Sugar Beach Resort. Val Des Pitons, Forbidden Beach, La Baie de Silence, Soufriere, St. Lucia.
Coordinates in degrees decimal: N 13.828618, E -61.062409.
Visited in May/June 2017. Photographers: Nigel Thomas and Julie Miller. Cameras: (NT) Olympus Tough TG-870, Pentax WG-II, Sea & Sea 1G with DX1G housing, (SM) Fujifilm Finepix XP90.
Sugar Beach Resort sits at the foot of the Petit Piton on the southwest of St. Lucia. The seafront of the resort comprises of a variety of habitats, including sandy beaches, rocky shores and an area, rich in marine life, within the Marine Reserve. The easiest and safest snorkelling is in the area cordoned off by ropes in the Marine Reserve, to the north of the bay. This has the most variety of marine life and is safe from boating activity. In total, nearly 220 marine species have been recorded in the resort area.
Produced with the support of the resort.
The best area for snorkeling is in the northern part of the resort, directly beneath the Petit Piton. This is part of the Marine Reserve and is marked out by guide ropes and marker buoys. From the beach this area is on the right-hand side past the landing jetty and no boats are allowed access to the area.
The reserve area includes a wealth of brightly coloured sponges, corals and algae. It is also the best location to see the numerous fish species that shoal in the area. It is possible to swim outside of the limits of the reserve marker buoys, particularly to the west of the area. However, it is strongly recommended that you remain close to the shore as boat activity can be intense.
In the centre of the bay (photo is facing north), the beach initially shelves gently into a sandy subtidal area, then rapidly descends over a seagrass bed. This area has less diversity than the rock areas but still supports a variety of species, including some only found over this area.
View over the seagrass beds with an upturned table providing a focus for numerous fish species, including well-disguised juvenile lionfish.
View from the centre of the bay facing south, with Sugar Point in the middle ground and Grand Piton in the distance. Entry into the water here is not recommended due to the presence of water taxis. Easier access may be found just past Sugar Point where a set of steps are located.
Steps (partial) provide the best entry point for this boulder and mixed rock area. The diversity of coral and sponge life is reduced compared to the reserve area but good examples of shoaling fish species were observed as well as the start of a Sea Fan and Sea Plume area. Be aware of both swell and currents in this area.
View over the southern beach area (currently restricted access) with a central landing stage and, in the middle distance, the southern limit of the area marked by a short concrete wharf.
The southern sandy bay has a variety of habitats, initially including extensive Seagrass areas, with small rock outcrops in the shallows and sporadic Sea Plumes and numerous Sea Cucumbers. Towards the southern edge of the resort the seabed becomes rocky again and a good area of sponge and coral outcrop was observed. Particularly large barrel sponges were also noted.
The best area for snorkeling is in the northern part of the resort, directly beneath the Petit Piton. This is part of the Marine Reserve and is marked out by guide ropes and marker buoys. From the beach this area is on the right-hand side past the landing jetty and no boats are allowed access to the area.
The reserve area includes a wealth of brightly coloured sponges, corals and algae. It is also the best location to see the numerous fish species that shoal in the area. It is possible to swim outside of the limits of the reserve marker buoys, particularly to the west of the area. However, it is strongly recommended that you remain close to the shore as boat activity can be intense.
In the centre of the bay (photo is facing north), the beach initially shelves gently into a sandy subtidal area, then rapidly descends over a seagrass bed. This area has less diversity than the rock areas but still supports a variety of species, including some only found over this area.
View over the seagrass beds with an upturned table providing a focus for numerous fish species, including well-disguised juvenile lionfish.
View from the centre of the bay facing south, with Sugar Point in the middle ground and Grand Piton in the distance. Entry into the water here is not recommended due to the presence of water taxis. Easier access may be found just past Sugar Point where a set of steps are located.
Steps (partial) provide the best entry point for this boulder and mixed rock area. The diversity of coral and sponge life is reduced compared to the reserve area but good examples of shoaling fish species were observed as well as the start of a Sea Fan and Sea Plume area. Be aware of both swell and currents in this area.
View over the southern beach area (currently restricted access) with a central landing stage and, in the middle distance, the southern limit of the area marked by a short concrete wharf.
The southern sandy bay has a variety of habitats, initially including extensive Seagrass areas, with small rock outcrops in the shallows and sporadic Sea Plumes and numerous Sea Cucumbers. Towards the southern edge of the resort the seabed becomes rocky again and a good area of sponge and coral outcrop was observed. Particularly large barrel sponges were also noted.
