On September 3, 1998, a decree established the Saint-Martin National Nature Reserve. Its marine area covers approximately 2,900 hectares northeast of the island, according to its manager.
On the other side of the border, Sint Maarten has had its own marine park since late 2010. Two statuses. Two managers.
We have revised our old page, which announced water temperatures of 26-29 °C year-round and visibility of 20 to 30 m, without date or source. Those figures are removed. Instead, you will find a checklist to ask the right questions before booking.
Where to dive around Saint-Martin?
The most popular outings on the French side target the islets and rocks in the north: Pinel, Caye Verte, Tintamarre, and Rocher Créole. All four are included in the national nature reserve. On the Dutch side, the Proselyte reef is located in the Man of War Shoal marine park, off the southern coast.
Pinel and Caye Verte are islets close to the shore, often associated with snorkeling. Tintamarre is further offshore. Programs mention the wreck of a tugboat there. Rocher Créole, off Grand Case, also appears on most site lists. Our old version promised dolphins there, which no page can guarantee, so we removed that promise.
Molly Beday and Hen & Chicks, two rocks mentioned in the old page, appear in some programs, but we found no official and dated descriptions of their conditions, so we do not classify them.
If you are unsure between scuba diving and snorkeling, our selection of the best snorkeling destinations in the world offers other references. And the name of a site says nothing about its current.
Who protects the reefs of Saint-Martin and Sint Maarten?
Two organizations share the island. On the French side, the national nature reserve, created in 1998, covers 3,060 hectares including about 2,900 at sea, managed by the AGRNSM association. On the Dutch side, the Nature Foundation St. Maarten manages the Man of War Shoal marine park, approved by the government on December 30, 2010.
The French reserve protects mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and ponds. Its presentation page mentions a permit system for anchoring, camping, events, and commercial activities. A club that takes divers there operates within this framework. Ask them which buoy they moor to. Their answer quickly shows if they really know the rules of the site and the authorized buoys in the reserve.
The Dutch park includes the Proselyte reef, named after the British frigate HMS Proselyte, a 32-gun ship that struck the Man of War shoal on September 4, 1801, according to the ICRI.
However, two regulations on the same island can be surprising. The rules of the visited site matter more than the port of departure. The reasons never to touch marine life apply on both sides of the border, regardless of the club or the site’s status.
For what level? The checklist to fill before booking
No page can say from afar if a site suits you. The table below summarizes what we know, what to ask, and what remains impossible to decide from here. It serves to compare two offers based on the same criteria: level, current, season, supervision, and fallback plan.
| Site | Level | Current | Season | Supervision | Backup plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinel, Caye Verte (nature reserve) | islets close to the coast, expected depth to be requested | impossible to decide from here, to be asked at the briefing | cyclone season from June 1 to November 30 (NHC) | dive guide, ratio to be requested in writing | more sheltered site from the coast, if the club provides one |
| Tintamarre (nature reserve) | offshore outing, required level to be requested site by site | exposure to east wind to be checked on the day | same cyclone calendar | briefing before entering the water, surface recovery instructions | return to a nearby islet or postponement |
| Rocher Créole (nature reserve) | level variable depending on the planned depth | impossible to decide from here | same cyclone calendar | to be requested from the club | to be requested from the club |
| Récif du Proselyte (Man of War Shoal marine park) | offshore site, required level to be requested | impossible to decide from here, to be asked at the briefing | same cyclone calendar | club on the Dutch side, park rules to be checked | more sheltered site, if the club provides one |
The required level changes with the site, the planned depth, and the day’s weather. A beginner dive and an exploratory dive do not target the same depths, and a serious club will tell you which one they offer before departure. Ask for the maximum depth in writing. Also ask how many divers follow each guide. If the answer is “it depends,” rephrase the question until you get a number.
The current matters more than the photo.
But offshore sites like Tintamarre or Proselyte are more exposed than islets close to the coast, and the trade winds that most often blow from the east can change a planned outing from the day before. Clear water says nothing about the current.
Which season to choose and what remains of Irma?
Saint-Martin can be dived year-round, but the Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, according to the US National Hurricane Center, and this is the period when an alert can cancel outings. Outside this period, the risk decreases but does not disappear. For the water temperature, ask the club for recent readings.
On September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm, struck the island and caused significant damage on land as well as in the ports. Pages written before this date age poorly. No official and dated assessment of the reef conditions was found to provide here. Impossible to decide from here. Ask the club which sites they currently frequent.
However, the cyclone risk is not limited to a date on a calendar, and a weather alert can cancel two days of outings during peak season.
The warmth of the water also affects the region’s reefs. We detail this phenomenon in our article on coral bleaching, with what research says and what it still does not know. Keep this in mind when faced with a program that sells intact corals.
How to choose your club and your backup plan?
Choose the club based on what it writes in black and white: planned sites, maximum depth, number of divers per guide, cancellation procedure, and backup site if the sea rises. Our old page cited a center that we could not verify on an up-to-date official site. Therefore, we recommend no name here.
Before paying a deposit, ask the club four questions and keep their answers in writing, as they will be useful if the outing is canceled. Which site is planned, and which one replaces it if the wind shifts? What happens to your booking if the outing is canceled due to weather, and who decides the cancellation? How many divers per guide? And how much time do you leave between your last dive and your return flight?
Thus, you compare facts.
On the day, review how to read your dive pressure gauge and choose a sunscreen that spares the reefs, because some sunscreens harm marine environments. Stay attentive during the briefing. It says what the brochure hides.
Planning a buffer day for the weather costs an extra hotel night, whereas not planning it can cost two paid and lost dives. Would you book it that way?
FAQ
Which diving sites are in the Saint-Martin nature reserve?
The national nature reserve, created in 1998, includes Rocher Créole, Tintamarre, Pinel, and Caye Verte. Its marine area covers approximately 2,900 hectares northeast of the island. Commercial activities and anchoring are subject to authorization there.
What is the Man of War Shoal Marine Park?
It is the protected marine area of Sint Maarten, on the Dutch side, approved on December 30, 2010, and managed by the Nature Foundation St. Maarten. It encompasses the Proselyte reef, named after a British frigate that ran aground in 1801.
What is the best season for diving in Saint-Martin?
Diving is possible all year round, but the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. For water temperature and sea conditions, ask the club for a recent report rather than an undated average.
Is diving in Saint-Martin suitable for beginners?
Impossible to say from a distance. The islets close to the coast and the offshore sites do not have the same exposure to the wind. The local professional remains the sole judge of your comfort level on the day of the outing.
Have the reefs recovered from Hurricane Irma?
No official and dated assessment has been found to cite. Irma struck the island on September 6, 2017, and many infrastructures have changed since. Ask the club about the sites they currently frequent.
Sources
- Introduction | Saint-Martin National Nature Reserve (AGRNSM, reserve manager, consulted October 3, 2026)
- St. Maarten’s Man of War Shoal Marine Park Established (International Coral Reef Initiative, 2011)
Photo: Thierry Pierrard, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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