Outside the Marine Park, nautical activities are subject to the regulations in force:
In the channel, harbor and anchorage areas, less than 300 meters from the coast, in the bays of the reserve and less than 100 meters from the islets, the speed is limited to 5 knots. This measure protects bathers, swimmers and sea turtles from boats and motorized vehicles.
Anchoring has a major impact on our seabed.
Certain zones prohibit anchoring, such as the red zone of the Marine Park, the Petits Saints and Pointe-Milou Bay. In other areas, anchoring is regulated (yellow zone of the Nature Reserve).
In the other bays around Saint-Barthélemy, the DONIA application is a useful tool for avoiding areas with coral reefs or seagrass beds, in order to better preserve them. This map shows all the seabeds and their nature around the island between 0 and 18m depth.
The port area comprises a marina, a commercial port and a mooring area for anchoring or mooring buoys. Before maneuvering, call the harbor master's office on VHF Channel 12. Vessels must use the access channel to enter or leave the port, and must keep to a speed of 5 knots within the port area.
For further information, visit the Gustavia port website.
Created in 2017, and included in the port area, the Aire Marine Éducative des Petits Saints is delimited by 6 white buoys. In addition to port regulations, other prohibitions apply on this site:
Within the zone, the following activities are authorized:
Saint-Barthélemy's territorial waters are part of the AGOA sanctuary. Within this marine protected area dedicated to the protection of marine mammals, the observation and approach of cetaceans are regulated.
As a reminder, regulations prohibit approaching marine mammals within 300 meters of the Agoa Sanctuary, on the water, underwater and above the water.
Only professionals trained by the sanctuary are authorized to approach up to 100m.
Report a stranding or a marine mammal in distress: Local contact: 06 90 31 70 73 (ATE emergency phone).
An area off Pointe Milou is the focus of a project to rehabilitate degraded coral environments through habitat restoration. Three structures have been submerged, providing shelter and support, and coral cuttings have been planted. This project was initiated by the Ouanalao reef association, and monitoring of the site has now been entrusted to the INE association.
