Le Pâté

Le Pâté

Geography
Location	Caribbean sea
Coordinates	15°52′19″N 61°37′39″W / 15.87194°N 61.62750°W / 15.87194; -61.62750Coordinates: 15°52′19″N 61°37′39″W / 15.87194°N 61.62750°W / 15.87194; -61.62750
Archipelago	Îles des Saintes
Total islands	9
Major islands	Terre-de-Bas Island
Administration
France
Overseas department	Guadeloupe
Canton	les Saintes
commune	Terre-de-Bas
Mayor	Fred Beaujour
Demographics
Population	uninhabited
Additional information
Diving sec Pâté, one of the most beautiful dive site of Lesser Antilles

Le Pâté is an island in shape of high plateau in the archipelago of Îles des Saintes including the commune (municipality) of Terre-de-Bas. It is located at 900 m (0.56 mi) of the northern headland of Terre-de-Bas Island, called Pointe à Vache. It opens the Pain de Sucre Passage (Sugar loaf) which is the main shipping lane to access to the Bay of les Saintes by the North.^[1]

The ascent of this island is very difficult, the swell and the Ocean currents are very violent and the winds very changeable.

Scuba diving

Not far away of the islands, there is an exceptional dive's site, called sec Pâté. Sec Pâté, is classified among the hundreds most beautiful sites of the worlds and stays one of the wealth of the heritage of Îles des Saintes.^[2] Sec Pâté, is a submarine mountain, which the base belongs at less 300 m (980 ft) deep and the top at less 15 m (49 ft) below sea level. The maritime conditions make this dive difficult and the level 2 is required. The place abounds in a large quantity of diversified fishes, sea turtles, sea fans, corals, gorgonians, lobsters and shellfishes which appropriate the marine domain, around three rock peaks which form the top of the mountain.^[3][4][5]

Notes and references