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A snorkeling session on a movie set, does this sound appealing to you? Head for Wallilabou Bay, where several scenes of the first opus of the series “Pirates of the Caribbean” were shot! At the foot of the “pirates arch” and all along the cliffs bordering the bay there is a magnificent reef drop-off. Covered in corals, the reef hosts a very diverse marine life, among which moray eels, angelfish, boxfish, and schools of damsels.

Wallilabou Bay's Pirates Arch
A view of Wallilabou cliffs, with the “pirate’s arch” on the left. The reef drop off is found at the foot of the cliffs.

How to get to Wallilabou Bay snorkeling spot?

Wallilabou Bay is located on the western coast of Saint Vincent island. From Kingstown, the capital, it takes ½ hour by car (20 km) to get there. Access to the beach is free of charge. If you visit Saint Vincent and the Grenadines by boat, you can also travel to the small bay by sea.

Wallilabou Bay snorkeling map

Water entrance for snorkeling Wallilabou Bay

We recommend you to get into the water on the Northern tip of the beach (on your right if you are facing the sea). This way you are close to the area recommended for snorkeling.

Wallilabou Bay snorkeling exploration

The snorkeling area includes the rocky and reef seabeds which stretch from the beach to the notorious “pirates arch”, which served as a setting for “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie (see map).

Along the cliff, one can discover a diverse underwaterscape, formed of rock slides and steep walls, interspersed by sandy areas. In this location the depth of the water is on average between 3 and 25ft (1-8m). The seabed is covered everywhere by a wide variety of gorgonians, colorful sponges (especially yellow tubular sponges) and some stony corals.

Coral reef snorkeling Wallilabou Bay
Wallilabou Bay rocky seabed is covered with coral and sea fans.

The preserved seabeds of Wallilabou Bay allow visitors to observe a wide variety of fish. Hundreds of damselfish swim right below the surface of the water, while trumpetfish, horse-eye jack, butterflyfish are found around the reef. At times you may spot a rock beauty hiding in the shadows of the rocks, or a spotted moray eel snaking its way among the sea fans. Bluehead wrasse, boxfish, and blue tang are also common in this area.

The water is generally very clear in this location and the sea is calm. Do not get into the water if the sea seems rough. Please note that you must swim for almost 450m in order to reach the arch from the beach. Stay within the limits of your physical abilities, especially since the reef already offers a beautiful landscape a few hundred meters from the beach.

Gorgonian and sea fan at Wallilabou Bay
A huge gorgonian seen in Wallilabou Bay shallow waters.

Restaurants and accommodation in Wallilabou Bay

In Wallilabou Bay there are a few bars and restaurants all along the beach.

 

  • Level required Intermediate
  • Maximum depth25ft/8m
  • Water entranceFrom a sandy beach
  • LifeguardNo
  • Visitor numbersLow
  • Access costsFree
  • Restaurants nearbyYes

MAP Spot

These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters.

This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.