In early October 2024 I made my annual trip to the island of Saba to scuba dive and participate in the Sea & Learn event. The diving was great, I did 36 dives in two weeks. Sea & Learn was as good as ever with many great presenters and field projects.
When ever I mention Saba to anybody their typical response is “Where’s that?”. Saba is a small island in the middle of the Caribbean just 30 miles south of St. Maartin. Not many have heard of Saba since there are no real beaches and not on the list of well known tourist destinations. Saba is a little hard to get to, accessible only by one or two occasional ferries and a single airline that must land on the shortest commercial runway in the world. The pilots must have special qualifications to even land on Saba. But, once you do go there, you’ll be back as the island is truly special. The diving is world class and the natural environment is spectacular. This tiny five square mile island has a 3000 foot inactive volcano mount comprising seven unique environments from tropical seashore up to elfin forest with miles of really cool trails!
The diving is unique due to the surrounding volcanic formations. The reefs on the leeward side (west) grow on top of ancient lava flows while the reefs on the windward side are biologic, growing on top of ancient coral skeletons. The sea mounts a little off shore offer divers quite another experience. There are several of these around Saba and they call them The Pinnacles. The top of most of the pinnacles are at about 80 feet and go down to around 200 to 300 feet. The pinnacle named The Needle is a whole other adventure. These three distinct types of reef; geologic, biologic, and offshore pinnacles; offer a vast variety of sea life and terrain to explore.
The Sea & Learn event on Saba is every year for the whole month of October. Experts in fields that pertain to Saba, our oceans, and the environment are invited to do marine and terrestrial field projects (think citizen science) and give presentations. I like to do the marine field projects. We go out on the dive boat and help the scientist do experiments or gather data. I’ve helped count dusky damselfish, surveyed queen chunk, observed sponges breathing, and countless others. The presentations are in the evening at one of the many great restaurants. You grab a beverage and get up close and personal with the presenters. I’ve learned about all sorts of sea life, land life, geology, volcanism, climate, all sorts of things. I go every year. I know of nothing else like Sea & Learn anywhere in the world. Oh, by the way, it’s free!
It’s a small island, so the scientists are in the same resorts as guests and you run in to them in the restaurants and stores. I’ve had many great conversations over breakfast, dinner, or beers. Where else would you get to chat with the director of the World Whale Shark Institute in Madagascar or Paul Human the fish ID guru?
The wonderful woman that started Sea & Learn, Lynn Costenaro, was inducted into the Women’s Divers Wall of Fame for her efforts. From Faces of Saba: “Lynn Costenaro is a passionate environmental advocate who has made a significant impact on the island of Saba though her work with the Sea and Learn Foundation. With a deep love for the island’s unique ecosystem and cultural heritage, Lynn strives to educate and inspire both the local community and tourists about the importance of preserving Saba’s natural beauty and ensuring that the beauty is preserved for future generations”. Check it out at:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17st3jxwuW
Hope to see you there!
The Blog of Tim Schmitz 
Leave a comment