Caribbean PARADISE

Immerse yourself in the natural wonders of St Lucia

- QIN XIE

I squeal with delight as I launch up to the sea's surface, before floating back down to the sea bed in a fit of giggles. I can't remember the last time I experienced such unbridled joy, but it's hard not to when you're 20 feet below the waves with only schools of colourful fish to see me behave like a five year old.

I'm in the tropical waters of St Lucia in the southern Caribbean, trying sea trekking for the first time. It's a type of diving where you wear a giant weighted helmet, with oxygen constantly pumping through it, so you can breathe normally while bouncing along the seabed. Unlike scuba diving, there's no special training, you don't need to know how to swim, and your hair doesn't even get wet, making it the perfect way to get up close to the island's marine life.

It takes a few minutes to get used to the weightlessness, but I'm soon hopping around the underwater art installation next to Pigeon Island while my guide points out different things. As I glide between tables and chairs and even a couple of cars, tiny fishes gawp at me. It's like being in an enormous fish tank and I'm loving it.

Pirates and forts