Trunk Bay or Turtle Cove

[madisonswims]

Hi there!

 

We will be visiting St. Thomas (and willing to go over the St. John) in December. I think this will be the highlight of our trip because the snorkeling here is supposedly better than the other ports we are visiting. We really want to make the most of the day.

 

I would love to hear your thoughts about snorkeling in Trunk Bay and Turtle Cove. I have read that they are both great. Which has more fish, more to see?

 

Or, is there another place you have found to be even better?

 

Your recommendations are greatly appreciated!

[rockwood84]

I haven't been to Trunk Bay, so I can't compare the two. I have been to Turtle Cove, and I can tell you that about the only thing to see there is, well, turtles. They are pretty cool, and we saw quite a few of them, but there weren't many fish and not much coral. (Saw a giant stingray!)

 

The best snorkeling I have EVER done was on that same excursion at Shipwreck Cove. In addition to the wreck in the middle of the cove, the coral was absolutely beautiful. There were lots of fish here, also, and I even saw a couple of turtles.

 

We booked the excursion through Carnival - Captain Nautica. It wasn't cheap, but it was definitely worth it. They took two groups on separate boats, and each boat only held 16 people, which means fewer chances of getting kicked in the face by your fellow snorkelers.

 

Have a great trip!

[madisonswims]

Great advice. I hadn't heard of Shipwreck Cove. I will definitely have to check it out.

 

I also see Coki Beach coming up often too. I wonder about that. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks!

[Dale&Joan]

We snorkeled in Trunk Bay two years ago and loved it. I think it is the only place in the world that has a underwater freeway. You swim out to a bowie and swim around to another bowie in a huge circle. There is a track of headstones on sand that explains the type of fish that might be present, who their enemies are etc. and it is very interesting.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147411-d147590-Reviews-Trunk_Bay-Virgin_Islands_National_Park_St_John_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

[padiho]

Trunk Bay is beautiful for snorkeling...easy to walk out from the beach..interesting information on the on the bottom as you follow the trail. Enjoy

[Loves Snorkeling]

Here are some other sites that may interest you.

Here are 2 links, which I found to be good for reference, for those who enjoy snorkeling.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations...217020831.html

 

http://www.cruisereviews.com/info/snorkeling.htm

[madisonswims]

These are great resources! I hadn't heard of them. Thank you very much! I will use them for the other islands we are visiting as well! :D

[63musicgirl]

We did (and are doing again) the Captain Nautica excursion. It is a speed boat ride. We went to 3 places including Turtle Cove. It was AWESOME.

 

Hint: take the AM excursion since you will beat the rush of the other excursions that go be catamaran.

 

The other 2 places were great as well.

[jaguarprincess]

We've not been to Turtle Bay but have spent some time on St. John. I'd take a cab to Hawksbill Beach. It was our favorite for snorkeling a couple of years ago. It's not far from Trunk Bay, so you could easily do both. You can probably pick up lunch to go at JD's Texas Cafe (?) in Cruz Bay when you get off the ferry. Good luck, Mary Sue