Tobago or Turks & Caicos?

[Bren Keller]

Heading to either Tobago or T&C soon. Our biggest concern is Lionfish. We went to Aruba last Oct. and reefs were barren. Lionfish everywhere. Has anyone been diving on either of these islands that can tell me if there's any fish left? Thanks!

 

[Malpaso]

My LDS just did a trip to Providenciales. There is plenty of underwater life. I'm heading there 8/3.

 

[phoenix31tt]

lionfish haven't really invaded Tobago yet...

Caught a couple juveniles a few weeks ago, but they haven't been much of a bother... yet

can't compare it to T&C but the sealife in Tobago is still great

 

[mikeycanuk]

French Cay/West Caicos has lots of Lionfish but lots of fish too. They had to stop spearing them as they initially thought feeding the sharks dead lionfish was a good idea. After a while they went after the fish in bags and I was told one took the bag right as the diver climbed up the ladder! Funny how the local fisherman don't get the blame for no fish! Saw plenty of evidence of that in Barbados, or lack thereof, there were no fish but lots of fish pots.

There is always Grand Turk for shorter boat rides (5-10mins vs hours in Provo)

Never been to Tobago.

 

[Doc]

Lion fish? I can't say, but deciding between TC and Tobago is like black or white, chocolate or strawberry... Two absolutely distinct diving environments.

TC is a good representation of what you might expect in the Caribbean, commodious boats and easy diving. Tobago, at least the Northern end (which is the real reason to struggle thru getting there), is a major roller coaster ride in current. It makes Cozumel feel like a Summer breeze.

I have taken many dive groups there in preparation for upcoming SoPac and Galapagos trips. The North end boats are a real education towards the Spartan end of the comparative dive boat scale.

North end Tobago diving was never known for cute little pretty fish, so there really isn't much draw for Lion fish which seek extremely calm waters and hidey holes.

If you are looking at Tobago in terms of South end (Bucoo Reef, etc), that's a calmer environment. As an additional note, do not believe the South end dive ops that advertise that they will run you up to the North end. It's quite a hump and you'll regret it after having your fillings come loose.

Less lion fish as a criteria is a fools errand at this point. They are everywhere. Some resort dive ops have made a concerted effort to cull them, but the effect is transitory- they're back in days. We only see the little guys at our recreational depth... You should see the big masses of them at 200+ feet.

They are everywhere and they are here to stay until natural forces make a correction... Then they will diminish, but never ever will they disappear.

if you are also planning this as another October trip, I would be way more concerned about the Hurricane season.

 

[Bren Keller]

Thanks Doc. I actually volunteer for a lionfish elimination company, so believe me, I know how bad they are at 200+. They are the size of footballs. Still, I was hoping for a little respite in the Caribbean where I don't have to think about my 'job'. Practically everywhere I go they are wiping out the reefs. Just got back from the Society islands in the S. Pacific; the corals have been wiped out by Crown of Thorns. Go figure. Nothing is safe anymore We were thinking of our next personal vacay trip in April to either T&C or Tobago... No worries about hurricanes then. Thans for the info.

---------- Post added July 24th, 2013 at 12:07 AM ----------

Thanks Mikey. That's a great story!

---------- Post added July 24th, 2013 at 12:08 AM ----------

Phoenix, do you recommend a dive shop? Sounds like I want to stay away from the North end....thanks!

---------- Post added July 24th, 2013 at 12:09 AM ----------

Let me know how your trip go Mal. Are you doing the Aggressor II or land based resort?

 

[Carlos Danger]

Heading to either Tobago or T&C soon. Our biggest concern is Lionfish. We went to Aruba last Oct. and reefs were barren. Lionfish everywhere. Has anyone been diving on either of these islands that can tell me if there's any fish left? Thanks!

Have not been to Tobago, but my TCI trip was awesome. The diving in Grand Turk is excellent, but there isn't really much else to do there. Provo, on the other hand, is spread out, commercial, and the diving is more expensive because of the travel involved. The video link in my signature below was shot on this trip, might give you some idea of what to expect. I would recommend splitting the trip in half. Spend the first half on Grand Turk and stay at the Osprey Beach Hotel, dive with Blue Water Divers. Fly back to Provo for the second half and stay in the Grace Bay area and dive with Caicos Adventures. It's like two dive trips in one. We did see some Lionfish (see video), but the reef life seemed very healthy at the time.

Hope this helps

 

[Malpaso]

Let me know how your trip go Mal. Are you doing the Aggressor II or land based resort?

Land based, diving three days with Dive Provo.

 

[phoenix31tt]

85% of dives in Tobago are drifts, but they range from easy to ripping... it also depends on the time of year so no worries the dive shop will advise accordingly...

shops i recommend:

if you're staying anywhere close to the airport (crown point) then

Undersea Tobago

if you're going to be closer to speyside/charlottville (east/north east) you can check:

Blue Waters Inn

 

[Bren Keller]

Have not been to Tobago, but my TCI trip was awesome. The diving in Grand Turk is excellent, but there isn't really much else to do there. Provo, on the other hand, is spread out, commercial, and the diving is more expensive because of the travel involved. The video link in my signature below was shot on this trip, might give you some idea of what to expect. I would recommend splitting the trip in half. Spend the first half on Grand Turk and stay at the Osprey Beach Hotel, dive with Blue Water Divers. Fly back to Provo for the second half and stay in the Grace Bay area and dive with Caicos Adventures. It's like two dive trips in one. We did see some Lionfish (see video), but the reefs seemed very health at the time.

Hope this helps

Hi Mal, thanks for the video link. It was beautiful. Sharks, manta, dolphins, what else could a diver ask for??? Awesome!