St. Kitts earns 11 honours in 2027 Scuba Diving Readers’ Choice Awards

St. Kitts and Nevis: St. Kitts has picked up 11 honours at the 2027 Scuba Diving Readers' Choice Awards, with divers rating the island among the best overall and for the health of its marine environment.

The winners of the awards are decided by a clear voting process involving readers of Scuba Diving magazine who have dived at each destination.

The honours include one of the Best among each of the following categories: Overall, Wreck Diving, Wall Diving, Big Animals, Macro Life, Health of Marine Environment, Underwater Photography, Best Value, Beginners, Advanced and Snorkeling.

The St. Kitts Tourism Authority (My St. Kitts) announced the results on October 2, 2026 through a social media post that noted, “This recognition reflects the richness of our marine environment and the dedication of the dive operators, conservationists and community members who work to protect it.”

Chief Executive Officer Kelly Fontenelle noted that divers are a discerning audience and says the honours came directly from divers.

"Divers are a discerning audience, and these 11 honours come directly from them," she said.

Fontenelle further mentioned that the acknowledgment is shared equally by the island’s dive operators and all those who strive to preserve St. Kitts reefs.

“This recognition belongs equally to our dive operators and to everyone who works to protect our reefs. Whether you are taking your first breath underwater, descending a wall with a camera in hand or simply snorkelling off the beach, St. Kitts has a place for you. We invite divers everywhere to come and see why their peers voted for us," Fontenelle said.

The Health of Marine Environment award is extremely important to the nation as the care of reefs and marine life is a focal point of St. Kitts' strategy for tourism.

The outcome is a rise over a year ago. In the 2026 edition there were six accolades for the country in the Scuba Diving magazine, including Best Value, Big Animals, Wreck Diving, Health of the Marine Environment, Macro Life and Beginner Diving.

Dive operators have reported 11,000 votes counted for this year's accolades.

Scuba Diving magazine will publish the 2027 results in its November issue as the DEMA trade show goes on, featuring a Readers' Choice Awards ceremony.