Grenada’s Underwater Sculpture Park Snorkeling Guide
Getting to the Park
Coming to Grenada, we really wanted to make the best of the amazing water attractions. Of course the island has great waterfalls and the famous Grand Anse Beach, but we wanted to snorkel. Sadly, the coral reefs are not in good shape these days, but we were happy to learn of the governments solution to that problem. The Underwater Sculpture Park is the first of its kind in the world, a major installation of about 70 sculptures on the sandy bed of the calm waters of Dragon Bay.
In order to get to the park, you need to take a boat. We’ve heard it’s possible to catch a cheap ride from the dock at Grand Mal, or a tiny fishing boat from Dragon Bay, however you won’t get a guide and we really recommend having one. If you’re a very strong swimmer, you can swim from dragon bay around the point, but again it’s not recommended to go without a guide. Thankfully, there are plenty of tour services that offer tours of both the sculpture park and the nearby reef that remains in tact. We went with Eco Dive (no affiliation) which was highly recommended with great reviews, but there are many others with similar packages.
Most of the tours conveniently start at Grand Anse Beach, making for a much easier journey. At the office, we picked out some flippers, snorkel, masks, and life vests and headed out. On the short ride to the reef, we made a slight detour as dolphins were reported in the area. Amazingly, there were several pods with hundreds of dolphins surrounding our boat, playing in the wake of the boat! It was a very rare and special experience we won’t forget. After our quick sidetrack, we headed over to the bay to start our snorkeling adventure.
Snorkeling in Dragon Bay
We opted to book the two stop tour, with extra snorkeling. I wasn’t sure how interesting it would be since the main coral reefs had been so damaged. After all, that’s the whole reason for the sculpture park being installed in the first place. Thankfully, I was proven wrong as there was plenty to see in the calm Grenada waters. The first thing I noticed was how clean and clear the water is. We’ve been to lots of beaches around the world, and this was incredibly blue and clear.
Despite the lack of a robust coral reef, Dragon Bay has a lot of rocks and sea life to see close to the beach. Our guide did an amazing job taking us around the reef, and pointing out the hundreds of species of fish that call the bay home. Many fish were familiar, like box fish, puffer fish, butterfly fish and plenty of urchins. But we also saw some more interesting sea life like a lionfish, sea snake, yellowtail damsel fish, and trumpet fish. If those names don’t mean anything to you, just know there are thousands of fish to enjoy, and it was so cool to see up close. Our favorite part was turning the corner around the point, where tens of thousands of schooling silversides. Being surrounded by all the fish was definitely a first for us.
Underwater Sculpture Park
After getting back in the boat, we made the very short journey around the point to Grenada’s underwater sculpture park. You’d have no idea there were almost a hundred sculptures under the water as the boat was tied up. As soon as we jumped in the water, our guide started taking us from piece to piece, explaining the meaning and location of each one. It was pretty tricky to spot them all, just another reason why having a guide is so helpful.
Each one of the sculptures is intertwined with Grenada’s history and culture. One of the largest displays is of carnival, with over 20 festive figures in the carnival attire. There are also depictions of local mythical creatures, as well as sea life and iconic landmarks. My favorite was a lady holding up a nutmeg (?) which was positioned perfectly in a rocky valley.
While the sculptures themselves are pretty cool, our guide explained that they have a greater function than just tourism. They are designed so that algae can grow on them, and local fish will come to clean them off. Eventually, coral will anchor on the sculptures, growing back the reef that was there before. We saw several species of coral growing on many of the installations, and there was plenty of fish around so it must have been working.
Final Thoughts
Grenada’s underwater sculpture park is one of the most unique things to do in Grenada. To be honest, it’s the most expensive activity we did while we were there, however it was absolutely worth the cost. Having a boat to take us directly there was great, and our guide did an excellent job pointing out every bit of sea life and individual facts about the island. It’s also worth mentioning that the gear was well taken care of as well, making for a comfortable journey. If you’re in Grenada and unsure of what excursions to take, the underwater sculpture park should absolutely be on your list.
