage Plantation Inn, Mount Nevis Hotel and Firefly Cottages. See scubanevis.com for details.

Scuba Safaris also recently launched complimentary Discover Scuba Diving Pool Dives for visitors interested in dive lessons. Pool courses are available at The Hermitage Plantation Inn by appointment and Nisbet Plantation Beach Club every Tuesday at 11 a.m.

The island of Nevis is located in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies archipelago. This tiny jewel is just eight miles long and six miles wide, yet it has a natural beauty that is unparalleled. Lord Horatio Nelson used Nevis as a base of operations in the mid-1780s and married a Nevisian, Frances Nisbet in 1787. Nevis continued to be part of the British colonial holdings until 1983, at which time it gained independence, and still exhibits the British influence today, with traditional afternoon tea and driving on the left side of the road.

Its green foothills support tropical rainforests, secluded valleys, historic plantations and the remains of sugarcane fields while its turquoise waters lap palm-fringed beaches. For more information about the island of Nevis, see Nevisisland.com.