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The Best Dive Sites
Cow and Calf Rocks (St. Thomas): This site, off the southeast end of St. Thomas (about a 45-min. boat ride from Charlotte Amalie), is the island's best diving spot. It's also a good bet for snorkeling. You'll discover a network of coral tunnels filled with caves, reefs, and ancient boulders encrusted with coral.
Frederiksted Pier (St. Croix): Those in the know have designated this pier, located in an old ramshackle town at the west end of St. Croix, the most interesting pier dive in the Caribbean. The original pier was virtually destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, but a new one opened in 1993. Plunge into a world of exotic creatures, including sponges, banded shrimp, plume worms, and sea horses.
Buck Island (off St. Croix): This is one of the major diving meccas in the Caribbean, with an underwater visibility of some 100 feet. There are labyrinths and grottoes for more experienced divers, plus massive gardens of fiery coral inhabited by black sea urchins, barracudas, stingrays, and other creatures.
The Wreck of the HMS Rhone (off Salt Island): The Rhone wreck is the premier dive site not only in the Virgin Islands, but also in the entire Caribbean. This royal mail steamer, which went down in 1867, was featured in the murky film The Deep.
Chikuzen(off Tortola): Although it's not the Rhone , this 82m (269-ft.) steel-hulled refrigerator ship, which sank off the island's east end in 1981, is one of the British Virgin Islands' most fascinating dive sites. The hull -- still intact under about 24m (79 ft.) of water -- is now home to a vast array of tropical fish, including yellowtail, barracuda, black-tip sharks, octopus, and drum fish.
Alice in Wonderland (Ginger Island, off Tortola): This brilliant coral wall, off the shore of a tiny island, slopes from 12m (39 ft.) to a sandy bottom at 30m (98 ft.). Divers often refer to the site as "a fantasy" because of its monstrous overhangs, vibrant colors, gigantic mushroom-shaped corals, and wide variety of sea creatures -- everything from conch and garden eels to long-nose butterfly fish.
Maps
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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