Snorkeling / Diving

St Croix is a snorkeling and diving mecca, from the world renown Buck Island Reef National Monument underwater trail to the numerous shallow-water beaches to the also world famous 2-mile vertical drop of the Cane Bay Wall, the island's incredible near-shore waters provide fantastic conditions for snorkeling and diving. The island is almost completely surrounded by a barrier reef teeming with coral, sponges, schools of tropical fish, sea turtles, and more.​

 

Cane Bay Wall​

The world famous Cane Bay Wall is a 2-mile vertical drop off of the north shore of St. Croix, best accessed via the Cane Bay Wall or Salt River Canyon. But you don't have to be an experienced deep sea technical diver to get a thrill out of exploring this area.​

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The shallow coral shelf or garden starts around 25 to 40 feet, making it accessible to snorkelers and novice divers. The sheer drop-off begins near 80 feet, and the wall descends rapidly to hundreds of feet before dropping to over 3,000 feet into the Puerto Rico trench. 

It takes about 10-minute swim to get to the best snorkeling area. You need to start from the concrete boat launch and swim a little over 100 yards/270m. Take it easy on the swim so you aren't exhausted before start your snorkel run. If you don’t find yourself confident enough to swim long distances in open water, book a guided tour at one of the dive shops.

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Snorkelers and divers frequently spot sea turtles, reef sharks, stingrays, garden eels, and large schools of tropical fish like blue tang and Creole wrasse. 

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Fredericksted Pier

One of the best and most popular places for snorkeling in St Croix is Fredericksted Pier. The pier is more than 1000-feet long structure with depths up to 40ft/12m and features vibrant marine life. The massive pillars, covered with coral, provide hiding places for shoals of fish, squids, and turtles while the sandy bottom attracts eagles and stingrays to the area. Of course, no snorkeling or diving is allowed at the pier if a cruise ship is in port. You can check the cruise ship schedule here.  View a video clip here.

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Buck Island Reef National Monument

Buck Island is an uninhabited island that lies just about 1.5 miles off St. Croix’s Northeast coast. The monument's protected status covers ~18,000 acres of sea and land. The island boasts postcard-perfect beaches, clear turquoise waters, and is teeming marine life. There are more than 250 colorful fish species, like surgeonfish, doctorfish, butterflyfish, blue tangs, parrotfish, angelfish, and sergeant majors. Juvenile sharks, eagle rays, lobsters, octopuses, and sea turtles also live here. The Buck Island Reef National Monument was ranked #2 on the ‘World’s Top 10 snorkel spots’ list by the Coastal Living Magazine. View a video clip here.

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Shoys Beach

Shoys Beach is one of the calmest Saint Croix snorkeling beaches. This spot is quieter than other places because the entrance is hidden behind The Buccaneer Hotel gates; therefore, most people think it is a private area. To get there, take the road next to The Buccaneer Hotel and tell the guards you want to go to the beach. They will let you in. Leave your car in the parking lot at the end of the road and access the beach through the tunnel in the mangroves. The beach itself is wide with plenty of shade, but there are no facilities.

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Isaac Bay and Jack's Bay

If you like more secluded experiences and don’t mind making some extra effort to get to there, Isaac Bay and Jack's Bay might be for you. It is a fairly remote spot but easily accessible by a 10-15-minute hike from the parking at Point Updall. The hike is not difficult, even with kids. Bring plenty of water and snacks and maybe a beach umbrella as there is not much shade on the beach.

 

About 50 yards from the shore, it is a wide area protected by a barrier reef, with corals in the shallow water. If you keep walking past Isaac’s Bay, you will get to the even more remote Jack’s Bay beach. 

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Butler Bay

Butler Bay is known as a wreck diving spot, but not many people know that there is a shallow shipwreck on the left side of the bay that lies about 20-30 ft/6-9 m deep but is visible from the surface, too. The wreck functions as an artificial reef, promoting coral growth and attracting marine life to the area with barracudas, small sharks, and turtles seen around it.

Be aware that it takes about 10 minutes of swimming to reach the wreck, so go there only if you are a strong swimmer and have good equipment. If not, join a boat trip at any dive center that takes divers to the Butler Bay wreck and ask them to drop you at the shallow wreck. 

View a video clip here.

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Tamarind Reef and Green Cay

Tamarind Reef, on the north shore east of Christiansted, has a fantastic reef, a nice sandy beach with bathrooms, huts, water sport equipment, and beach gear rental, bars and restaurants.

 

The Tamarind Reef Snorkel Trail lies on the east end of the beach. You should swim to the west near the breakwater end to see the best part of it, which is considered as nice as the Buck Island Trail by many. Expect to see a variety of soft and hard corals as well as Caribbean reef fish.

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You could also rent a kayak and paddle out to the little islet of Green Cay, which offers more snorkeling around a small, 14-acre uninhabited island located about a quarter-mile off the coast from Tamarind Reef.

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Smugglers Cove

Smugglers Cove is a secluded beach on the east end of the island. If you come on a weekday, you might have it for yourself. It is a pretty kid-friendly beach and a good snorkel spot for beginners. Pack your beach gear, as well as food and drinks, because there is no shop or kiosk around.

 

The best area for snorkeling is around the remains of the old dock structure where many small fish gather. A little further out, the seabed is covered with seagrass where you can see sea stars, stingrays, and sometimes turtles too.

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Rainbow Beach

Rainbow Beach is one of the island’s most popular beaches because of the wide variety of services available, including bathrooms, umbrella and chair rental service, water sports, and a volleyball court, which add to the beach fun. There is Rhythms Bar, a small restaurant that serves great food and drinks at affordable prices.

 

This might not be the best spot for snorkeling in St Croix in terms of marine life, but in front of the restaurant area there are small coral patches and among the rocks you can see some fish. This makes it a good place to teach the kids to snorkel as the water is calm and clear. More  advanced snorkelers should swim towards the white buoys at the north end of the beach where rays and moray eels often found.

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