Atlantis submarine dive

A battery-powered submarine takes you as deep as 150 feet off Barbados's west coast, past coral, reef fish and the Lord Willoughby, a coral-covered wreck lying at 120 feet, a depth normally left to experienced divers. Hawksbill turtles and stingrays sometimes turn up at the big portholes. The cabin is air-conditioned and kept at surface pressure, so there is nothing to wear and nothing to learn, and a crew member narrates the whole way.

The trip starts at the Shallow Draught harbour just north of Bridgetown's cruise terminal, where a transfer boat runs you out to the sub. The whole outing is about an hour and 45 minutes, 40 to 45 minutes of it underwater. Children must be over 3 feet tall, and everyone has to climb 11 ladder-style steps unaided, so it is not wheelchair accessible. No food or drink on board, and switch off your flash against the windows. Morning dives are smoother, as the sea picks up during the day. The night dive uses floodlights to show moray eels, lobsters and other night feeders, and draws fewer children. From November to April cruise passengers fill the day dives, so book ahead. Hotel transfers can be added for a fee.