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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.
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The Cane Bay Wall (St. Croix): Walk right off the beach into one of the most awesome dives in the Virgins. It’s just a 100-yard swim to the 3,000-foot vertical wall at Cane Bay. Even at depths of 30 feet, you’ll see coral gardens abloom with fantastical formations and colorful tropical life.
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Frederiksted Pier (St. Croix): The Fredriksted pier is one of the best spots in the islands for an electric night dive, where you plunge right offshore into a world of exotic creatures, including sea horses, lobster, and octopuses.
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The Wreck of the RMS Rhone (off Salt Island, B.V.I.): Many people think the Rhone wreck is the premier dive site not only in the Virgin Islands, but in the entire Caribbean. This royal mail steamer, which went down in 1867, was featured in the film “The Deep.”
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Chikuzen (off Tortola): Although it’s not the Rhone, this 269-foot 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.
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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.
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.