South Atlantic, Saint Helena

Saint Helena Atlantic Outpost 🇬🇧

Travel details

Available spaces

10 spot(s)

Trip duration

14 nights

Travel dates

05 February, 2028 - 19 February, 2028

Price per person

3.700 € per person

Trip description

The underwater world of Saint Helena is defined by exceptionally clear conditions and a notable diversity of marine life. Visibility often reaches 40 to 60 metres. Black volcanic sand, lava tunnels, and natural arches shape the scenery. Coral reefs are absent; instead, large fish aggregations and regular pelagic encounters characterise the dives.

Historic wrecks and numerous reefs provide habitat for a wide variety of fish species, many of them endemic. Lobsters are commonly found tucked into crevices and overhangs. A defining feature of Saint Helena are the white-and-yellow butterflyfish, which form dense schools along vertical walls and rocky structures and are considered emblematic of the island’s underwater landscape. The species range is complemented by moray eels, turtles, tuna, wahoo, and occasional sightings of ocean sunfish, mobulas, and manta rays. During the peak season, whale sharks are regularly encountered. Above the surface, wildlife encounters continue: boat trips almost always reveal large pods of dolphins, often numbering in the hundreds.

Geographically, Saint Helena lies isolated in the South Atlantic, roughly between Angola and Brazil, and is reached via South Africa. Tourism on the island remains limited and far removed from mass-market travel. Since the opening of the island’s airport, access has improved gradually while the island has retained its authentic character.

The Blue Lantern Lodge is home to the Saint Helena Divers dive centre and offers small, comfortable accommodation for divers and nature-focused travellers. Genuine hospitality, good food, and well-organised diving define a stay here. For those seeking a quiet, unspoilt destination, Saint Helena offers a rare combination of immersive diving and a diverse island experience both above and below the surface.

The climate of Saint Helena is influenced by the South Atlantic high-pressure system and the equatorial low-pressure belt. Despite the island’s tropical location, conditions remain generally mild and stable throughout the year.

Clear climatic contrasts exist between the coastal area around Jamestown and the higher inland regions. While Jamestown may experience sunny, settled weather, areas such as Longwood, only a few kilometres away, can be affected by mist or light drizzle at the same time.

Air temperatures in Jamestown typically range between 20 and 30 °C during summer and between 18 and 25 °C in winter. Inland temperatures are usually around 5 to 6 °C cooler.

Water temperatures reach approximately 26 °C in summer, offering comfortable diving conditions. A 3 mm or 5 mm wetsuit is generally suitable, depending on personal preference.

Saint Helena Atlantic Outpost Expedition with Marcel

Nights

Price per person

3.700 €

DATE START

05 February 2028

DATE END

19 February 2028

Accommodation on Saint Helena is limited and generally simple, without European-style luxury. Due to Jamestown’s narrow valley setting, most properties do not offer pools or gardens.

The Divers Lodge Blue Lantern, opened in 2017, has been carefully developed over time. It is run by brothers Craig and Keith Yon, who also operate the Saint Helena Divers dive centre. The close link between accommodation, diving, and local car rental significantly simplifies logistics on the island.

Although officially rated as a three-star property, the lodge aligns more closely with a solid two-star standard in an international context. It is not a luxury resort, but a clean, functional, diver-focused accommodation located in the historic centre of Jamestown. Shared balcony and lounge areas, including space for camera equipment and battery charging, create a relaxed group atmosphere. The dive centre is approximately five to seven minutes away on foot.

The lodge offers eight rooms of approximately 20 m², all with en-suite bathrooms. Two rooms are configured as twins and six as queens, with beds that can be separated if required. All rooms provide sufficient storage and are suitable for couples or travelling dive partners. Parking is available directly in front of the lodge

Included

14 nights at the Blue Lantern Hotel in a shared standard room
Breakfast including tea, coffee, water, and fruit juices
23 dives including one night dive and three afternoon whale shark trips
12-litre steel tank, weights, dive guides, and boat trips
Island tour
“Lemon Valley” BBQ
Behind the Mask Travel tour leader

Not Included

Personal expenses such as souvenirs and gratuities, drinks and meals, laundry service
Optional: additional dives and rental equipment if required
Car rental per vehicle €620 for 14 days including full insurance and unlimited mileage
Single room supplement €850 for 14 nights

Day-by-day program

Travel to Saint Helena takes place from various international departure points with connecting flights to Johannesburg. Arrival in South Africa is scheduled for the early morning. You will spend two nights at an airport hotel, allowing time to rest or, if desired, to explore Johannesburg and the surrounding area. As flights from Johannesburg to Saint Helena operate only once a week on Saturday mornings, arriving in South Africa in advance is essential and provides a comfortable buffer. After two nights, you proceed to check-in for the onward flight. Departure takes place in the morning, with a brief refuelling stop in Namibia, before arriving on Saint Helena around midday, where you will be met on arrival. A transfer then takes you across the island to Jamestown and to your accommodation. The remainder of the day is free and intended for relaxed preparation for the days ahead. There is ample time to set up camera and dive equipment or to explore the surroundings at your own pace.

