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St Helena is a year-round destination with a sub-tropical temperate climate. Temperature remains warm for most of the year, ranging from 15 – 30ºC. For such a small island, the variation across locations can be quite dramatic; it can be hot and sunny in the capital of Jamestown, but much cooler and misty in the island’s elevated interior.
Home to a number of endemic species and a very special whale shark aggregation, the crystal clear waters of St Helena are home to a rich and diverse marine habitat, undisturbed by all but the lightest touch of human endeavour.
A dive along the shores of this most fascinating volcanic island is an absolute delight - the nearest other divers in the water are almost 1,000 miles away, and the only sound you might hear is the sound of your own bubbles, and the humpback whales singing in the distance.
More than 1,200 miles into the South Atlantic, and until very recently, a five-day voyage from Cape Town, St Helena is one of the most remote inhabited islands. This British Overseas Territory has evolved in quiet isolation away from the rest of the world.
The flora, the fauna, even the people and their language are among the most unique you will ever hope to find.
St Helena is one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands, some 1,200 miles into the southern Atlantic Ocean from the African continent. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1502 and settled by the British in 1659, it once provided an important stopover for shipping on the trade routes from the east, but nowadays is trying to come to terms with life in the modern world.
More widely known as the home in exile of Napoleon Bonaparte, this British Overseas territory has much more to offer than a sliver of history. It is an idyllic sub-tropical paradise full of the most vibrant and diverse landscapes imaginable, all on a volcanic island less than 10 miles across.
Needless to say, the unblemished waters of the island, where marine life has evolved in quiet isolation, offers some very special diving. Since scuba diving first arrived on the island in 1962 only a few hundred people have ever had the opportunity to explore these truly pristine sites.
The diving around St Helena is placid and beautiful. Although the island is swept by strong South Atlantic currents, much of the diving is in the sheltered lee of the island and can be enjoyed by recreational divers of all experience levels. The absence of mass tourism means the only other people in the ocean may be several thousand miles away, and there's little chance of bumping into anything other than the splendid array of wildlife that the island's waters have to offer.
Until October 2017, the only route to St Helena was a five-day voyage from Cape Town, South Africa, aboard the RMS St Helena, a working Royal Mail Ship that ferried islanders, tourists and fresh supplies to and from the island every three weeks. The much-loved ship was phased out in early 2018, however commercial air services run weekly from Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa via Windhoek in Namibia. A full list of pricing and information can be found on Airlink's website, or take a look at some of the itineraries available from dedicated dive travel specialists
With the advent of a weekly commercial air service to the island in 2017, St Helena has become much more accessible for visitors.
Much of the diving around St Helena is along the north-western facing coast from James Bay, which is sheltered from the prevailing Atlantic currents and diving can be conducted on almost every day of the year, subject to weather conditions. Dive sites in this area are along the shore where the currents are mostly slight, although they can pick up when you get a little further offshore at sights such as the wreck of the RFA Darkdale.
Sites further afield such as Speery Island around the south-western tip of St Helena, or Barn Ledge around the northernmost point of the island can be subject to much stronger currents due to their location, but marine life is more plentiful and they are regularly dived when conditions are good. Large swells occasionally roll in from the open ocean (it is the south Atlantic, after all), although the surge is mostly annoying, rather than dangerous.
Water temperature throughout the year varies between 20 - 28ºC and all the diving is conducted from either RIBs or small boats.
There are two dive operators on St Helena, Sub-Tropic Adventures run by Anthony Thomas, and Into the Blue run by Craig Yon. There is no physical dive centre on the island, however, Anthony or Craig will pick you up from your accommodation if it's not in Jamestown. Equipment and tanks are transferred to James Bay wharf by truck, where gear is assembled on the jetty steps prior to boarding.
Available Dive Sites :
Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) are among three of the species that frequent St Helena's waters (Photo: Paul Tyson)
Depth: Average 11m, Max 18m
Description and key features: A great easy dive which starts to the west of Lemon Valley going around the point (deepest part at 18m) and up into the valley where it gradually gets shallower up to 6m. The area has a sandy bottom which makes it a very good site for novice divers.
