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Dive Sites
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Carvel Rock
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Location: About three mile east of St. Thomas
just north of Lovango Cay Depth: To 50 feet
This is a great marine life site. There are huge schools of silver sides that attract large schools of jacks, tarpon, runners and mackerel to feed. The geography of the bottom is quite unusual too. Canyons, short wall and bizarre rock formations make this a great dive.
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Mingo Passage
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Location: Between Lovango Cay and Mingo Cay
Depth: To 50 feet
A drift dive. This dive is so typical of this area. Relatively shallow with great coral fomations and marine life. Lobsters, eels and turtles are common. A number of old bottles - from the 17th and 18th century have been found.
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Arches and Tunnels
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Location: Northside of Thatch Cay
Depth: 45 feet
You can swim through about 8 archs and longer tunnels. Also, several canyons and very unusual rock formations. The coral is lush and marine life is just great. Huge schools of minnows attract all sorts of other fish.
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Grassy Cay
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Location: South facing reef in Pillsbury Sound
Depth: 60 feet maximum
This is one of the finest hard coral reefs in the Virgin Islands. Because of its sheltered location in Pillsbury Sound the coral heads grow to unusual heights, uwards of 15 feet. The reef is terraced at 25, 45 and 55 feet . It is also a good night dive because of the beautiful colors and marine life. After the full moon in August Grassy Cay is a good place to watch the coral spawn.
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ST. CROIX
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1. Buck Island Reef National Monument - This lush protected area is operated by the National Park Service and has undersea markers which describe marine life.
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Frederiksted Pier
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This 250-yard concrete pier is encircled by lots of fish, sponges and sea horses. There are a trio of somewhat shallow wrecks northwest of Frederiksted. The Northwind is in 45' of water. The Barge lies a short swim away and is colorfully encrusted with sponges. The Suffolk Maid, a North Sea trawler is at a 65' depth. Less than 100 yards away, the Rosamaria, a 70' container ship, sits upright much deeper in 100' of water.
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Salt River Canyon
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This 1,000' drop-off has a submarine ravine ending in a waterfall, and it's west and east sites are the most requested and suggested dives on the island. Find countless species like big hawksbill turtles, moray and electric eels.
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Wall at Cane Bay
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Coral walls branch out at 40' to 60' - over a 600-foot drop-off along five miles of the northwest coast - and display dozens of old Danish anchors. Swim out 150 yards across a sandy plain to the site or take a 5-minute boat ride to a mooring.
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St John
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Carval Rock
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This is an advanced dive due to currents. See dramatic rock formations loaded with corals and sponges from 20' to 80' deep.
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Eagle Shoals
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Off Coral Bay on St. John's southeast coast, this seldom-visited site (due to it's remote location) offers curious caves and exciting swim-throughs.
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St Thomas
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Andreas Reef
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Starting at 30', this multilevel reef reveals a wide variety of both soft and hard corals, invertebrates and many tropical fish, down to a maximum depth of 70'.
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Cartanza Sr
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This World War I tramp steamer lies 35' down in a sheltered cove off Buck Island, south of Charlotte Amalie harbor. It's beautifully encrusted and full of fish.
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Coki Beach
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A good dive by day, great by night.
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Cow and Calf Rocks
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Oodles of swim-throughs, tunnels and undercuts are in 20' to 40' of water. Go when conditions are calm since storm surge can make this a tricky dive.
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Frenchcap
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On the south side of St. Thomas, this attractive pinnacle stands in 80' to 100' of water.
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Grassco Junction
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These isolated coral mounds are each 10- to 30-yards across and sit on a sandy bottom in 55' of water. Five or six mounds reach up to within 35' of the surface and are covered with colorful corals and florescent fish.
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Hans Lollik Island
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Plenty of pinnacles and ledges to see here.
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Major General Rogers
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Off the Renaissance Grand Beach Resort is the wreck of a 150' Coast Guard buoy tender. The vessel is fully intact and safe for entering at a maximum depth of 64'.
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Submarine Alley
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Near Capella island, this advanced dive on the south side of St. Thomas boasts large coral islands, rising from a sandy bottom 80' deep.
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Thatch, Grass and Congo Cays
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Start in the Caribbean sea, dive along the black volcanic rock tunnels of Thatch at 40' and end up on the other side in the Atlantic at a depth of 15'. There are mini-walls off Congo and all three cays are good eel, ray and lobster locales.
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