Caribbean

Saint Barthélemy

A small French island with a marine reserve for turtles and reef snorkel.

Green turtle, found in the waters of the wider region · Photo: James Thornton on Unsplash

Story only

Story only, for now. We love learning about this place and its ocean, so we share its story here and do not sell trips yet. Checked by Ocean Calling on 6 Oct 2026. Sources: When I watch cetaceans, Agoa Sanctuary; Biodiversite: nouvel arrete pour l'approche des cetaces, Outremers 360; Leatherback turtles in St Barth, Gustavia Harbor.

Why: Saint Barthelemy sits inside the French Agoa marine mammal sanctuary, where no one may come within 300 metres of whales, and only professionals trained by the sanctuary may approach to 100 metres, with no swimming or touching. Its marine nature reserve, set up in 1996, protects turtles, seagrass and coral reefs, and leatherback turtles nest on its beaches from March to July. We enjoy this island's story from the shore and give turtles and whales all the space they need.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. The US State Department (20 August 2026) advises normal precautions for Saint Barthélemy, Level 1. Hurricane season runs June to November. Sources: US Embassy, Travel Advisory Saint Barthélemy · UK FCDO travel advice, St Martin and St Barthélemy Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

WhalesTurtlesCoral reefs

Why Saint Barthélemy

People come for beaches and the harbour town of Gustavia. The marine nature reserve covers about 1,200 hectares in several zones, and green and hawksbill turtles use it. Humpback and bottlenose dolphins are listed by the reserve network, but the sanctuary number of species is for the whole region, not a promise here. The Agoa rule applies: 300 m from whales and nobody in the water. Story only for now.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

When to go

Timing changes a lot from place to place. See each place below.

We share this place as a story so you can learn. There is no Ocean Calling trip.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Story only

We tell the story. We do not sell a trip here.

Checked 6 Oct 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check

The story

Where in Saint Barthélemy

We share these places as stories and research notes. We do not offer or sell trips here.

Colombier and the marine reserve

Story only

A reserve with several protected zones where turtles feed on the seagrass and reef.

Also seen: Sea turtles, no touching, Humpback whales and dolphins are listed, watched only from the boat

Animals

Animals recorded in Saint Barthélemy

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Green turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detail

Green turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered

Leatherback hatchling crossing the sand toward the sea

Leatherback turtleDermochelys coriaceaSeen in 76 countries in the AtlasVulnerable

Humpback whale swimming close with long pectoral fin

Humpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Common bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bed

Common bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Sperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off Dominica

Sperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerable

Longsnout seahorse holding a red sponge stalk with its tail against blue water

Longsnout seahorseHippocampus reidiSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened

Nassau grouperEpinephelus striatusSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered

Orcas surfacing close together in calm Arctic Norwegian waters

Orca (killer whale)Orcinus orcaSeen in 55 countries in the AtlasData Deficient

Great barracuda cruising in open blue water, showing jagged teeth

Great barracudaSphyraena barracudaSeen in 84 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Male magnificent frigatebird perched on a mangrove branch

Magnificent frigatebirdFregata magnificensSeen in 52 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Nurse shark swimming over a reef at Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

Atlantic nurse sharkGinglymostoma cirratumSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasVulnerable

Southern stingray resting on white sand, St John, US Virgin Islands

Southern stingrayHypanus americanusSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened

Adult brown booby standing on a rock with its bill open against blue sky, Principe

Brown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Close view of a red-footed booby head with blue, pink and red bill and throat skin among green leaves

Red-footed boobySula sulaSeen in 91 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Crowd of brown pelicans packed together on a coastal roost, one adult with a pale head and coloured bill facing the camera

Brown pelicanPelecanus occidentalisSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Curious?

Why this is a story, not a trip

Read our ethics check above. If you would like to talk about it, Rocío is happy to explain.

Ask Rocío Back to the Ocean Atlas

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Based in Saint Barthélemy?

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