Diving Ability Level Open Water +
Difficulty Easy
Current Usually slack
Marine Life Possible seasonal devil rays, seasonal ocean triggerfish breeding, you can occasionally hear dolphins
The caves and overhangs of Long Ledge are great for swim-throughs and finding the endemic orange cup coral
Depth: Average 10-15m, Max 20m
Cave with large entrance and a smaller entrance with skylight. Effectively a wall dive with a sandy bottom. Long Ledge to Billy Mays' Revenge is identified as an area with the some of the highest biodiversity and abundance of species on the island and is a proposed Marine Biological Reserve.
Diving Ability Level Open Water +
Difficulty Easy
Current: Mild
Marine Life Seasonal nudibranchs, razor fish, devil rays (seasonal), endemic orange cup coral and highly delicate rose lace gorgonian (careful diving required) in caves, long legs crayfish on wreck
Night dives Slipper Lobster, long legs crayfish, octopus, anemones
Additional Features Highly diverse area; cave/swim-though, great night dive
The hedgehog butterflyfish (Prognathodes dichrous) seen here at Billy May's Revenge (photo: Marine Section SHG)
Depth: Average 15m, Max 25m
For more advanced divers a deeper reef (going down from 18m to 25m) can be explored. Lots of large boulders and crevices for smaller things to hide in. Long Ledge to Billy Mays Revenge is identified as an area with the some of the highest biodiversity and abundance of species on the island and is a proposed Marine Biological Reserve.
Diving Ability Level Open Water +
Difficulty Easy
Current Usually slack
Marine Life Devil rays, cleaner shrimp, highly diverse area
Chilean devil rays (Mobula tarapacana) are friendly and inquisitive critters commonly spotted around St Helena
Depth: Average 14m, Max 25m
Description and key features: Lighter Rock is an outcrop where just the very tip of the structure sticks out above the water. The outcrop is connected to the main land at Cat Island with a shallow ledge averaging 10m. We generally follow the ledge out on one side go around Lighter Rock itself and back along the opposite side of the ledge. The dive can be made shorter and shallower (18m max) by crossing over the ledge at the base of Lighter Rock. There is a 15m long 2m high swim through close to Cat Island.
Diving Ability Level Open Water +
Difficulty Medium
Current Light, but can be stronger
Marine Life Possible seasonal devil rays, endemic orange cup coral and highly delicate rose lace gorgonian in caves (careful diving required), long legs crayfish
Additional Features Swim-through
Brown spiny lobsters (Panulis echinatus), known locally as 'long legs' frequent the cracks and crevices of Bennett's Point (Photo: Sub-tropic Adventures)
Depth: Average 12m, Max 24m
Easy dive around the point. A cave near the start and some overhangs, Mixture of terrain, varied habitats. Archway around the point and swim-through at the end in shallow water 6m, good area for safety stop.
Diving Ability Level: Open Water +
Difficulty: Easy
Current: Usually mild
Marine Life: Good place for longlegs (brown spiny lobsters) and seasonal nudibranchs, orange cup coral in the cave and overhangs. Black triggerfish often seen here
Egg Island is home to one of the world's most sought-after tropical fish, the flameback angelfish (Centropyge aurantonotus)
Depth: Average 15-20m, Max 30m
Wall of Egg Island. Usually, you dive on the NE side but it is possible for advanced divers to dive on the SW side and around the point, in the right conditions. Dive tends to start deeper and finish in 6-10m; a very healthy dive profile!
Diving Ability Level Open Water +, Advanced Open Water preferable
Difficulty Easy
Current Gentle, but can be significant surge in shallow water depending on sea conditions
Marine Life Flameback angelfish, nudibranchs (seasonal), devil rays, (seasonal), various jacks and larger fish
The nooks and crannies between the boulders of Thompson's Valley Island are great places to spot moray eels
Depth: Average 12m, Max 20m
A small island close to the most south westerly point of the island. Typically the island is circumnavigated on a dive starting at the shallowest point closest to land. The dive consists of large boulders and bedrock which gives plenty of places for creatures to hide. Some of the gaps between boulders are big enough to swim through.
