Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on April 19, 2021
A snorkeling session on a movie set, does this sound appealing to you? Head for Wallilabou Bay, where several scenes of the first opus of the series “Pirates of the Caribbean” were shot! At the foot of the “pirates arch” and all along the cliffs bordering the bay there is a magnificent reef drop-off. Covered in corals, the reef hosts a very diverse marine life, among which moray eels, angelfish, boxfish, and schools of damsels.
Wallilabou Bay is located on the western coast of Saint Vincent island. From Kingstown, the capital, it takes ½ hour by car (20 km) to get there. Access to the beach is free of charge. If you visit Saint Vincent and the Grenadines by boat, you can also travel to the small bay by sea.
We recommend you to get into the water on the Northern tip of the beach (on your right if you are facing the sea). This way you are close to the area recommended for snorkeling.
The snorkeling area includes the rocky and reef seabeds which stretch from the beach to the notorious “pirates arch”, which served as a setting for “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie (see map).
Along the cliff, one can discover a diverse underwaterscape, formed of rock slides and steep walls, interspersed by sandy areas. In this location the depth of the water is on average between 3 and 25ft (1-8m). The seabed is covered everywhere by a wide variety of gorgonians, colorful sponges (especially yellow tubular sponges) and some stony corals.
The preserved seabeds of Wallilabou Bay allow visitors to observe a wide variety of fish. Hundreds of damselfish swim right below the surface of the water, while trumpetfish, horse-eye jack, butterflyfish are found around the reef. At times you may spot a rock beauty hiding in the shadows of the rocks, or a spotted moray eel snaking its way among the sea fans. Bluehead wrasse, boxfish, and blue tang are also common in this area.
The water is generally very clear in this location and the sea is calm. Do not get into the water if the sea seems rough. Please note that you must swim for almost 450m in order to reach the arch from the beach. Stay within the limits of your physical abilities, especially since the reef already offers a beautiful landscape a few hundred meters from the beach.
In Wallilabou Bay there are a few bars and restaurants all along the beach.
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
