Grenada, home of the world’s first Underwater Sculpture Park and the Caribbean’s largest wreck dive, the Bianca C, will take the party beneath the surface with the second annual Pure Grenada Dive Fest. The four-day event will take place from October 3-6 and is designed to showcase the destination’s rich and diverse eco-system as well as the bountiful and vibrant marine life that can be found off the islands’ shores.
“This is the only event of its kind on the island and we hope that dive enthusiasts and lovers of the sea will travel to Pure Grenada to enjoy the events we have scheduled,” said Patricia Maher, CEO of Grenada Tourism Authority. “It is the second year of the event and our continued goal is to put the spotlight on Grenada and Carriacou’s amazing undersea world and one-of-a-kind aquatic offerings.”
The first two days of the festival provides participants with the opportunity to discover the destination’s reefs and wreck sites. The festival kicks off on October 3 with the theme of Reef Diving in Grenada and Carriacou, which is known as the Isle of Reefs. Underwater photo enthusiasts can register to participate in the photography competition with the chance to win prizes for categories such as the most creative selfie, best reef photo and best wreck photo. Day two, themed Wreck Diving, caters to all divers offering a beginner’s pool diving course and the opportunity for certified divers to explore some of the islands’ 14 wreck dives including the newest, M/V Anina.
The second half of the festival presents a robust schedule of sustainable activities for participants to make a positive impact on Grenada’s underwater ecosystem. October 5, or Project Aware Dive Against Debris day, includes scheduled clean-up dives off the shores of all three islands and local school outreach presentations that aim to educate Grenada’s next generation on best practices in dive marine conservation. The final day of the festival, Invasive Lionfish Eradication Diving day, starts at Morne Rouge Bay/BBC Beach with the boats sent off to predetermined dive locations and reconvening with their catches at Coconut Beach Restaurant on Grand Anse Beach. The Lionfish are prepared and served at the evening social event where the underwater photographers will be awarded for their photos.
Grenada’s coast is a haven for seahorses, turtles, sharks and rays due to the warm waters and healthy coral reef systems and sponges. Divers and underwater photographers have the opportunity to see a plethora of species of fish and marine creatures in the islands’ waters.
