St. Thomas or St, John for snorkeling?

[pinkroses]

Augie, where would you suggest for snorkeling?

[augie]

Augie, where would you suggest for snorkeling?

 

That would depend on a few things;

 

Your level of experience/comfort in the water,

How much time you have on island and,

The conditions (wind and swell) the day you are here.

 

For most cruisers I would suggest, in the following order and for the following reasons;

 

1 - Cinnamon Bay. Full facilities, rental gear, and if you're comfortable in water over your head and the wind, waves, and current aren't bad the snorkel out to and around the cay is among the most underrated on the island. Taxis to and from easy to catch.

 

2 - Maho Bay. Protected from wind and waves, and the snorkeling begins in water shallow enough to stand in (but please, only stand in the sand!). Out to and around the point to Little Maho you can see a lot of marine life and the grass beds just off of the beach usually have turtles munching there. Bathrooms but no showers or rental gear available. Taxis getting there should not be a problem but you may want to make arrangements to be picked up for your return. There are more taxis that drive by than there used to be, but you won't see big numbers of them waiting there like you will at Trunk and Cinnamon.

 

3 - Honeymoon Beach. This is on the property at the Caneel Bay resort, but taxi drivers will drop you off at the Caneel parking lot, From there it's a relatively short and flat hike to this beautiful beach. The snorkeling is especially good at the point to the far left end of the beach.

 

4 - Hawksnest Bay. Closest public beach to town. Taxis are plentiful and the reef is very close to shore, but it's not as vibrant and alive as the others mentioned above.

Edited February 21, 2014 by augie

[hawkeyecruiser2]

I highly recommend Captain Wilson. We've used Island Wilson Excursions for the past three years. He's extremely flexible with cruise passengers and will work with your ship's schedule and time in port. We went to the BVI's two years in a row and last week we stayed in the USVI's. He knows the best places to snorkel and all the sea life by name. Can't wait to use him again!!