Part of the US Virgin Islands, St. Croix is home to some excellent Caribbean diving. Whether wrecks, macro, or reefs, there is something for every diver on a St. Croix scuba diving trip. A relatively small island with a population of around 40 thousand, the island is blessed with a fantastic climate, weather, and excellent diving.
The waters around St. Croix are home to an enormous diversity of species. So far, over 40 species of corals have been documented, as well as a whopping 500 species of fish. That is not to mention the almost innumerable number of invertebrates, slugs, nudibranchs, and more. The water around the island is varied, with reefs, wrecks, and more. They are a haven for every diver and a complete joy for underwater photographers. Use this list to discover the ten best places to go scuba diving on the island of St. Croix Virgin Islands.
Salt Rivers Canyon
St. Croix’s north shore is one of the best-kept secrets in wall diving, and this site has two walls facing each other across a quarter mile of blue water. Hordes of reef fish swarm the tops of the walls, deep-water sea fans and black coral cling to the deeper sections, and big animals like hammerheads and blacktip reef sharks sometimes make appearances.
Butler Bays Wreck
These five distinct wrecks clumped together on St. Croix’s northwest tip can be done in one dive — if you move fast. Better yet, take it easy and see them all over two dives. The Rosaomaira is the deepest at 110 feet, and the Northwind—once used as a prop in the 1980s television movie Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story—tops out at 20 feet.
Gentle Islands
This dive site is named after a condo complex on the beach there. It is a gem of St Croix dive sites and marks the beginning of a mile-long stretch of spur-and-groove reef. The large, thriving coral fingers, separated by narrow sand chutes, bottom out into a sandy plain at 60 feet, making it a perfect second dive and training site for those working to improve their navigational skills. The great diversity and density of hard and soft corals are unmatched anywhere else. Look closely to find scorpion fish, flat worms, lettuce sea slugs, lobsters, and flying gurnards nestled among the breathtaking coral heads or camouflaged on the sand.
Pavilions
A beautiful wall dive east of Cane Bay with =lots of hard and soft corals, schools of Atlantic spade fish, groupers elephant ear sponges and black coral. A plateau with sand and coral, which is great for beginner and advanced divers. South of the mooring in 35 feet of water is a sandy arena rimmed by coral and decorated with yellow headed Jawfish and spaghetti worms, creating an ideal habitat for nurse sharks and spotted moray eels. The wall itself is decorated with colorful sponges, whips, and sea plumes, typically hosting schools of Creole wrasse, triggerfish and every species of butterfly fish. Watch for the rare pipefish and seahorses. This dive is known for its abundance of marine life.
Chubb’s Hole
Chubbs Hole dive site is a sharp 15-foot ledge that is located in 30 feet of water a short boat ride north of the Frederiksted Pier. This ledge offers many small caves and holes for lobster, nurse sharks, eels, and turtles to hang around. Starting on the edge of Butler Bay, the ledge extends south around Mill Point and towards shore close to Cowboy Beach on the west end. You can be the St. Croix Dive Guy on this dive.
Swirling Reef of Death
Don’t be fooled by this dive site’s name. This reef site is just minutes south of the Frederiksted Pier and offers some of the calmest water on St. Croix. The mooring area presents some great photo opportunities because of the nice coral reef patches surrounded by white sand. Very picturesque!
If you head west, you will hit a drop off that will take you down to about 100 feet before turning back to sand. This is a great area for healthy corals and sponges along with a great variety of tropical fish and turtles.
Scotch Banks
Here you’ll find a flat sandy submerged mountain top east of Christiansted harbor. Mooring is in 25 feet of water, and the wall is 15 yards east and starts at 40 feet and drops to over 1,000 feet. On the top of the wall there are lots of pillar coral surrounded with barred soldier fish and grunts. Off the wall you’ll spot barracuda, angel fish, elephant ear sponge, horse eye jacks and once in a while eagle rays, manta rays and even whale sharks.
Davis Bay
A great wall dive where you often see larger sharks, such as tiger and black tip. The shallows have been ruined by hotel construction and hurricanes. This wall dive is an easy kick-out one that can be done by shore from Carambola Beach, but it requires one to hike from the parking lot to the water with gear. Davis Bay makes for a easy boat dive since the mooring sits right on the edge of the wall in 25′ of water. There are lots of cuts and mini canyons on this site, and after about 65′ the wall turns to sand and slopes out to the deep blue. The cuts on this wall make for great homes for spotted lobsters and an occasional nurse shark. This site is also a good area to see Southern Stingrays on top of the wall moving along the sand.
Rust Opt Twist
This dive site is named for a former Danish sugar plantation and a one time home to a shrimp farm on shore. The pipes for the deep water intake are still visible underwater. This area has the deepest water closet to shore in the Caribbean. Two moorings can be found on this wall site. Known for its colorful tube and rope sponges sea fans and gorgonians, the gradual sloping reef has innumerable ledges and crevices that often shelter orange spotted file fish, juvenile burr fIsh, clinging crabs, slipper lobsters, and lizard fish. Following the pipeline downward, which makes for an easy navigation tool, you can observe the wonder of sea anemones and purple shrimp interacting, while hovering above the frequent flounder sunning on the top of the coral encrusted pipeline. There are probably more black durgons here than any other area, and it is a good site for encountering turtles.
Fredricksted Pier
Fredericksted Pier is a classic St. Croix shore dive, as well as a terrific beginning night dive! The old pier was chosen as one of the best macro dives in the world. Although torn down after suffering severe hurricane damage, several structures from the original pier are still standing. Called Dolphins, these huge pillars are bathed in spectacular corals and sponges. The new pier structure is a beautiful spot to see coral beginning its new life. This is the best place on St Croix to see Sea Horses! You’ll find lots of unusual fish and sea life such as bat fish, frog fish, various eels, living shells, and Caribbean lobster call this spot home. Huge schools of tang are a common sights, as well as sea turtles. This is an exciting photo dive, and unquestionably one of the Best St Croix dive sites USVI you should not miss!
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