Planning to go snorkeling on your next trip to St Thomas or St John?
You’ve come to the right place, as all of the best snorkeling spots in St Thomas and St John are featured here!
How do I know these are the best places? I’ve visited St Thomas 3 times, and St John twice now.
St John is often thought of as the best place to snorkel in the US Virgin Islands, but I’ve discovered plenty of incredible beaches in St Thomas.
Ready to find out the best snorkeling spots on each island? Let’s dive in!
Quick Overview: St John Vs. St Thomas Snorkeling
St John’s Top Snorkeling Spots
- Salt Pond Bay
- Waterlemon Cay (Leinster Bay)
- Haulover Bay
- Trunk Bay
- Hansen Bay
St Thomas’s Top Snorkeling Spots
- Sapphire Beach
- Secret Harbour Beach
- Coki Point
- Lindquist Beach
- Hull Bay Beach
St John’s Top 5 Best Snorkeling Spots
1. Salt Pond Bay
Located on the southeast shore, Salt Pond Bay is a secluded beach with some of the best snorkeling in St John. Since it’s slightly off-the beaten path, you can enjoy snorkeling without many crowds.
It’s a short hike down to the beach, and there are picnic tables, BBQ pits, and a bathroom on site. For the best snorkeling, swim out to the middle of the bay where you see jagged rocks.
You can expect to see tons of tropical fish, and occasionally stingrays and sea turtles.
Address: St John 00830, USVI
Best Snorkeling In St John
2. Waterlemon Cay (Leinster Bay)
Waterlemon Cay is another top snorkeling spot in St John. This spot has abundant, vibrant coral reefs, and everything from nurse sharks to barracudas!
To get there, you can park at the Annaberg Plantation Ruins, and take the Leinster Bay Trail to the beach. From the shore, you can swim out around 200 yards (0.1 mile) to the Cay for some of the best snorkeling on the island!
The hike from the parking area to the beach is around 20 minutes, but it’s well worth it if you plan on snorkeling for the day.
Address: St John 00830, USVI
Best Snorkeling In St John
3. Haulover Bay
Located on the East End of the island, Haulover Bay was one of my favorite beaches to snorkel in St John.
This is a rocky beach with amazing snorkeling on the left side of the bay (western side). We got to see stingrays, lots of colorful tropical fish, jellyfish, and vibrant coral reefs.
If you’re looking to avoid crowds, this is the place to go. Plus, you’ll get an incredible view of Tortola as well.
Address: St John 00830, USVI
Best Snorkeling In St John
4. Trunk Bay
Trunk Bay is another top snorkeling spot on the island, with easy snorkeling not far from the shote. Trunk Bay has a self-guided underwater snorkeling trail that’s 650 feet long.
The reefs are not as abundant as other spots on the island, but you can still expect to see lots of tropical fish and diverse marine life.
To avoid crowds, I highly recommend visiting during early morning, since this is the most popular beach on the island.
Address: St John 00830, U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Snorkeling In St John
5. Hansen Bay Beach (Pelican Rock)
Located on St John’s East End, Hansen Bay Beach is a lesser known spot with some of the best snorkeling on the island.
This beach has equipment rentals, food trucks, bathrooms, and easy parking. There are shallow reefs on the right, and large coral reefs further offshore to the left at Pelican Rock.
Address: Parcel 6ab Hansen Bay, St. John, St John 00830, U.S. Virgin Islands
Map: Best Snorkeling In St John
St Thomas’s Top 5 Best Snorkeling Spots
1. Sapphire Beach
Sapphire Beach is one of the most popular beaches in St Thomas, and is a top spot for snorkeling. Located near Red Hook, this beach has a bar, restaurant, and dive shop with cheap gear rentals.
Although it’s often crowded, there’s great snorkeling on the rocky outcroppings along both sides of the bay. The coral reefs are filled with tropical fish, octopus, and lots of diverse marine life.
Address: Smith Bay, St Thomas 00801, U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Snorkeling In St Thomas
2. Secret Harbour Beach
On the south shore, Secret Harbour is another top spot for snorkeling in St Thomas. This is a serene, protected cove, with easy snorkeling not far from the shore.
