Pigeon Island

Those of you who know us, will know that we like to dive. We have our own gear on board, so, when able, to we like to head off to a dive site and explore the world below the waves. Pigeon Island, on the west coast of Guadeloupe, was a ‘not to be missed’ stop.

As a child, I had often watched Jacques Cousteau and his underwater adventures on board the Calypso, but had never dreamed that one day I would follow in his footsteps. The marine park at Pigeon Island owes its origin to the great man himself. It was off these islands, at the end of 1959, that Cousteau and his team tested one of the first underwater exploration vehicles with portholes. Whilst there, they took time to dive into the clear waters surrounding the islands. They found a place of rare beauty and, concerned  about its fragility, Cousteau asked that this underwater paradise be protected. As a marine park, there are strict rules about the use of the area, including no fishing or anchoring within the park boundaries.

We anchored off the mainland and were a dinghy ride from numerous dive sites.

The sites in the area are varied and there is a site for everyone irrespective of ability: shallow sandy shores, step rocky drop offs, coral gardens and even a wreck. A week of daily diving with surprises on every trip – best find was a sea horse!