Chacachacare Island Reef
Dive site
A deserted island with an abandoned leper colony on the surface and one of Trinidad's best reef systems below. Caribbean reef sharks patrol the outer reef slope in numbers — four or five individuals on a single dive is normal. The reef is in remarkable condition given the absence of local fishing: large parrotfish have grazed enough algae to keep coral recruitment strong, and brain coral colonies here are some of the oldest and largest in the southern Caribbean. Green turtles nest on the beaches above; hawksbills feed on the reef below. The island's protected status means access requires a permit, which keeps pressure minimal.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 28 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
10 to 18 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
23 to 29°C
Tropical wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 |
| Vis (m) | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Caribbean reef shark
Photo: Rafi Amar · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Green sea turtle
Photo: MARC MARTIN SOLA · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Hawksbill sea turtle
Photo: Kevin Bryant · CC BY-NC-SA
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Queen parrotfish
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Spotted drum
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Field journal
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