Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WHERE TO DIVE: USVI
Near-shore reefs fringe St Thomas and St John and offer exploration amid arches, tunnels
and other eye-popping formations. St Croix is even more dramatic with vast canyons and
coral-encrusted walls that plunge into the deep. Marine life abounds wherever you go: more
than 500 fish species swim in local waters, as well as three of the world's seven species of
sea turtle.
St Thomas & St John
Dozens of popular dive sites lie in Pillsbury Sound, the body of water that divides St Thomas
and St John. A line of long, narrow cays fills the sea here. When the weather cooperates,
divers can kick around caves, arches, tunnels and steep walls on the cays' windward north
shores. The action moves to protected fringing reefs when the sea turns rough. Dive operat-
ors huddle on St Thomas' East End and St John's West End to visit the sites; they're reach-
able via a 10- to 20-minute boat ride from either location.
Elsewhere on St Thomas, diving focuses on a handful of shipwrecks and craggy islands
strung along the south shore, where dolphins, angelfish, lobsters and sharks patrol. On St
John, diving also concentrates in the sheltered waters along its south shore. Dive boats can
get to most sites in these regions within 20 minutes.
St Thomas' dive industry is the larger of the two, with about a dozen dive shops dotting
the beaches between Lindbergh Bay near the airport and Coki Bay on the East End; many
operators are resort-based. St John's small group of operators hub mostly in and around Cruz
Bay.
St Croix
The island's north shore is its claim to fame, thanks to the sheer wall that runs along the
coast. This geological feature plummets more than 2 miles into the yawning Virgin Trough,
offering divers a gasp-worthy glimpse into the abyss. From Christiansted, the best dive sites
are 10 to 45 minutes away by boat. Travel times via the operators at Salt River Marina and
Cane Bay are shorter; from Cane Bay, you can even dive from shore.
