Snorkeling in St. Thomas is a dream for lovers of the underwater world. The sheer abundance of marine life here is astonishing, from 40 types of coral to some 400 species of dazzling reef fish. Rays glide through the blue depths, while lobsters, crabs, and sea stars can be spotted on the sun-dappled ocean floor.
You’ll discover all kinds of different underwater environments around the island, from wrecks to reefs. Snorkel straight from pristine beaches or on excursions where you can jump into the warm, clear water from the back of a boat.
Some beaches are buzzing with bars, restaurants, and dive schools, while others are peaceful and pristine, with shade provided by sea grape trees and a soundtrack of the waves gently breaking on the sand. Whatever your taste, you’ll find beautiful spots for snorkeling in St. Thomas. So pack your reef-friendly sunscreen and take to the waters around this jewel of an island.
Smith Bay Beach Park & Eco Reserve
Smith Bay Beach Park & Eco Reserve
Smith Bay Park, on the eastern end of the island, spans 21 acres and features Lindquist Beach, arguably one of the most beautiful beaches on St. Thomas. You can sit on the soft sand here and gaze out at the surrounding cays, the neighboring island of St. John, and the British Virgin Islands in the distance. The beach is framed by coconut palms and sea grape trees, while the topaz-blue water is calm and clear.
More to the point, the underwater world here is simply magnificent, partly thanks to the fact that this is a protected area. Head out from the center of the beach and you’ll be snorkeling over seagrass beds where turtles graze. You could see eagle rays flitting across the sand here, too.
There are shallow coral reefs to the left and right, where you’ll spot shimmering turquoise parrotfish and, if you’re lucky, octopus. You could encounter the occasional tarpon, too, which are hefty fish that have populated the oceans since prehistoric times. The biggest specimens can reach up to eight feet long, so don’t be too alarmed if you see one; they’re generally wary of humans.
Buck Island
Buck Island
There’s more than one Buck Island in the Virgin Islands, but this one lies two miles south of St. Thomas and is accessible by guided tour. It’s protected as the Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge thanks to the prolific bird life here, so before you take to the water, take time to look for the frigate birds and red-billed tropicbirds that live here.
The rocky island is covered by cactus and grass, with a disused lighthouse surveying the scene. Because there are no beaches here to speak of, the water is especially clear, with beautiful corals and abundant sea turtles; this is some of the best snorkeling in St. Thomas.
There’s also a wreck lying on the seafloor, colonized by marine life and thriving as an artificial reef. Looking down through the blue—it’s quite a spooky vision—but the reef is home to dozens of species of tropical fish.
Magens Bay Beach
Magens Bay Beach
Gorgeous Magens Bay Beach, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful in the world, is a long sweep of pale sand backed by palm trees and framed by bottle-green hills. The water is exceptionally clear and the sea bed has a shallow slope, which makes it perfect for less confident swimmers.
Head over to the right side of the beach and you could be swimming amid shoaling fish in every color of the rainbow, from blue tangs to graceful angelfish and striped sergeant majors. When you come up for air, look for large, dragon-like iguanas sunning themselves on the rocks.
Magens Bay can be a great place to spot sea turtles feeding on the seagrass beds and gliding through the shallows. Tarpons also patrol the warm water here, while rays bury themselves in the sand, shaking it off to dart across the seabed.
If you can tear yourself away from the blissfully warm water of Magens Bay, there are lounge chairs and watersports gear to rent and a beach café for refreshments.
Coki Point Beach
Coki Point Beach
Coki Point Beach can get busy as it’s close to the Coral World Ocean Park. If you’re traveling with kids, you might enjoy combining Coral World with some beach and snorkel time for a family day out.
The wide beach is composed of soft sand and generally calm water. You can rent snorkel gear from the dive shop here if you don’t have your own, or even take your first scuba dive, entering the shallow water from the beach.
Much of what you see close to the shore is scattered rocks, but there’s good snorkeling on the right-hand side, where it can feel like swimming in an aquarium as there are so many fish. Once you get out to depths of about 50 feet, there are coral gardens and often, sea turtles.
The beach is lined with restaurants for when you’ve worked up an appetite after your adventure. There are umbrellas and lounge chairs to rent, too. Local vendors sell food for the fish, but it’s not recommended to buy this, or to feed the fish, as introducing a different diet for marine life can upset the ecosystem.
Secret Harbour Beach
Secret Harbour Beach
Secret Harbour, located in the southeast of St. Thomas, is a protected bay where the white sand beach gives way to seagrass beds and, further out, a thriving double reef with some wonderfully colorful corals. This is a popular beach toward the end of the day, when people congregate to admire the sunset.
The snorkeling, though, is excellent at any time of day; the dive shop here also runs night snorkel tours. Turquoise and pink parrotfish feed on the coral; if you pause for a moment while underwater, you can hear them crunching. You can also spot blue tangs flitting around the reef and a moray eel lurking in a rocky hole if you’re lucky.