Secret Harbour Bay has some of the most diverse marine life on the island, with everything from barracudas, to octopus and squid. It has a resort, restaurant, bar, and a dive shop on site.
If you are looking for a resort to stay in for easy on-site snorkeling, Secret Harbour Resort and The Ritz Carlton are both great options.
They’re under 10 minutes from the restaurants and convenience stores in Red Hook, and not far from Secret Harbour Beach, Sapphire Beach, and Lindquist Beach.
Address: St Thomas 00802, U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Snorkeling In St Thomas
3. Coki Point Beach
Coki Point is one of the most visited beaches in St Thomas, and it’s no surprise why. Not only is it home to the Coral World Ocean Park Aquarium, but it has incredible snorkeling right off the shore.
Coki Point has some of the clearest waters out of all of the beaches, and there’s tons of tropical fish and diverse marine life. If you could only choose one place to snorkel in St Thomas, this is the place to go.
There’s multiple restaurants, food vendors, and a dive shop on site where you can rent out snorkel gear for the day.
Address: Coki Point Rd, St Thomas, 00802, USVI
Best Snorkeling In St Thomas
4. Lindquist Beach (Smith Bay Park)
Located minutes from Sapphire Beach, Lindquist Beach (aka Smith Bay park) is another top spot for snorkeling in St Thomas.
Lindquist Beach is much less crowded than Sapphire Beach, and it has picnic tables and restrooms on site. This beach is filled with sea turtles, colorful tropical fish, and eagle rays.
Address: St Thomas 00802, U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Snorkeling In St Thomas
5. Hull Bay Beach
Just west of Magen’s Bay Beach, Hull’s Bay is a lesser known beach with great snorkeling. This is a popular beach amongst locals, so it’s the perfect place to go on a busy cruise ship day.
The rocky outcroppings are filled with diverse marine life, with everything from tarpons, to octopus, and parrot fish.
Address: 7th St, St Thomas 00802, U.S. Virgin Islands
Map: Best Snorkeling In St Thomas
FAQ: Snorkeling In St Thomas And St John
Is St Thomas or St John better for snorkeling?
Both St Thomas and St John have exceptional beaches for snorkeling, but St John has more notable beaches overall. In St Thomas, Sapphire Beach, Secret Harbor, and Coki Point are all good options.
In St John, Maho Bay, Cinnamon Bay, and Trunk Bay are all great spots. Nearly all of the beaches in St John have snorkeling equipment rentals and snorkeling boat tours.
In addition, Trunk Bay Beach has an underwater snorkeling trail with vibrant coral reefs that’s 650 feet long!
Which beaches have the best shore snorkeling in St Thomas?
Sapphire Beach and Coki Point Beach have some of the most accessible snorkeling, not far from the shore.
Is St Thomas, USVI or Tortola, BVI better for snorkeling?
St Thomas has more notable beaches than Tortola when it comes to snorkeling. You can snorkel at nearly every beach in St Thomas, whereas Tortola only has a few popular spots.
If you plan on snorkeling in Tortola, Brewer’s Bay and Smuggler’s Cove are the best beaches.
Where’s the best place to stay in St Thomas for snorkeling?
Most of the resorts and villas in St Thomas are conveniently located on great snorkeling beaches. If you plan on staying in a villa, I highly recommend Casa Jo Mama Villas – a beachfront villa with a private pier, and amazing snorkeling on the property.
If you want to stay in a resort, Secret Harbour Beach Resort is an all-inclusive resort on St Thomas’s best snorkeling beach.
For a full list of accommodation options, read our article on the best all-inclusive resorts and villa rentals in St Thomas.
Where’s the best place to stay in St John for snorkeling?
Although most accommodations are near Cruz Bay, the best areas to stay for snorkeling in St John are on the North shore near Cinnamon Bay, or around Coral Bay.
Cinnamon Bay is close to Trunk Bay, Maho Bay, and Leinster Bay (Waterlemon Cay). You can stay in a villa by the beach, or the Cinnamon Bay campgrounds which are part of The Virgin Islands National Park.
Coral Bay is close to the East End of St John, near Haulover Bay and Hansen Bay Beach. Coral Bay has many great resort villas, and is near some of the best restaurants on the island.
Read our article on the best places to stay in St John for a full list of accommodation options.
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