Diving Ability Level: Open Water +
Difficulty: Easy
Current: Mild
Marine Life: crabs, longlegs and red lobsters hiding in the cracks between the rocks, morays often found here, devil rays often spotted around the island.
Larger pelagic predators such as the wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) are commonly spotted at Torm Ledge (photo: Paul Tyson)
Depth: Average 18m, Max 35m
Torm Ledge is small sea mount just to the north of South West point. It has a series of mounts and ridges running from the sea bed at 35m with the shallowest part being 12m. The mount is covered with life and is a good place to spot pelagic species and larger predators (cavalley, tuna, rainbow runners).
Diving Ability Level Open Water +, Advanced Open Water preferable
Difficulty Medium
Current Can be strong due to location; only dived in suitable conditions
Marine Life Flameback angelfish, whale sharks (seasonal), larger fish
Barn Ledge is a great place to see whale sharks when they are in season (Photo: Sub-Tropic Adventures)
Depth: Average 14m, Max 35m
Barn ledge or cap is a small sea mount offshore north east of the barn with a flat top at 12m but extends down to the seabed at approximately 50m. Normally dived to a maximum of 25m following the slopes and drop-offs around the cap. This is an excellent site for seeing large pelagic species.
Diving Ability Level Open Water +, Advanced Open Water preferable
Difficulty Medium - Hard
Current Frequently strong due to location; only dived in suitable conditions. Being swept off the cap is a real possibility.
Marine Life Jack species and larger fish, large group of St Helena butterflyfish possible, whale sharks (seasonal)
Nudibranchs are a seasonal favourite at Buoy's Hole
Depth: Average 11m, Max 20m
A sheltered location on the north of the island. The site is a large ridge which runs north to south extending 40m or so underwater. Along the end of the ridge there large hole (hence the name) with a rock archway passing above it. The site also boasts a small cave network with four entrances/exits, care must be taken in the cave due to the highly delicate fan coral that thrives there.
Diving Ability Level Open Water +
Difficulty Easy
Current Usually slight
Marine Life
Buoy's Hole: High level of biodiversity, bornella and tambja nudibranchs (seasonal),
Cavalley: Endemic orange cup coral and highly delicate rose lace gorgonian in caves (careful diving required)
Night dives Slipper lobster, long legs crayfish, octopus, anemones
Additional Features Cave/swim-through, great night dive
The lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) is quite rare but is often spotted at Buoys Hole (Photo: Marine Section SHG)
Depth: Average 15m, Max 28m
Description and key features: Sugar Loaf point is the most northerly point on the island. We start the dive in approximately 18m of water from where it drops down to 28m via a series of ledges, the walls of which are covered in life. At 28m there is mount which can be explored before following the ledge at 18m around to Sugar Loaf crack. The crack is a v shaped valley between the shore and an outcrop.
Diving Ability Level Open Water +, Advanced Open Water preferable
Difficulty Medium
Current Can be strong due to location; only dived in suitable conditions
Marine Life Rare: sea horse, Long Legs Crayfish, Cavalley Jacks
Additional Features None
There is a great deal of ‘up’ on St Helena, and also a lot of ‘down’. Therefore a car is often one of the best ways to get around. There is an excellent taxi service on the island, but you should book in advance to ensure availability. Some of the operators also take guided tours of St Helena. There is a local bus service but the schedule revolves around the local working day and services vary from three a day to three a week on some less busy routes. If you’re dead set on independence or planning a longer stay on the island, cars can be rented from around £15 a day, but you need to be a competent driver. There are narrow roads, steep-sided slopes and extremely tight hairpins. However, other road users are faced with the same predicaments and are (mostly) courteous. Fuel is priced similarly to the UK.
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