Travel Guide to Sea Sports & Diving in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

If you’ve ever entertained the notion of taking a trip to the Caribbean and wondered which destination affords you the most choices in water sport activities, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands is the answer. The largest island in the Virgin chain, St. Croix offers an enormous spectrum of top shelf aquatic diversions serving all areas of interest. Whether you want to dive, fish, sail or kayak, St. Croix features some of the best conditions found in the tropics.

A Diver's Paradise

• The broad diversity of St. Croix’s underwater terrain makes it one of the most desired diving destinations in all of the Caribbean. For the adventurous, there’s a wall dive right off the north shore at Cane Bay. A bigger plunge is found at the Ham’s Bluff drop-off at Salt River, whose blue waters descend to over 3,000 feet. Off the coastal town of Frederiksted on the eastern shore, there are a half dozen sunken wrecks to explore, including the Rosa Maria, a massive 177-foot steel-hulled freighter. The Frederiksted pier itself is a marine life marvel. Its sponge-encrusted pilings host an abundance of tropical sea life, among them sea horses, moray eels, squid and octopus. At the southeastern tip of St. Croix is another National Wildlife Refuge, Sandy Point, which features the longest sandy shore in all of the Virgin Islands. A nesting area for sea turtles, the reefs here slope gently from 30 feet to depths of 100 feet, so you can choose your own level of diving comfort.

Get an Eyeful

• Innumerable destinations in the tropics claim their reefs offer the best snorkeling in the Caribbean, but Buck Island is definitely a contender for the title. Lying just a mile and a half off the northeastern coast of St. Croix, the land and reefs have been under environmental snorkeling protection since 1948. The 4,554 acres of aquatic sanctuary surrounding the island are alive with dazzling marine life, including rich gardens of sea fans, tropical fish and three species of sea turtles. A unique underwater trail guides snorkelers through a stunning array of colorful coral gardens, which remain off-limits to fishing. Buck Island can be accessed by departing from Christiansted and the north shore of St. Croix via a variety of watercraft.

Sport Fishing and Private Boat Charters

• The dramatic irregularity of the bottom terrain in the waters encircling St. Croix is not just a thrill for divers, but for fishermen as well. The Virgin Islands are situated at the edge of what is known as the Puerto Rico Trench, which runs 6 miles deep. These significant blue depths contain abundant big game species, including mahi-mahi, yellow and black tuna, wahoo and even marlin. Due to the quality of the ocean environment, the size of most of the fish caught in these waters exceeds average, presenting a challenge to any angler. Find your way onto the water on one of the many sailing vessels available for charter. The consistently calm seas surrounding St. Croix are a sailor’s paradise, with prevailing trade winds and stable weather. Sailboats, catamarans and trimarans can all be charted for as many days as you wish to be aboard.

Choices, Choices

• St. Croix is well-known for other water-related activities. Get into a kayak and paddle your way into the picturesque Salt River National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve. Or, find yourself airborne, flying above the azure water and verdant landscapes while parasailing behind a speedboat. The island has some of the best windsurfing and kiteboarding found anywhere in the Caribbean, and there are plenty of established operations that can provide you with professional instruction and equipment to get you going.

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Diving in Malaysia

Malaysia's Indo-Pacific wonderland blooms with postcard landscapes: waving coconut palms, powdery beaches and undulating rainforests. While many visitors come to stretch out on a hammock and melt into the landscape, scuba divers have a different mission: to check out the matchless biodiversity that swims around the country's hundreds of tropical islands.

Sipadan Island

• Rough Guides describes the oceanic island as "one of the 10 best dive sites in the world," noting that "every diver who comes to Sipadan will see something that they haven’t seen before." That's a big claim, but the site rises to the occasion with a famously massive population of turtles, reef sharks and magnificently overhanging coral, all spouting from the top of an ancient volcanic cone that rises 2,000 feet from the sea floor. A recorded 3,000 species make the waters around the island home. Hitch a boat ride with one of the many dive shops in nearby Mabul or Kapalai to visit resort-free Sipadan.

Kapalai Island

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  Just 20 minutes by boat from Sipadan, the accessible, shallow reef at Kapalai Island is demarcated into more than 20 dive sites including the turtle-trawled Jetty and nudibranch-crowded Mid-Reef sites. Many of the residents of the reef are rare, but some are odder than others. Look for the reef's "invisible" frogfish, which occasionally wiggles and attracts attention to make a liar of its namer.

