Welcome to the Virgin Islands Diving Holidays
St. John U.S. Virgin Islands ¦there is no equal in the entire Caribbean. The smallest and most idyllic of the three United States Virgin Islands, St. John is best known for its dozens of picture postcard white sandy beaches used, turquoise bays abounding in colourful corals and rainbows of tropical fish and endless vistas of green velvet hills. Only nine miles long and three miles wide, two thirds of the island is the Virgin Islands National Park, so its spectacular beaches and untouched forests will remain that way for generations to come and be accessible to all.
There are tours of the National Park by Jeep or safari bus and hikes on spectacular trails led by Park Rangers who enrich the experience with talks on the island's history and geology as well as its flora and fauna. Frequent visitors to St. John are beach lovers who are always ready to go back to the beach.
While it is only twenty minutes from St. Thomas by convenient hourly ferry, St. John is the peaceful, uncommercialised paradise of island fantasies. It has no high-rise buildings, cruise ship docks or airport. Despite its unspoiled atmosphere, it offers every facility and amenity found at major resorts.
Diving and Snorkelling
Descend into a whimsical world where what looks like rocks are really living creatures, where schools of fish come dressed in rainbow-coloured uniforms and where beautiful corals play hide and seek with other sea life.
If you think the U.S. Virgin Islands offers only sun, sand and sea, you're missing half the fun - the undersea world is as easy to access as the islands themselves and equally as exciting.
The many reefs which rim the U.S. Virgin Islands offer countless hours of underwater exploration for both beginner and experienced divers. Rock-like coral heads are actually mini-ecosystems housing a rich mix of fish. Several shops sell water-proof booklets that aid in identifying undersea flora and fauna. Divers have an advantage over snorkellers in being able to descend deeper and see spectacular sunken gardens at the bottoms of dramatic drop-offs. Visibility is excellent, up to 40m in many locales. Even night dives are spectacular when nocturnal sea creatures voraciously lap up microscopic morsels with their tendril-like tongues.
Diving in the U.S. Virgin Islands is easy, enjoyable and offers something for everyone. Beginners will find conditions excellent - warm and calm seas, great visibility and much to see starting at just 10m. For experienced divers, there are some 58 dive sites accessible by beach or boat, to reefs or wrecks, during daytime or at night.
There are frequent day trips to the Caribbeans most famous wreck the SS Rhone, with a remarkable story. On 29 October 1867 the worst hurricane ever to hit the Virgin Islands. On the morning of the storm the Rhone was at anchor just north of Peter Island, preparing for its return trip to England. A sudden drop in atmospheric pressure heralded a storm of some magnitude. Rhone Captain R.F. Wooley decided to head to Tortola for safe harbour. Unfortunately, the Rhone lost its anchor and Wooley chose to head for open sea to ride out the storm. This proved to be a fatal error. As the Rhone passed through the channel between Salt Island and Peter Island, the wind shifted and the Rhone foundered on the rocks of Salt Island's Black Rock Point. She split in two, sank immediately, and 17 passengers and 108 crew were lost.
This dive on one of the most famous shipwreck dives in the world is suitable for experienced and novice divers alike. From the swim through the hatch in the bow section to the swim through the propeller section, this dive is truly exciting. Much of the ship remains intact, so it's fairly easy to identify the various ship components such as the forward mast and crows nest, cannon, boilers, propeller shaft and propeller, etc. With the diversity of fish life, like the "friendly" barracuda that hangs around the bow, grouper, parrotfish, and flounder to name a few, and the beautiful encrusting corals, and sea fans, this dive is an experience you will not forget. Don't miss it. It's awesome!
Hotels and Villas
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