The Caves at Norman Island

Ok, so this isn't a St. John snorkel spot... but it's only a short boat ride away. " The Caves " on Norman Island,
BVI is a fantastic snorkel adventure.

Getting There: The only way to get there is by boat... or submarine. A number of private charters visit this spot, or you could charter a power boat yourself. A dinghy should not be brought here from St. John.

In Our Words:You can also find treasure there, but it's illegal on Norman Island so don't tell any one. You can find gold coins and pirates come there and leave their treasure on purpose.There's also a restaurant/boat called the Willy T around the corner. It can be cool and scary. The biggest end cave is a big dark scary one. When you snorkel into it you can hardly see anything, it's about 20 - 25 ft long and there's a little tiny rocky beach at the end where you can fit two people on it. The middle cave is the fun cave where you don't get hurt and you don't get nervous and there's a whole bunch of cool stuff to do there. The third cave is the treasure cave where people found the treasure. We didn't find treasure, but we found a boat cushion.

We saw a huge tuna in the treasure cave. There is a really long rocky beach by the treasure cave and a tiny cave that connects to the treasure cave at the end of the big rocky beach. We saw parrot fish, blue tangs, and a lot of seaweed floating on top of the water (hurricane Irene just passed and Katia was not far away).

Hawksnest Beach

Getting There: This is one of the first stops on the North Shore beach tour. Marked from the road, parking lot, pavilions and picnic tables [permit needed for large groups], changing area, and bathrooms.

Difficulty:  You can choose your level here. Immediately after entering the water you will be hitting some coral and fishes. The farther you go the more you see. You can also make your way to Gibney Beach and surrounding rock shoreline... if you don't scare easily you can make your way across the channel to the Caneel side. Watch for boats!

Beach: National Park, Public, White Sand

Amenities: Picnic Tables, Covered Pavilions, BBQ Grills, Changing Area, Toilets - Large groups must have a permit from the NPS. There is also a number of paved paths that are great for (unofficially) razor scooters, bikes, and skateboards. There is also a mooring pay station if you come by boat.


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Hansen Bay - East End, St. John

Hansen Bay - East End, St. John US Virgin Islands
St. John Snorkel Project - Maiden Voyage

September 13, 2009 - Sunday

Getting There:

This is a private beach with cottages for the homeowners of Privateer Bay Association. We happen to be owners, we also happen to have forgotten our flippers out here last week. So.. a perfect excuse to go ALL THE WAY back to the East End to get them. This beach is one of the farthest points on St. John... but the drive is always worth it. A 30 - 40 minute drive from Cruz Bay... head past Skinnys and keep going till the end of the road.

Difficulty:

Getting in and out of the water can get tricky on these beaches because of the sea urchins and rocks. Find a sandy spot, tread lightly and go for it. Be gentle around the coral and watch those fins. While we were here there was a couple from New York who "were being careful" but HE stepped on an urchin (got him thorough the fins) and SHE lost their rental car keys. So WE told them to pee on his foot and gave them a ride in to Skinny Legs to wait for the spare set of keys. Once you are in the water it's a pretty easy swim to Pelican Rock to get to the good stuff. It's a bit far (especially for a 5 year old), but doable and worth the swim.

Beach: Private, Rock and Coral, Some Sand


Amenities: For Homeowners Only

Flora and Fauna: The largest Tamarind Trees on the island, Coconut Palms, and a number of Sea Grape and other palms.