“Long Ledge has a swim-through in a cave,” explains Craig Yon, a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and co-owner of Dive Saint Helena, during the dive briefing. “Follow Karl or me and stick to the cave’s outer rim. Avoid swimming under the blowhole, because water tends to get sucked upward through a skylight in the cave, and you could be pulled up toward the roof.”

I nod and try to look unfazed, but I’ve never dived in a cave before. The words “sucked upward” and “blowhole” are unsettling.

I’m in Saint Helena, a tiny island some 1,200 miles off the coast of Angola, Africa. Diving with me are two fellow South Africans and a Dutch traveler, as well as two locals: Yon and Karl Thrower (a local businessman, politician and keen underwater photographer). We roll backward off the boat into the South Atlantic Ocean. It’s cooler than I expected but not uncomfortable, around 73 degrees Fahrenheit, and the visibility is extraordinary. I can see at least 80 feet in every direction.

The reef below is lit by shafts of sunlight that cut through the blue like glass. As we descend, Saint Helena’s endemic butterflyfish (Chaetodon sanctaehelenae) flicker in and out of view. A scrawled filefish glides past, its body covered in electric-blue scribbles like a child went wild with a paint pen. A pair of trumpetfish hang motionless over a rocky outcrop, blending in like sentinels.

We fin slowly toward the cave entrance. A curtain of red soldierfish parts as we glide beneath the overhang. Our bubbles rise, swirling with the school as they stream upward. Inside, orange cup coral clings to the walls and glass-eyed snapper flick past in quick bursts of silver. The cave reveals itself as a swim-through, the exit clearly visible as we trace its edge, careful to steer clear of the blowhole. I find myself relaxing into the rhythm of the dive. Any nervousness I’d felt earlier has dissipated.

After exiting the cave, an island cowfish with its comically boxy body hovers below me and a sleek surgeonfish drifts into view. Thrower takes a group photo, then it’s time to ascend.

The “Bone Sharks” of Saint Helena

Each year, from December to March, whale sharks (known locally as “bone sharks”) aggregate in the waters off Saint Helena. Kenickie Andrews, marine conservation projects manager at the St Helena National Trust, says the island has worked hard to create strict guidelines for whale shark encounters.

“It’s not just about protecting bone sharks locally,” he explains. “It’s about creating a global benchmark for sustainable and respectful marine tourism. Elsewhere in the world, whale shark tourism can be unregulated.”

For instance, Oslob, in the Philippines, is one of the busiest whale shark tourism sites. Operators lure sharks daily with nearly 900 pounds of planktonic sergestid shrimp. A 2023 study conducted by Australia's Flinders University found that this feeding method causes whale sharks to burn up to 70 percent more energy. The sharks hover in shallow water all morning, then dive unusually deep later (possibly to compensate for the extra time spent in the shallows). So, despite provisioning, they still require more energy than they would have if they hadn’t been fed. As a result, the researchers have cautioned against this practice in Oslob and elsewhere.

Saint Helena takes the opposite approach. Provisioning is banned, and tours are capped with science-based rules. Snorkeling with whale sharks is allowed, but scuba diving with them is not. “We only permit scuba encounters as part of licensed scientific research,” says Andrews.

The result is encounters that feel wild, respectful and entirely on the sharks’ terms. My visit was a little early in the season, so I didn’t spot any this time, but Thrower describes the experience of snorkeling with them as magnificent: “Drifting in cobalt-blue water with incredible visibility as a massive shark glides by, unbothered by your presence, is awe-inspiring.”

Related Reading: 8 Best Places for Shark Encounters

Dolphins, Wrecks and Endemic Reefs

A few days before my Long Ledge dive, I join Yon for a coastal snorkel. Within minutes of leaving Jamestown harbor, Yon points ahead and calls out, “pantropical spotted dolphins.” I sit on the edge of the boat, legs dangling, as they zigzag beneath us in playful bursts.

We continue along the coast past Lemon Valley (a popular bay for snorkeling) to Egg Island, home to nesting brown noddy birds, named for their head-bobbing courtship dance. After watching the birds for a bit, we make our way to Long Ledge to snorkel what would be our dive site in a couple of days. As much as I enjoy the snorkeling here, spotting an ocean triggerfish and several other species, Long Ledge reveals itself far more vividly as a dive site.

Back in the capital of Jamestown, I explore the wreck of the SS Papanui, a 430-foot steamer that caught fire and sank in 1911. Just 820 feet offshore, it’s easily reached from the harbor steps with fins, mask and snorkel. At low tide, parts of the wreck rise above the surface. We swim through clouds of butterflyfish while a golden-headed strigate parrotfish drifts near the surface. Rusted beams become playgrounds for darting reef fish as we duck-dive, filming the wreck and ourselves with a GoPro.

I can’t help but fall in love with snorkeling and diving in Saint Helena, where the underwater world feels pristine.

Life on Land

Although the island covers only 47 square miles, Saint Helena is equally interesting above the waterline. Hiking trails trace volcanic ridges where basalt cliffs plunge into azure seas. Sheep graze on rolling hills, chickens wander alongside stone walls and the locals (who are exceptionally welcoming) wave at passing cars.

In addition to doing two spectacular hikes, I visit Longwood House, the final home of Napoleon Bonaparte, as I am intrigued to see how he lived on the island. Exiled to Saint Helena after escaping the Mediterranean island of Elba, the French emperor spent his last years here. Today, the house is preserved as a museum that includes the bed where he died.

On another excursion, my guide Tom Wortley takes me to see Jonathan, the island’s most famous resident. A Seychelles giant tortoise, Jonathan was gifted from Seychelles in 1882 and is believed to be at least 193 years old, making him the world’s oldest known living land animal. He and a few other giant tortoises live seemingly contently on the manicured lawns of Plantation House, the governor’s residence, where he has received visitors ranging from Queen Elizabeth II to the current Duke of Edinburgh.

A Taste of Saint Helena

Another island highlight is Wranghams Coffee Estate, which produces one of the rarest coffees on Earth. Owner Neil Fantom walked me through his coffee-making process. His Arabica beans are hand-picked, soaked, dried in greenhouses and roasted in small batches. Saint Helena coffee has long been prized for its flavor as for its scarcity. (It’s sold at Harrods in London, and I found it online for the equivalent of $95 for just 4.5 ounces). Sipping a delicious espresso on the island felt like drinking liquid gold.

Why Go

Saint Helena offers clear, warm subtropical Atlantic waters, encounters with whale sharks and dive sites where you’ll likely be the only boat around. Combine that with the island’s volcanic scenery, warm community and rich history, and you have one of the world’s most remote and rewarding adventures.

Need to Know: Saint Helena

How to Get There

There are no direct flights from the U.S., so most travelers combine Saint Helena with a visit to South Africa. Airlink offers direct flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Related Reading: Sardine Run Fever on South Africa's Wild Coast

Where to Explore

Challenge yourself on Jacob’s Ladder, a staircase of 699 steps rising from Jamestown to Ladder Hill Fort (James Appleton set a speed record in November 2024, reaching the top in 4 minutes and 40 seconds). Snorkel or dive Saint Helena’s waters, wander through the fern-draped cloud forest of Peaks National Park, sip coffee at Wranghams, or hike to Lot’s Wife’s Ponds, Lemon Valley or Blue Point.

Where to Dine

» Anne’s Place

» Mantis Hotel

» Saint Helena Yacht Club (stop by the Wednesday evening Fish Fry)