• Perhentian Islands

• Peninsular Malaysia, the western part of the country that attaches to Thailand at its skinny northern end, is home to a small group of islands called the Perhentians. Just 13 miles off the coast, the two dozen dive sites surrounding the islands cluster around the fringing reefs, shipwrecks and undersea spire of Tokong Laut. Watch the easygoing black-tips prowl Shark Point and scorpionfish patrol the decks of "Sugarship," a sunken freighter.

Redang Archipelago

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  The protection of the Palau Redang Marine Parks keeps the much-visited, much-dived Redang Archipelago thriving. These nine islands house plenty of dive sites, from beach-access to deep-water, that fit all skill levels. Some consider Redang's offerings to be, according to PADI, "the world’s most developed coral gardens."

  
  

  Spot sea turtles frolicking in the shallows at House Reef, a shore dive a few hundred feet from Seamonkey Divers, the archipelago's main dive shop. The shop provides access to the deep-water sites -- like the highly photogenic Terumbu Che Isa or the aptly named Stinger Reef -- via speedboat.

Tioman Island

• Little-visited Tioman Island -- whipped by strong currents that prevent access to some of its bounty by any but the strongest divers -- takes its unique undersea topography from the pile of enormous granite boulders that formed it. Plunge into the waters from the main beach for a shore-accessible dive at Salang House Reef, or cruise around the island's technical wrecks and the dense coral growth at Tiger Reef. At the time of publication, seven dive shops operate from the island's main village, making it a breeze to find equipment and boat space.

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Snorkeling and Diving on Molasses Reef, Florida

Clear water, shallow depths and an incredible array of vibrant coral and marine life help make Molasses Reef one of the most popular dive and snorkel sites in the United States. Visibility can reach up to an astounding 100 feet, boasting some of the best underwater views in the state that keep swimmers -- atop the water or below the surface -- coming back for more.

Building a Reef

• Molasses Reef is part of the Florida Reef Tract, the only living barrier reef in the continental United States. About 5,000 square feet of Molasses Reef was destroyed when a freighter ran aground there in 1984, but a team of marine specialists transplanted coral clippings from other reefs in 2003 and the area has thrived. The great visibility throughout Molasses Reef is because of its shallow depths -- much of the reef is in 15 to 30 feet of water, although it goes as deep as 70 feet -- and its proximity to the Gulf Stream, which clears some contaminants from the water.

Catch a Boat

• Pretty much every dive shop in Key Largo goes to Molasses Reef on a regular basis. Silent World Dive Center and Horizon Divers are two well-known options, and both limit the number of passengers on the boat so you're not stumbling over other people to get into the water. Most dive shops choose the sites they'll visit based on weather and water conditions, so it's a good idea to call a day ahead and ask if they're planning to go to Molasses Reef before booking your spot. Make it clear you want to hit Molasses; the staff may not be able to guarantee anything, but most charters take site requests into consideration.

Up Top

• Once you're in the waters of Molasses Reef, prepare to be dazzled. Snorkelers should stay in the northern section of the reef, where the reef's spur and groove coral formations sit in depths ranging between 15 and 40 feet -- making for some of the best visibility in the Keys. You'll swim above huge brain coral colonies, staghorn coral, star coral and more, and will be able to spot the grunts, jacks, angelfish, parrotfish and sea turtles that frequent the area.

Down in It

• Divers can swim here or head south to deeper areas. This is the domain of nurse sharks, and you'll likely spot some goliath grouper. The fire coral caves are a series of small swim-through caves where parrotfish and angelfish hang out, and you can enter the larger swim-through cave known as the Hole in the Wall. Nearby, you can see remnants of past shipwrecks, such as a winch and an old Spanish anchor.

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Diving Sites in Nassau, Bahamas

With clear water, vibrant coral reefs, shipwrecks and big-time marine life, Nassau, in the Bahamas, is a place scuba divers flock to for underwater adventure in the Caribbean. The city, on the small island of New Providence, sports a plethora of dive sites within a short boat ride of its coasts, offering experiences for divers of all skill levels and certifications.

