Sponges smother the pier legs
It is very atmospheric under the pier
They are absolutely caked in marine growth, forming a kaleidoscope of colour right up to the surface Apparently, frogfish are also seen regularly, but they avoided us on this occasion. Once we reached the middle of the ‘T’ and turned on to the long stretch towards shore, a massive shoal of silver baitfish enveloped us. It was so thick, you could only see a metre or so, and for a moment everyone lost their buddies. It was so mesmerising watching this mass of fish life undulate beneath the pier, I floated transfixed for several minutes and just watched this wildlife spectacle. Every once in a while, a large jack, barracuda or some other predator would make a charge into the shoal, and it would break, twist and swirl as if it was one giant living mass as opposed to thousands of individual fish. Absolutely unreal. It was difficult to tear myself away from the baitfish, but I had reached that point in the dive where I had to make my way back to the dive boat, but I took my time on the swim back, soaking up the colours and the sheer spectacle provided by the richly decorated pier struts. Back on the boat, everyone was buzzing from the dive. Thanks to the shallow depth, it is suitable for even raw novices, but experienced divers and underwater photographers in particular will relish a dive or two under the pier. Bonaire’s two pier dives are rightly seen as diving highlights on their island, but I reckon the Cement Pier on Barbados beats both of them hands down. If you are into your macro critters, or just want a dive with a difference, make sure you schedule a trip to this site. n
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There is a metal pier leg under here somewhere
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