Saba

Saba, volcanic island in the Leeward Netherlands Antilles. Since it is not a reef island, it does not have the sandy beaches most notable in the Caribbean, but rather mostly cliff faces and rocky shores. The island, however, attracts tourists for the diverse and vibrant ecosystem and the unique diving experience.

There are three official languages in Saba: Dutch, Papiamento, and English. Most everyone speaks English, and a good many locals are even from America originally, but the other two will certainly be heard around the island.

Saba is one of the top 5 destinations in the world to go Scuba diving due to its sheer underwater cliffs, pinnacles, and the multitude of diving locations surrounding the island that each offer a unique experience. The people in the local dive shops are very friendly and great at teaching inexperienced people how to dive. They can take someone without their Open Water Certification and offer them a quick course and certification to get them in the water, or they can take them all the way into getting their Open Water Certification so they can dive without an instructor present. So even if you've never gone diving before, you can get certified in Saba.

There is also a medical school on the island, where a lot of American and Canadian students come to. Every October sees a month-long event put on by Sea & Learn: a non-profit foundation sponsoring events geared toward educating attendees about the flora and fauna of Saba and the surrounding waters. Nightly talks are given at local eating establishments by scientists from around the globe who also perform participative field experiments and/or nature surveys.