In The Shallows

• Shallow reefs make the waters off of Nassau some of the best diving in the region. Spots like 5 Dollar Reef, known for its colorful coral -- plus frequent sightings of stingrays and sea turtles -- are set in just 35 feet of water. One of the island's most popular dive sites, Southwest Reef, is famous for its colonies of elkhorn and star coral, as well as an abundance of Nassau grouper, spiny lobsters and, of course, reef sharks -- a common sight around most of Nassau's waters.

Shipwrecked

• Shipwrecks abound in the waters around Nassau. Two of the most popular are famous for their use in James Bond films -- the Tears of Allah, a former tugboat, appeared in "Never Say Never Again," and the Vulcan Bomber was an underwater set in "Thunderball." Both lie in about 50 feet of water, accessible by any certified diver. Other area wrecks include a 130-foot freighter, the Willaurie, that sunk in 55 feet of water, and the David Tucker II, a former patrol boat. Numerous sharks are usually found around the Tucker, since dive operators do shark feedings nearby.

Against The Wall

• Coral reef cliffs, known as "walls" to divers, are also plentiful around Nassau. Razorback Wall starts at a depth of about 35 feet, home to an array of sponges, sea fans and schools of spadefish. Coral-lined tunnels lead to the dropoff, which sinks well beyond visible range. Lyford Cay Wall is another popular spot, also in 35 feet of water -- before the drop. Southwest Wall, at the edge of Southwest Reef, presents a coral canyon that goes on for miles and is often topped with sponges; it's also another spot known for having a lot of sharks swimming around.

Shark Frenzy

• Divers who want to get up close and personal with the ocean's top predators can head to the Runway and Shark Arena. Several dive operators bring divers here for an unforgettable experience -- starting a feeding frenzy. Divers kneel on the sand while divemasters ring the dinner bell and chum the waters. Dozens of Caribbean reef sharks swarm in to take the bait. The sharks generally leave the humans alone, but divers are clad in chainmail, just in case. The truly adventurous can even try hand-feeding the passing sharks.

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Where are the Most Visited Places in America for Scuba Diving?

Recreational scuba divers have been taking in the underwater landscape and mapping out choice destinations across the country and continent since the first successful rebreathing device was introduced in the 1940s. Divers have explored the depths along the coastal United States and now frequently dive around Florida, Texas, California and Hawaii, at sites that typically feature warmer water, easy access and stunning biodiversity.

The Florida Keys

• The barrier reef stretching out from the islands of the Florida Keys, an archipelago that trails west from Florida's southern tip, is the only living reef of its kind in the lower 48 states. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park has its fair share of corals and fish, including the parrot fish and cocoa damselfish. There are also several shipwrecks that ocean life has reclaimed, such as the Spiegel Grove, the largest ship to succeed as a man-made reef. You can also feast your eyes on the two-ton statue "Christ of the Abyss," which rests on the ocean floor off Key Largo.

Southern California's Channel Islands

• The water off the California coast, which dips to 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, doesn't slow visitors to the eight Channel Islands, especially Anacapa, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands. Each island has numerous dive sites, including the wrecks of three World War II craft: torpedo bomber the Avenger rests at Anacapa, and Santa Cruz has Navy plane the Guardian and minesweeper the Spirit of America. Swimming among the rolling kelp forests that surround the islands are large mammals like dolphins and sea lions, as well as enormous sea bass -- some of which weigh hundreds of pounds -- and giant eels.

Oahu, Hawaii

• Divers seek out sites across the Hawaiian islands, which are so far removed from the nearest continents that the local wildlife is utterly unique. Oahu has so many dive sites that each is uncrowded and you can enjoy relative peace and quiet as you explore shipwrecks and natural reefs. Minesweeper wreck the Mahi is home to schools of lemon butterflyfish and ta'ape as well as eels. Octopuses, parrotfish, crabs and spiny lobsters lurk inside Kahuna Canyon, which has walls as steep and striking as its name suggests.

Texas' Gulf Coast

• The Texas Gulf Coast is home to a surprising number of popular dive sites. Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary protects three unique coral reefs about 100 miles off the coast. Whale sharks and manta rays are just two of the hundreds of marine species on display here. A little closer to the mainland, South Padre Island is close to the artificial reef of the Texas Clipper shipwreck, which began its new life in 2007 and is already sheltering hundreds of native fish.

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