St. Thomas USVI · Activities

St. Thomas Snorkeling

Snorkeling around St. Thomas opens up an entire new world as you can view many wonderful reefs and rock formations all around the island. The marine life and beautiful coral are a sight to see that you will enjoy as you relax and float along watching the antics under the sea.

Snorkeling is one of the easiest watersports that anyone will enjoy. You only need a mask, snorkel, fins and the ability to float on the surface to watch the magnificent marine life below the surface. There are many wonderful places on St. Thomas where snorkeling is excellent. The waters are clear which gives you better visibility and clarity. Snorkeling can be done along many beaches and shore lines or there are also boat trips available where you can visit some of the coral reefs in the area. You will find different charters available that will take you out on ½ day or full day excursion to a few unique snorkeling areas.

Some of the most favorite spots for snorkeling at St. Thomas include Coki Beach, Secret Harbor, and Sapphire Beach.

Coki Beach is located right beside the Coral World Marine Park and is a wonderful place for snorkeling. The waters are very calm and the rocky shore and reef area are awesome to see up close. You will enjoy snorkeling and then love relaxing on the beach while partaking of the snacks from the beach shack and food van. The Coki Beach Dive Club is also located on this beach. They have snorkeling gear available for rent and also lessons for snorkeling and scuba diving. For more information on the Coki Beach Dive Club you can visit their website at http://www.cokidive.com/.

Secret Harbor is located on the quiet East End of St. Thomas away from the busy downtown area.

The waters at Secret Harbor are just right for swimming and snorkeling. Snorkeling is best along the rocky coastline on the right side of the bay. For your convenience, there is a unique restaurant and beach bar on the right side of the beach. You can enjoy a picnic, swimming, snorkeling and the Caribbean sun on this wonderful beach.

Sapphire Beach can be found on the east end of St. Thomas only 8 miles from Cyril E. King airport and just 30 minutes away from Charlotte Amalie. There are many watersports activities available at this beautiful beach. There is a watersports booth that offers equipment for wind surfing, kayaks, jet skis and parasailing. So, as you can tell this is a very busy beach. But, if you enjoy snorkeling, you will love the shallow reefs on the right side of the beach. This is the quiet end of the beach and is wonderful for viewing the marine life under the sea. This beach is also home to a beach bar, restaurant, and hotel.

There are several wonderful and unique locations throughout the Virgin Islands for snorkeling. You can find that many charters offer boat trips to the various protected areas all around the Virgin Islands from St. Thomas that you will enjoy visiting.

Disney Cruise Lines has a wonderful snorkeling adventure that departs from St. Thomas. You will board the 115 foot Leylon Sneed and cruise to Trunk Bay which is located in St. John. You will love the wonderful sights in this protected area of St. John National Park. The snorkeling adventure will last for about an hour where you will view all the magnificent marine life and beautiful colors that this area has to offer. The colorful fish and coral are a sight to see. The entire journey will last around 4 to 4 ½ hours. Prices are $45.00 for anyone 10 years old or older and $32.00 for children age 5 to 9. For more information about this unique adventure you can visit their website at http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/disneycruiseline/index?id=DCLRoot.

Snorkeling is a great activity that the entire family will enjoy. Be sure to bring along your underwater camera, so you can capture all the awesome photos to take back home. This is one vacation that you are sure to remember, the magnificent sights under the sea are a wonder to behold and the images will last a lifetime in your memory and on your photos.

For More Information

• St. Thomas Snorkeling Outfits
• St. Thomas Day Sails
• Sign Up for the VI Newsletter

See you on the Island, John "Big Hat" Walsh