6 Underwater Pinnacles You Have To Dive

Earth’s fiery volcanic past billions of years ago gave rise to some of the planet’s best diving today — including these dramatic pinnacles you'll have to see to believe.

What is a pinnacle?
A form of seamount, the name pinnacle is generally given to formations that stand isolated in deep water and have a very narrow profile.

Scott’s Head

Dominica
The island of Dominica is part of the Lesser Antilles, a north-to-south chain of volcanoes that marks the eastern edge of the Caribbean. And the “Nature Island” has plenty of geothermal activity — including its famous mountain lake that boils and steams within the rainforest — and dive sites that bubble as volcanic gases escape from the seafloor. Of all Dominica’s dive sites, Scott’s Head Pinnacle is one of its most famous, a spire along the edge of the undersea caldera that forms Soufriere Bay on the island’s southwestern end. The dive often starts at a spot called Swiss Cheese — named for its caves filled with soldierfish — then crosses a saddle to the pinnacle, which is packed with sponges and gorgonians where you can find sea horses, frogfish and turtles.

Eye of the Needle

Saba
The volcanic origin of the tiny Caribbean island of Saba is quickly apparent above and below the water, with sheer rock cliffs plunging into deep blue waters, creating stellar undersea walls alongside an underwater playground of peaks and spires. The decades-old Saba Marine Park rings the entire island, reaches to a depth of 200 feet and encompasses about 30 dive sites, many of which feature dramatic vertical walls and open-ocean pinnacles. One of Saba’s most impressive pinnacles is the Eye of the Needle, a rocky spire that peaks 90 feet underwater. To reach it, divers drop down at the site Third Encounter. “Just a few kick cycles from the Third Encounter plateau, the Needle emerges from the blue,” says Lynn Costenaro of Sea Saba Dive Center. “Every inch is covered with life — sponges, corals, juvenile spotted drum, burrowing eels, banded coral shrimp and perhaps a resident turtle.”

Sisters Rocks

Tobago
Just outside Tobago’s picturesque Bloody Bay, Sisters Rocks are five rocky islets that rise from about 200 feet, breaking the surface like shark’s fins above the blue water. The area is divided into two sections for divers, the Inner and Outer Sisters, with sheer rock faces on the outer sides. This collection of pillars is swept by currents, making them one of the few places in the Caribbean where divers can enjoy frequent encounters with big animals such as manta rays, hammerheads and whale sharks. The rocky terrain also offers ample hiding places for smaller creatures such as lobsters, crabs and octopuses, and you can also spot beautiful reef species like the flameback angelfish among the swaying sea fans and gorgonians.

Watu Balu

Indonesia
In the remote East of Flores region of Indonesia, volcanic formations dominate the scenery, including the highly active peak of Komba Island (page 58). Near Rusa Island, there’s a small rocky islet that can be pummeled by strong currents, but the reward is staggeringly rich reefs feeding from the strong flow. Named Watu Balu, this rock seems nondescript at the surface, but slip below and you’re immediately greeted by massive swarms of anthias. There’s something for every diver on this pinnacle, from the tiniest macro critters, such as nudibranchs and anemone shrimp, to big animals, such as sharks, tuna and mola mola, cruising the blue water. Look for frogfish — master ambush predators camouflaged among the corals — and sea kraits, a type of venomous sea snake.

Maaya Thila

Maldives
The underwater terrain of the Maldives is so varied that there are local names for the different types of formations divers will find. A thila is an undersea pinnacle that sits completely below the surface of the water, while a giri is a pinnacle that rises to the surface, and a faru is a small atoll that extends above the surface. Thilas are often exposed to strong currents, offering great chances to spot big animals cruising by in the open ocean. One of the most renowned thilas in the Maldives is Maaya Thila, located near Ari Atoll. This pinnacle rises to about 30 feet below the surface of the water, where brilliantly colored coral gardens wave in the currents. Overhangs and swim-throughs pockmark the sides, creating a stepped formation with ledges and varying depths. Sharks are regular visitors here, including gray reef sharks and elusive oceanic whitetips.

Steve’s Bommie

Australia
Steve’s Bommie is an iconic Great Barrier Reef bommie in the Ribbon Reefs, north of Cairns. This isolated pinnacle rises from 100 feet to 15 feet below the surface, and it attracts an abundance of both large fish and small macro species. Sharp-eyed divers can look for ornate critters like glittering pipefish, clownfish in their anemone homes and a wide array of colorful nudibranchs. Also keep an eye out for wobbegong sharks. These ambush predators have tassels on their faces to help them blend among the rocks and seaweeds. Divers can make a circular dive around the bommie. Start by descending to the bases, where you can see the memorial plaque to “Steve” embedded in the reef. Then make a slow spiral upward, exploring cracks and crevices while circumnavigating the bommie. Cap off the dive with a safety stop amid the coral gardens at the top of the bommie.

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