Scuba-Diving-USVI.com: an independent guide to diving St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John, with walls, wrecks and reefs.
Island guide · St. John
St. John scuba diving takes place in some of the best-protected water in the Caribbean. Most of the island is national park, the bays are calm and full of turtles, and the rocky cays off the north shore deliver current, fish and swim-throughs.
St. John is the smallest of the three main US Virgin Islands and the least developed. About 60 percent of its land is Virgin Islands National Park, established in 1956 on land donated through Laurance Rockefeller, and the park also takes in large areas of the surrounding sea. Further protected water lies within the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, created in 2001. The result is an island of green hills, quiet beaches and reefs that see far less pressure than in many parts of the Caribbean.
There is no airport on St. John. Visitors fly into St. Thomas and take the ferry to Cruz Bay, the main town, which is also where most dive operators are based. Some divers stay on St. John and dive from there; others stay on St. Thomas and visit St. John's sites by boat.
A jagged rock off the north side of St. John with steep sides, cuts and swim-throughs. When the current is running, the fish life here is outstanding, with big schools gathering at the points. It is a dive for calmer days and divers who are comfortable with moving water.
Close to Carval Rock, Congo Cay has rock fingers running down into sand, with ledges, overhangs and a good chance of eagle rays and turtles. Boats often dive the two sites on the same trip.
A small cay in Leinster Bay on the north shore, reached by a walk along the shore from the Annaberg area. The water around the cay is shallow and clear, with turtles, rays and starfish on the sand. It is one of the island's favourite snorkels, and an easy shore dive when the sea is flat.
The National Park Service runs an underwater snorkel trail at Trunk Bay, with signs on the bottom that explain the reef. The beach charges a park entry fee and gets busy, but the trail is a good introduction for non-divers in your group.
Because so much of St. John's water is protected, a few extra rules apply. Boats use moorings rather than anchors, fishing and collecting are restricted, and commercial dive operators need park permits. As a diver, the rules are the ones you already know, taken seriously:
Diving is good all year. The north shore sites are the most exposed to winter swell and the strong trade winds sometimes called the Christmas winds, while the south side bays are often calmer on those days. Summer and early autumn bring the flattest water and the fewest visitors, during hurricane season. For the full calendar, ferries and flights, see the USVI dive trip planning guide.
More wreck time? St. John has reefs and rocks rather than big wrecks. For those, head to the St. Thomas sites or read the USVI wreck diving guide.
Both. St. John has some of the easiest and best snorkeling in the US Virgin Islands, right off the beach, and the cays off the north side are rewarding scuba dives. It is a good island for groups where some people dive and others snorkel.
Fly into St. Thomas and take a passenger ferry from Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay. There is also a car ferry from Red Hook if you are bringing a rental car.
Yes. Boats must use moorings, fishing and collecting are restricted, and dive operators need park permits. Divers should avoid touching the reef or wildlife and use reef-safe sunscreen.