We have arrived in Barbados, and to be honest the flight here was a real pleasure. Not only did we find ourselves in premium seats, thanks to the Barbados Tourism team, but we also banged into a friend that we have not seen for some 12 years. So, the trip began with some pretty good omens. And Barbados is just as gorgeous as you might expect it to be, with perfect pinkish-white beaches and beautiful blue seas. Our hotel, the Bougainvillea Beach Resort, is lovely too, with the namesake flower lining the poolside with pink and purples, and the rooms and restaurant all overlooking the Caribbean Sea. But, we did not really know what to expect from the diving, so today we were diving into the unknown.

This week we are diving with Barbados Blue, run by local dive instructor and marine biologist Andre Miller, a PADI Ambassadiver. He and his team are looking after us really well, supplying a dedicated model to our group, as well as two other staff members and Andre himself captaining the boat. Our first day was to be one of the most famous dive sites in Barbados: Carlisle Bay.

Carlisle Bay is hugely popular with both divers and snorkelers and as soon as you get into the water here you can see why. The dive site is made up of 6 wrecks, linked together in a large circle by cannons, anchors, pylons and other debris to guide you around. The wrecks themselves range from first world war casualties, to newly sunk wrecks, and this huge artificial reef system is attracting a significant amount of marine life. The deepest wrecks lie in around 20m of water and the shallowest come within 5m of the surface. It is a veritable playground for anyone that likes to spend time in the water. And with the water reaching 28°C, and vis ranging from 10-30m, who wouldn’t want to?

The site is worth diving several times, and we hope to go back again, there is just so much to cover for both the wide angle and macro photographer. Our first day saw us dive all 6 wrecks, and see reef squid, turtles, seahorses, schooling fish and much, much more. It exceeded our expectations and we cannot wait to dive the signature wreck of Barbados, the Stavronikita, tomorrow…

www.barbadosblue.com

http://www.bougainvillearesort.com

www.visitbarbados.org

For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.