U.S. Virgin Islands Beginner Scuba Diving Sites
Beginning Divers Guide to St. Croix’s Best Dive Spots
May 8, 2009
The U.S. Virgin Islands sit on the edge of the Continental Shelf where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic Ocean. One of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix, is a large island famous for having some of the best scuba diving opportunities in the world.
While local dive shop operators are able to guide scuba divers to many more sites than are listed here, following are some favorite and well-known dive sites suitable for beginning scuba divers to experience (even with more advanced partners) when visiting St. Croix.
United States Virgin Islands St. Croix Scuba Diving Sites
Scuba diving skill level(s) and water depths are listed before each description for the diving locations below.
- Cane Bay ("The Wall")
Beginner to Advanced Level
10' to 130'+ (3 to 40m+)
St. Croix's best wall dive is just offshore Cane Bay, a beach at the base of cliffs. This popular wall, which plunges over 2,000 feet, is accessible from the palm tree-lined beach as well as by boat. The Wall and the surrounding water are filled with many things to discover, such as embedded anchors, seahorses, turtles, tube sponges and a good variety of tropical fish.
A shallow part of the underwater paradise is Cane Bay Garden (Beginner Level) (25'-50' or 8-15m), a nice snorkeling spot. This is also a good second dive choice, abundant with corals, colorful sponge colonies, and many fish.
- Gentle Winds
Beginner Level
25' to 70' (8 to 21m)
This spur and groove reef is a good spot for experienced snorkelers, or a makes for a great second dive. Gentle Winds offers huge diversity of hard and soft corals unmatched elsewhere. Divers may come upon scorpion fish, flat worms, lettuce sea slugs, lobsters and perhaps a few resident hawksbill turtles. According to Franko’s Maps, local divers affectionately call a big coral mound near the mooring Gingerbread House.
- Eagle Ray
Beginner to Intermediate Level
30' to 100'+ (9 to 30m)
This sandy slope is known for its resident white-spotted eagle rays that can usually be seen passing slowly by to feed. Eagle Ray is a great area for beginners as well as advanced divers.
- Scotch Bank
Beginner to Intermediate Level
30' to 85' (8 to 26m)
This dive site features scattered mounds of corals and sponges. One may also see large elephant ear sponges, eagle rays, stingrays and a large variety of tropical Caribbean reef fishes.
- Swirling Reef Of Death / Dan's Reef
Beginner Level Dive
30' to 40' (9 to 12m)
This rich reef is full of Caribbean fishes and invertebrates. According to GoToStCroix (dot com), “a few years ago, after a couple of wild teenage boys finished the spectacular dive, they decided that Dan's Reef sounded way to boring for such a spectacular spot.” Hence, the more exciting nickname.
- Fredriksted Pier
Beginner Level
10' to 50' (3 to 15m)
This makes an excellent night dive at a rebuilt pier. Divers can experience seahorses, spotted scorpion fish, lobsters, moray eels, and big silver tarpon. Heavily encrusted rubble from the old pier remains beneath the new one and is covered with colorful sponges and marine life.
Diverse Dives Available at St. Croix
St. Croix offers diverse types of diving rarely found in one location, including wall diving, shore diving, reef diving, wreck diving or pier and night dives. This island is truly a scuba diver’s dream.
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Resources:
Franko’s Maps / Franko’s Map of the US Virgin Islands
Franko’s Maps carries detailed maps and waterproof Franko's Virgin Islands Reef Creatures Identification Guide (Criaturas Del Arrecife De Islas Virgenes) for using while underwater.
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