Our days on Saint Helena follow a calm and well-balanced rhythm. Mornings are dedicated to diving: short boat rides, two dives with a surface interval, and enough time to experience the distinctive dive sites around the island without rushing. After diving, the afternoons remain deliberately open. With a rental car, we explore the island at our own pace, driving through the green interior, following the coastline, or stopping spontaneously at viewpoints. Land-based highlights such as Jacob’s Ladder are naturally part of the experience, alongside small villages, quiet bays, and unplanned moments along the way. This combination of focused diving in the morning and unstructured exploration in the afternoon creates space for underwater encounters as well as for getting to know a remote island that sets its own pace.

Into the rhythm now. Two morning dives along Saint Helena’s volcanic walls and drop-offs, with a relaxed surface interval to scan the blue for passing pelagics. Pantropical spotted dolphins often join the boat on the way out. In the afternoon the rental car is yours for a first proper wander through Jamestown, the Georgian capital tucked into its steep valley.

February is whale shark season. The wildcard of any trip here. If the spotters call it, the morning belongs to time in the water with the world’s largest fish, slow and gentle and unbothered by snorkelers. If they stay offshore, two reef dives keep things rolling, and the afternoon opens up for the green interior and Diana’s Peak.

A wreck morning when conditions allow. The remains in James Bay sit shallow and unhurried, taken over by schooling fish and the odd turtle — easy, atmospheric diving. The afternoon turns to history with a drive up to Longwood House, where Napoleon spent his final years in exile.

Two dives with a good chance of devil rays and big schools gathering at the cleaning stations off the points. In the afternoon, follow the road out to Sandy Bay and the dramatic volcanic spires of Lot and Lot’s Wife.

South-coast diving if the swell cooperates — cooler, clearer water and the best odds for something big cruising past. Back on land, climb to High Knoll Fort for the panorama, then take the quiet lanes through the island’s green heart at your own pace.

By now the routine feels natural and the gear is ready before the splash. Easy reef dives with turtles, trumpetfish and the endemics. In the afternoon, head up to Plantation House to meet Jonathan, the giant tortoise thought to be around 190 years old and the island’s most famous resident.

Two relaxed dives with time to notice the small things — nudibranchs, eels and the endemic fish that make this isolated reef unique. The afternoon is for one of Saint Helena’s famous Post Box walks, out across the ridges to a remote viewpoint.

A pelagic morning if the spotters find the action — devil rays, dolphins, maybe a late-season whale shark. Otherwise the reliable reef sites deliver. The afternoon stays open for Jamestown: the museum, a coffee on the seafront, the slow pace of the island’s only town.

Diving wherever the day is best — the crew read the wind and pick the sheltered side of the island. Clear water and the usual cast of turtles, schooling fish and pelagics on the move. The afternoon is yours: another look at Diana’s Peak cloud forest, or a quiet bay for a swim.

A last full day in the water. Revisit the week’s favourite site, or chase whatever the spotters report — the day to make the encounter you’ve been hoping for. Round it off with sunset on the coast.

An easy final island day, no rush. Depending on how you feel and the next day’s flight, a gentle last dive or a relaxed surface day. Time for the last viewpoints, a final climb or a quiet coffee in Jamestown before the journey home begins tomorrow.

After the final night and a relaxed morning, you will transfer to the airport on Saint Helena for the return flight to Johannesburg, arriving later in the evening. An overnight stay at a nearby airport hotel is usually recommended before continuing your journey home. We are happy to arrange your flights and any desired extensions within South Africa.

TRIP LEADER

Your trip leader

The driving force. Over 20 years of providing people adrenaline through big animal diving. If there is a divespot worth noting, he will have heard about it. A wild character with a big heart, a lethal combination.

We are Behind the Mask Travel.

We offer individual tailor-made dive travel and organised group travel to the finest dive spots in the world.