Diving

More than 30 practically pristine dive sites surround Montserrat. The even more bountiful marine life has had time to recover from the predations of human activities, and the pyroclastic flows have formed boulders, pinnacles, ledges, and walls that anchor new coral reefs. Carr's Bay is a favorite for shore dives, with arrow crabs, basket stars, turtles, and shimmering blue tang darting about hulking boulders and a small, colorful cave; night dives are particularly memorable, as millions of bioluminescent microorganisms glow when disturbed. The shallow reefs surrounding Woodlands Bay feature varied underwater topography, including a small, colorful cave that houses thousands of banded coral shrimp, copper sweepers, sergeant majors, four-eyed butterfly fish, jackknife, attenuated trumpetfish, and turtles. Rendezvous Bay may be the finest spot for both snorkeling and diving, thanks to a sheltered reef and lack of ash or silt. In its depths, you may come face-to-face with spotted morays, porcupine fish, snake eels, octopuses, and more. You can even hang out with thousands of (harmless) fruit bats in partially submerged caves. Other top dive sites include Lime Kiln Bay and Bunkum Bay, as well as the spectacular submarine rock formations around Little Redonda and the Pinnacles off the rougher, more challenging northeastern shores.

Scuba Montserrat. Andrew Myers and Emmy Aston of Scuba Montserrat provide experienced PADI certification; lengthy shore, boat, and kayak dives; snorkeling excursions (including a stop at a very cool bat cave); specialty courses from drift diving to digital underwater photography; and down the road the possibility of helping regenerate volcano-damaged sites. They're particularly family focused, stocking underwater Frisbees, torpedoes, and specialized children's gear. They also rent inflatable two-person Hanauma kayaks, and Emmy runs the popular Blue Mermaid Yoga (the classes are a great way to meet locals and expats). Little Bay, St. Peter. 664/496–7807; www.scubamontserrat.com.