La dive bouteille

Situated on the edge of the sea at Anse à Gillo, La Dive Bouteille is a long-standing fixture of the Terre-de-Haut diving community. The centre sits directly on the beach in the Bay of the Saintes, offering an unobstructed view of the Soufrière volcano.

This is a specialist operation focused on the unique topography of the Les Saintes archipelago. Whether you are looking to complete your initial certifications or explore the deeper canyons and arches of the local reefs, the centre provides a direct link to some of the most diverse marine habitats in Guadeloupe.

The centre is run by two permanent instructors, Vaimiti and Julien, both of whom hold DEJEPS E3 qualifications. Julien also serves as an SSI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) and a PADI OWSI, and he is a trainer for the Mission Corail.

Operating as an FFESSM affiliated centre and an SSI partner, the team maintains a small, professional atmosphere. To ensure safety and a personalised experience, the guide-to-diver ratio is kept to a maximum of one instructor per ten divers.

La Dive Bouteille offers a comprehensive range of training through FFESSM and SSI affiliations. Beginners can start with the Open Water Diver course, and the centre provides instruction for more advanced levels including the Mission Corail programme.

Professional training is also available on-site, covering levels such as DEJEPS E3, OWSI SSI, OWSI PADI, and federal instructor training (monitorat fédéral). A medical certificate confirming the absence of contraindications is required for all training programmes.

The centre operates a single 8.50m aluminium hull boat powered by a 250CV Yamaha engine. While the vessel is homologated for 20 people, the team limits capacity to 10 passengers per trip to ensure optimal comfort and space for divers.

A taud is fitted to the boat to provide shade from the sun during transit and while at the dive sites. The boat departs twice daily, with morning and afternoon sessions scheduled from the centre's location.

The shore-based facilities include a large changing room, an outdoor shower, and a dedicated space for distributing diving kit. Divers who bring their own equipment can leave it at the centre between dives.

Full kit hire is available, including Aqualung Wave 3mm shorty and full-length wetsuits in various sizes, Aqualung Stratos 3 fins, and Scubapro MK2 regulators that undergo annual servicing. The centre stocks a variety of steel cylinders (7L, 10L, 12L short and long, and 15L) as well as S80 aluminium cylinders. Dive computers are also available for hire.

The reefs are defined by a rich variety of hard and soft corals, including various fleshy corals and tubastrea corals. You will frequently encounter species such as French angelfish, black triggerfish, and spotted sweetlips.

In the canyons and around the reef structures, look for partner rays, hawksbill turtles, and large porcupinefish. The area is also home to various species of angelfishes, lionfish, and porcupinefish.

For those interested in macro life, the crevices host a variety of invertebrates including octopus, seahorses, Yucatan shrimp, Thor shrimp, and various crabs such as arrow crabs and hermit crabs. You may also spot squid, snails, and magnificent sea urchins.

Humpback whales are a seasonal highlight for the area, appearing between March and May.

The diving environment is generally accessible year-round. The period from June to November is the cyclone season, though August and September are noted for providing exceptionally calm seas and high luminosity.

Site conditions can vary depending on the swell; for example, L'Aquarium is highly exposed to swell and is only dived when the sea is calm.