Octopuses hide under the rocks, perfectly disguised to blend in with their environment, while sea turtles munch on the seagrass and squid propel themselves through the clear water.
Sapphire Beach
Sapphire Beach
The water at Sapphire Beach is indeed a sparkling blue, with patches of turquoise where the seabed is sandy. It’s located at the eastern end of the island, with views across to St. John, the British Virgin Islands, and the scattered offshore cays.
As with many beaches on St. Thomas, the seabed just off the center is seagrass beds, where eagle rays and sea turtles can be spotted. To the left is a thriving reef where you can see some impressive elkhorn, staghorn, and brain coral. The local rules state that you’re not permitted to snorkel over a reef in less than six feet of water, to protect the coral, so be careful.
Look out for barracuda and schools of squid here, as well as the usual spectrum of colorful reef fish in what has to be one of the best spots for snorkeling in St. Thomas.
There are plenty of bars and restaurants along the beach, as well as gear rental outlets. You could even try a Seabob, a battery-powered underwater scooter that will pull through the water at speed.
Hull Bay
Hull Bay
Hull Bay, in the north of the island, is a soft sand beach favored by locals and has less of a commercial vibe than some of the island’s other beaches. It’s a laid-back spot where you’ll find The Shack, a local institution famed for its fish tacos.
There’s great reef snorkeling here once you get out over the sand flats and past the boats that are anchored in the bay. There are also some healthy coral heads and tumbled rocks along the right-hand side of the beach, where you’ll find colorful fish flitting around.
Once you’re out past the boats, keep a lookout for lobster and squid as you gaze down at the coral. You could see the occasional octopus hiding in a rocky crevice, as well as beautiful shells. Do be careful of passing boat traffic, though; you should snorkel with a buddy here, and tow a float to make you more visible.
Hull Bay can be on the receiving end of some big waves, in the event of which surfing replaces snorkeling as the most popular activity.
Brewers Bay
Brewers Bay
You won’t find coral reefs at Brewers Bay, located right next to St. Thomas’s airport, but this is one of the best places on the island for swimming with sea turtles. Three species—hawksbill, green, and leatherback—can be spotted in the waters around the islands. This is a great opportunity to see how many animals you can identify.
The sea floor here is covered with seagrass, which turtles love to eat. You’ll see them grazing and then languidly drifting up to the surface for air. There’s a good chance of seeing squid and octopus here, too.
There’s shade from the trees that fringe the beach, and several food trucks pull up here selling their wares. A day at Brewers Bay is a great opportunity to try local street food, from fried chicken to pate and johnnycakes.
What’s more, this is a fun place for plane spotters, as you can see big jets coming in to land at close range. It may seem like a strange combination—turtles, food trucks, and wide-bodied jets—but Brewers Bay makes for a great day out, especially for families.
Mermaid’s Chair
Mermaid’s Chair
You’ll need to time your visit to the remote Mermaid’s Chair, on the far western tip of St. Thomas on the edge of Sandy Bay, for low tide. What’s interesting about this spot is that Mermaid’s Chair is actually a narrow strip of sand with the Caribbean on one side and the Atlantic on the other. Watching the waves crash over the sand, meeting in the middle, is mesmerizing.
Getting here requires commitment as it’s a 1.3-mile trek down to the beach, passing through a gated community. You will need to check in with the security guard before entering and provide ID. Bring water as the gradients are steep and the Caribbean sun unforgiving, and wear decent walking shoes. There are occasional shuttles that will take you part of the way down, so check the times of these in advance.
The beach, once you get there, is wonderfully rewarding, scattered with pieces of coral. Because it’s so challenging to get here and because there are no facilities, this spot is rarely crowded.
While the waves on the eastern side can be choppy, the western side is great for snorkeling over the rocks. Look out for snapper, bright blue tangs, delicate sea fans, and fire coral, which you shouldn’t touch as it will irritate your skin. You’ll also see other corals, hard and soft, in beautiful colors.
Christmas Cove
Snorkeling at Christmas Cove, a marine sanctuary, involves taking a boat trip to this popular yachting anchorage off the coast of tiny Great Saint James, which lies to the east of St. Thomas. You’ll be provided with snorkel gear and can jump right off the boat into a world of coral gardens teeming with tropical fish, including some bigger species.
Southern stingrays, moray eels, wrasse, and reef manta rays are common sightings, while there’s an excellent chance of spotting green turtles and, if you look carefully, octopus. You’ll see conch and sea stars on the ocean floor, too.
The water is fairly shallow here, dropping down to around 30 feet. The water is usually calm, making this an exciting snorkel trip for anybody who is confident swimming off a boat rather than from the beach.
What’s fun about Christmas Cove is that it’s the location of what’s claimed to be the world’s only floating pizzeria. Pizza Pi is a boat that’s been converted to a restaurant, surrounded by floats where you can sit with your feet cooling in the water, enjoying a slice of cheesy margherita or a truffle fungi.
Charlotte Amalie
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