Your Ultimate Guide To Barbados

Stavronikita Bridgetown

In recent years, the island of Barbados has become a stomping ground for many types of seafarers. Whilst surfing was in vogue for quite a while on the island, sailing, boat races and diving has become increasingly popular and dare it be said fashionable in the last decade and coming forward.

Consequently, quite a few enterprising persons have started businesses targeting persons resident and visiting who have been expressing an interest in exploring the underwater. They provide diving instruction and diving tours to meet this growing need.

Over the years, a number of diving sites have been created to the joy of the underwater explorers. Many of these comprises of wrecked ships which have been deliberately sunk to create the relevant setting for these divers, some of whom travel the world seeking exciting sites to explore.

The Stavronikita is one such site located in the waters off Barbados and can claim to be one of the largest reef sites in the entire Caribbean. A 365 foot World War II Greek freighter, it was destroyed by fire and a decision was made to sink it some 400 yards away from the shore on the north-western side of Barbados. This was achieved with a major quantity of explosives. This was back in 1978 and so activity in the ensuing period would now have resulted in a well-developed site home to schools and schools of fish and coral formations.

The ship is upright in approximately 120 feet of water, however the average diver can gain a great experience without going even a quarter deep into that height.

The SS Stavronikita can also be viewed at night through the facilitation of night dives. Those persons who travel with suitable equipment will be the first to say that this artificial reef is a photographer's dream as the site has been described by some as "dramatic".

An Underwater Exhibition in Barbados

Seems strange but at the same time somewhat intriguing. An exhibition entitled - The "Stavronikita Project: The Life

Above Refined Below" is a rather creative exhibition that was done by the Staudinger Franke studio from Vienna.

Andreas Franke, the photographer, takes you back to the 18th century with images that take you into what can easily be considered an unreal and strange world. More images of the sunken Stavronikita on exhibit can be seen here - http://www.thesinkingworld.com/#