CaribSeek Kaleidoscope | Saba's Underwater Marvels by Tom van 't Hof

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		Saba emerged from the deep blue ocean some 500,000 years ago. For a long time its steep slopes looked inaccessible and inhospitable. The 872 m (2885 ft) high Mt. Scenery was a beacon to many a seafarer, but invited only a few for a stay or a closer inspection. The narrow shelf that provides an anchorage in the lee
Hawksbill Turtle		of the island was treacherous because of whirling

winds, and because of unpredictable ground swells in winter.

How things have changed! Adventurous entrepreneurs discovered the riches of Saba's underwater world and started small diving businesses. While those entrepreneurs deserve much credit, it appears that the establishment of the Saba Marine Park around the mid eighties gave a tremendous boost to the development of the diving industry which was soon to become one of the main economic pillars of tourism in Saba. By 1994, visitors to the Saba Marine Park contributed close to US $2 million per year in revenues to the local economy. What is it that brings these people to the island?

First and foremost, it is the quality of the marine environment, the healthy coral communities, and the rich and varied fish life. Coral diseases are uncommon, nor has wide-spread coral bleaching occurred on Saba. The quality of the services provided by the commercial operators is excellent and their safety standards are high. But perhaps it is especially the combination of the quality of the marine environment and the services with other features, such as the people, the scenery and the peaceful atmosphere, that draws those people to Saba.

Different types of coral communities manifest themselves around Saba. The most common is usually referred to as coral-encrusted rocks and boulders. These are volcanic rocks and boulders that became encrusted with hard and soft corals, hydroids, sponges and algae. At several locations coral growth is so prolific that these boulders have been fused by coral and developed into a labyrinth of tunnels and galleries.

True reefs, structures formed entirely by the skeletons of living organisms, are limited to a few locations in deeper water. Saba is located in the hurricane belt and periodic hurricanes and tropical storms are clearly a limiting factor to reef development in shallow water. Sediments washed down from the steep slopes during heavy rains or stirred up during winter swells also represent a limiting factor to reef development. Saba's coral communities and reefs are in fact the result of a dynamic equilibrium between coral reef development and the limitations imposed on such development by natural factors such as periodic hurricanes, swells and sediments. In the Giles Quarter area along the south coast, the shelf is sufficiently wide so that a true reef could develop at depths averaging 25 m (80 ft), beyond the destructive forces of storms and swells.

The Nature of Saba

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		The pinnacles may well be the most intriguing features of Saba's marine environment. They are located offshore and rise from the ocean floor up to depths of 30 m (100 ft). Remnants of past volcanic activity and perhaps shaped by erosion during lower sea levels, they lace the sides of sea mounts or just stand tall individually. Whatever their size or location, they are richly covered with corals, sponges and other invertebrates, and they attract a host
The Torrens Point and Diamond Rock		of large groupers, snappers, jacks, rays, sharks and turtles.

"Man of War Shoals" and "Diamond Rock" appear to be submerged and semi-submerged extensions of the Torrens Point headland. They are quite popular with divers because the depths do not exceed 25 m (80 ft), they are each easily circumnavigated within the time span of a single dive, and because the fish life around them is spectacular. Schools of Horse-eye jacks, Barracuda, Sting rays, Black-tip sharks, and turtles are all common
encounters here. Tent Reef just west of the harbor at Fort Bay is another unusual structure. It is an extended rock ledge, starting at 4 m (13 ft)		The Majestic Gray Angelfish

depth only, but becoming progressively deeper as one heads west and north of Tent Bay. The ledge is deeply undercut at some points, providing shelter to large snappers. The ledge turns into a sheer wall which gradually becomes fragmented and appears as a series of steep coral outcrops separated by deep sand channels. The wall is encrusted with a large diversity of colorful sponges, hard and soft corals and other invertebrates.

		Well-developed Elkhorn coral formations occur in the shallows along the south coast, near Corner Point in particular, as well as in Core Gut bay along the windward coast. Their antler-shaped branches are fragile and hurricanes can wreak havoc with this species. Yet the Elkhorn coral stands seem to recover quickly after a storm, because, with a growth rate of 10 to 12 cm (4- 5") per year, they are among the fastest growing coral species.
Elkhorn Coral		Their survival is furthermore facilitated by a dual reproductive strategy: they

are not just dependent upon sexual reproduction, but coral fragments broken off during a storm can re-attach and form new colonies. This is clearly a useful adaptation for a fragile species that has chosen to live in shallow water with the risk of periodic destruction by wave action.

Unusual and exciting sightings or encounters are always possible in the waters around Saba. Humpback whales migrate through the Lesser Antilles and we sometimes see their spouts or hear their clicks and songs while we dive. A lonely erring manatee found refuge in Saba for some time, and similarly, a friendly dolphin took up residence here and frolicked with divers and snorkelers for several months. Southern stingrays are common, while Spotted eagle rays and even Mantas are among the occasional sightings. Sea turtles, endangered world wide, are among the frequent sightings in Saba waters. Both the Hawksbill turtle as well as the Green turtle are commonly encountered. And, of course, sharks, including the Gray reef shark, Black-tip shark, Nurse shark and Hammerhead shark are common around the pinnacles.

The reasons for this health and abundance are straightforward. Contrary to what you find on most islands, Saba has virtually no development and no permanent habitation along the coast. By consequence, no pollution or other adverse impact from coastal development have affected the marine environment. Although the population has been larger in the beginning of this century, the pressure on natural resources has always been modest. The professional fishermen of Saba target the Saba Bank and not the nearshore waters, and subsistence fishing is no longer existent. The results of the annual fish census conducted since 1993 by Dr. Callum Roberts and Dr. Julie Hawkins of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in England demonstrate not only that the fish population and fish size in the no-fishing zones are larger than in the fished areas, but also that the fish population in the fished areas increased, indicating that fishing pressure has decreased.

For those who have no desire to venture into the underwater world, the tide pools at Flat Point provide an alternative opportunity to learn more about the marine environment. These pools, which are not really tide pools but which are refreshed by waves crashing into the jagged coast and spilling over into the ponds, are teeming with life such as juvenile fish, corals, crabs, anemones, sea urchins and worms. Although the pools can always be admired from above, you can only go down to them when the sea is calm and after you have convinced yourself that there are no occasional big waves breaking over the rocks.