US Virgin Islands·United States
Photo: National Park Service · Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
St. Croix sits on the edge of a deep ocean trench, and at Cane Bay the reef plunges from shallow water to over 3,000 m within a short swim of the shore. Frederiksted Pier is one of the best night dives in the Caribbean, with seahorses and frogfish, and Buck Island has a protected reef with an underwater trail.
In season: Dec–Apr · Peak: Feb–Apr
Warm, clear water and easy shore entries, with a sheer wall for deeper dives and gentle reefs for beginners. Winter trade winds can bring swell to the north shore.
Seahorses and frogfish under a working pier, the best night dive
Protected reef and an underwater trail
Shore entry to a drop-off falling thousands of feet
Base near Christiansted or Frederiksted and dive with a local shop. Shore dive Cane Bay, do the Frederiksted Pier at night, and take a boat to Buck Island Reef National Monument.
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