Coral Nursery - St. Kitts
We always appreciate seeing conservation in action, and St. Kitts’ Coral Nursery is a prime example. Dropping to a gentle 16 meters, it’s an easy dive, perfect for newer divers or anyone wanting a relaxed second tank. You’ll find rows of coral fragments, mostly elkhorn and staghorn, attached to ropes and frames, slowly growing before they're transplanted to nearby reefs. It's a hopeful sight, often with small juveniles like damselfish darting between the branches, and we sometimes spot a curious trumpetfish hovering nearby. It’s not about big pelagics here; it's about the quiet work of reef restoration, and it’s genuinely interesting to observe.
- Location
- St. Kitts, St. Kitts & Nevis, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 17.636100, -63.256600
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 16m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Best Time to Dive in St. Kitts
The warmest water temperatures in St. Kitts occur in January, averaging 27.1°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.1°C (air: 25.1°C)
- February: 27.1°C (air: 24.8°C)
- March: 27.1°C (air: 25.1°C)
- April: 27.1°C (air: 25.7°C)
- May: 27.1°C (air: 26.9°C)
- June: 27.1°C (air: 27.6°C)
- July: 27.1°C (air: 27.6°C)
- August: 27.1°C (air: 27.9°C)
- September: 27.1°C (air: 27.9°C)
- October: 27.1°C (air: 27.6°C)
- November: 27.1°C (air: 26.8°C)
- December: 27.1°C (air: 25.9°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in St. Kitts
- ALBERTINA - 6m (wreck)
- Anchor Point - 18m
- Anchors Aweigh
- Big Rock Market - 20m
- Camps Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- CHARLES L BROWN - 40m (wreck)
- Charles L. Brown, wreck - 26m (wreck)
- Chien Tong, wreck - 24m (wreck)
- CHRISTENA - 22m (wreck)
- Coconut Tree Reef - 3-12m (reef)
- Customs House - 25m
- Diamond Rock - 24m (pinnacle)
- Double Wreck - 19m (wreck)
- DUNDALK - 4m (wreck)
- Eutom? - 5m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Coral Nursery
Marine Life in St. Kitts
Home to 393 recorded species including 318 reef fish, 27 hard corals, 11 other, 7 whales & dolphins, 7 sharks & rays, 6 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) - Hard Corals
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Boulder Brain Coral (Colpophyllia natans) - Hard Corals
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Blackfish (Melichthys niger) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Hogfish (Bodianus rufus) - Reef Fish
- Angelfish (Holacanthus tricolor) - Reef Fish
- Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Coral Nursery
Based on average water temperature of 27.1°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories