Snorkeling St Thomas Virgin Islands – Although only 31 miles in size, St. Thomas boasts a number of exciting attractions and two towns with old-time charm and nightlife. This pearl of the US Virgin Islands also offers beautiful places for people who want to experience the beauty of the Caribbean waters while snorkeling in St Thomas. Now we show the top ten places worth visiting for their turquoise waters and abundant marine life.
The best feature of the beaches of St. Thomas whose waves are easily accessible from the beach, so you don’t have to pay for expensive boat trips.
Snorkeling St Thomas Virgin Islands
The climate of the US Virgin Islands makes them a year-round destination with temperatures in the 80s during the day and 70s at night, and sea temperatures between 26 and 29 C (79-84 F). This makes it possible to snorkel at any time of the year.
Best Snorkeling Spots In The U.s. Virgin Islands
However, winds increase during winter which increases wave size and reduces water visibility the rest of the year, and there is a hurricane season from July to October.
For the best light and snorkeling experience, visitors generally choose to come to enjoy their St. Thomas snorkeling vacation in late spring or early summer.
Magen’s Bay enjoys the reputation of being the most popular beach in St. Thomas. A beautiful public swimming pool is a mile long with very cool water. The waves and current are so easy here, making it ideal for small families.
This isn’t the best snorkeling beach on the island if you want to see coral, but it’s definitely one of the best snorkeling spots on St. Thomas to swim with the turtles that regularly hang out on this sheltered beach.
St. John Snorkeling Update
There are also many other water sports available at this beach such as kayaking and boating. The convention offers snorkeling gear for rent, but it’s always a good idea to bring your own snorkel set. The restaurant and bar offer entertainment such as pizza and burgers.
Tip: if you’re looking for a nice place to stay nearby, check out Flamboyan at the Bay Resort. It only offers beautiful views, but Magens beach is a 10-minute walk away!
The Coki River is not only one of the most beautiful parts of the island, with soft sand and crystal clear waters, but it is also home to the best snorkeling beaches in St. Thomas. This also means it’s busier when the ships approach the port, so come early to avoid the crowds.
The two best places for snorkeling are the rocky areas on the left or right side near Coral World Ocean Park. Here visitors will find many interesting fish with rays and crabs.
Bvi Beach Bar & Snorkel
This St Thomas resort also benefits from most amenities from a variety of snorkelling beaches. There is snorkelling and diving equipment hire, beach shop, bar, chair and umbrella and even a children’s playground.
If you want to know where to snorkel in St. Thomas less crowded, look no further than Lindquist Beach located in the 21-acre Smith Bay Park Conservation Area. Locals consider this place as one of their favorite places because they don’t get many tourists. Therefore, it is a good place to play sports on the beach or just relax and enjoy the view of St. John, neighbors.
Entering the water from the beach, snorkelers find sea grass that makes it a good place to snorkel with turtles in St. Thomas. Sometimes the rays can be seen feeding or resting on the sandy bottom. Far from the beach is a wide and beautiful reef.
Note: there is a small entrance fee ($5 US for non-residents) and parking fees are not included.
Sapphire Beach St Thomas Snorkeling & Beach Guide
Sapphire River is one of those places to snorkel in St. Thomas USVI on the east side of the island which offers good conditions for all levels of snorkelers. This amazing view is amazing for the beautiful white sand beach. Due to this beach of Sapphire Beach Resort, you can use the facilities such as the bathroom and chairs.
The reef stretches along the left side of the beach. You can count on enjoying brain corals, exotic fish and sometimes turtles or rays here as this beach and its corals are protected by local authorities. Police with snorkels are on the lookout for anyone who approaches the coral. They will whistle and order you to swim out of the stream if you go straight through it.
Secret Harbor on the south side of the island is St Thomas’ premier snorkeling spot, which is fun for divers of all levels and highly recommended for beginners. The calm waters are sheltered and show lots of underwater marine life.
Coral can be found on both sides of the bay (but be careful on the left because the current can be strong there) and there is also a reef in the middle. Additionally, there are patches of grass that attract turtles and rays. In addition to colorful corals and fish, you can sometimes see octopuses and squids here.
The 7 Best Beaches In St Thomas, Us Virgin Islands
Secret Harbor Resort has a restaurant on site and you can also use the restrooms. These features make this beach very convenient with all the equipment close by that you need for a day out.
One of the best places to snorkel in St Thomas near the harbor is Brewers Bay, which is also a great place to swim with green turtles! This beach is uniquely located on the west side of the island, right next to the airport and 4 miles from the ferry port.
Brewers Bay has lots of sea grass that attracts sea turtles! The best thing is that you don’t have to swim far, they usually hang around deep water.
There may not be many coral reefs or fish to admire, but the turtles grazing on the sea grass more than make up for it. It’s also a good place to get away from the crowded boats on tourist days. The only downside is that there is little shade, so bring a tent or umbrella!
St. Thomas, U.s. Virgin Islands
Hull Bay is one of St. Thomas’s favorite beaches for a reason. It’s kind of a private spot without too many people.
The main beach is sandy with occasional rocks. Snorkelers in the water will enjoy the marine life and small fish near the shore. Walking a short distance will reward the effort with sightings of squid and lobster.
The water here rises from the middle of the bay to the right and starts about 40 yards from the beach. Large coral heads approx 100m from where you find the best fish with large schools of tangs and angelfish. Sea turtles can also be seen around the buoys.
Hull Bay has no facilities, but there is also a beach bar and restaurant on site to refresh you after the cruise is over.
Best Snorkeling Spots In The Caribbean
If you are looking for a unique place to snorkel in St Thomas then consider the Mermaid Chair. This interesting place is located at the westernmost point of St. Thomas in the Preserve at Botany Bay. The trip requires you to approach the place on foot. Your score for this challenge is to be at the point where the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea meet.
The beach has beautiful rocks and clear water for snorkeling and swimming. This is the place to watch the waves from the Atlantic crashing onto the beach as they meet the calm waves from the Caribbean, but be sure to bring beach and water shoes because there are lots of shells, corals and marine debris that wash up on the beach.
If you are thinking of booking a St Thomas snorkeling tour while on the island, we recommend you visit Buck Island.
It is the first place to enjoy pristine air in the US Virgin Islands thanks to the protected wildlife sanctuary status that the entire island enjoys. You will find many coves here with colorful reefs, but the most popular are Turtle Cove and Shipwreck Cove.
Secret Harbor St. Thomas Snorkeling Guide
Turtle Cove, as its name suggests, is where there is a high chance of seeing many sea turtles. At Shipwreck Cove, you can observe the 190-foot Cartanza Senora shipwreck that serves as a temporary reef and is visited by stingrays and turtles. It rests in water about 40 feet deep, but thanks to the exceptional clarity of the water, it is also visible to snorkelers.
Boat trips to Buck Island usually include snacks and open rum on the return trip, so a trip like this is a fun way to spend the day. While it may not be the best snorkeling in Saint Thomas in terms of marine life, seeing the wreck is definitely a fun experience.
Last but not least we mentioned Christmas Cove which is a popular resort of St. Thomas which you can visit by registering.
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