Saona Island Reef

The reef systems fringing Saona Island at the southern tip of the Dominican Republic are protected within Parque Nacional del Este and remain one of the few places in the Caribbean where nurse sharks rest in shallow sandy channels in numbers large enough to feel genuinely wild. Starfish gardens in the seagrass meadows on the island's leeward side attract snorkellers and divers alike, but the outer reef wall that drops to 30 metres is the real draw, festooned with sea fans and black coral bushes that shelter cowfish, trumpetfish, and resting reef sharks. The combination of calm conditions and rich marine life across a range of depths makes Saona ideal for divers at any experience level.