The Virgin Islands' Best Snorkeling

Good snorkeling is in the eye of the beholder, but most people gravitate to reefs. It’s here, after all, where you will see the greatest diversity of fish, marine life, and coral. But sea grass and mangrove habitats are also fun to explore.

Boats moored in the shallow waters of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, near Coki Beach. Photo © Andrei Medvedev/123rf.

U.S. Virgin Islands

• Coki Beach, St. Thomas: The reef here is easy to access and teems with colorful fish, from angels to doctors.
• East End Marine Sanctuary, St. Thomas: A small human-made reef off Cas Cay attracts a wide variety of fish, and the mangroves are home to tiny juveniles of every shape and color.
• Waterlemon Cay, St. John: The reef that encircles this small offshore cay is a cornucopia of marine life, from squid to parrot fish to the waterlemon shark that give this spot its name. Don’t overlook the sea grass beds at nearby Leinster Bay, habitat for turtles, conch, and sea stars.
• Salt Pond Bay, St. John: Swim along the rocky edge to a magical underwater landscape populated by schools of tiny angelfish.
• Ann E. Abramson Frederiksted Pier, St. Croix: Put on a mask to discover the surprising and enchanting underwater cornucopia of life that surrounds the pilings which support St. Croix’s cruise ship pier.

Just a few of the sea critters you might spot while snorkeling at Waterlemon Cay on St. John. Photo © SNORKELINGDIVES.COM, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.

British Virgin Islands

• Smuggler’s Cove, Tortola: An easy offshore reef near the western end of the beach is a good snorkel stop for beginners.
• The Caves and The Indians, Norman Island: Explore underwater grottoes to see darkness-dwelling sponges and fish, and circumnavigate a sheer rock island for a perfect day of exquisite snorkeling around Norman Island.
• Loblolly Bay, Anegada: Explore the inner edge of the Horseshoe Reef and find huge brain coral and sea fans.
• Sandy Spit, Jost Van Dyke: Schools of bright blue tang patrol this underwater garden, best visited on a calm day.

Excerpted from the Sixth Edition of Moon U.S. & British Virgin Islands.