Scuba Diving in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Watch a gigantic cruise ship completely disappear from view as it slides between the soft green folds rising above St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie harbor, and you’ll get right away why the Virgin Islands were beloved by pirates for centuries.

St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix — U.S. territory since 1917 — today are a haven for a different sort of adventurers: divers, who’ve learned there’s treasure in these waters still — all you have to do is submerge.

Here’s a look at some of the best of those scuba diving sites:

* French Cap, St. Thomas: Sink to the bottom of this site at 80 to 100 feet, then turn and look up behind you — if you’re lucky, you’ll see God’s own light making a halo of the waves breaking around a pinnacle that just crests the surface near this small rock island about six miles south of St. Thomas. Every kind of fish — from numerous, almost-friendly trumpetfish to cardinalfish, squirrelfish, hamlets, barracuda, yellow and horse-eye jack, snapper, angelfish, chromis, gobies, parrotfish, wrasse and more — flitted from bottom to top, a kaleidoscope of color and movement, along with a lazy, curious hawksbill turtle, crotchety moray eels and enormous spiny lobsters. This was where we glimpsed our first spotted eagle ray — a species we were delighted to see on almost every single USVI dive we did — but also our first lionfish, a gorgeous 10-inch specimen that sadly would also prove to be the first of many sightings in our week here, a threat that local dive operators are deadly serious about fighting. Get there with: Red Hook Dive Center; redhookdivecenter.com; 340-777-3483.

* Castle Reef, St. Thomas: Part of the Little St. James Preserve — a no-take zone south of St. Thomas and St. John — this little-known but easy-diving half-mile finger reef is surrounded by sandy flats frequented by rays, giant morays, hawksbill turtles, lobsters and every kind of reef fish. Get there with: Red Hook Dive Center; redhookdivecenter.com; 340-777-3483.

* The Miss Opportunity, St. Thomas: About a mile off Charlotte Amalie harbor, this 300-foot former Navy hospital ship is relatively deep, at 85 to 95 feet, but an easy penetration for wreck newbies — you can traverse about 225 feet from bow to stern, with very easy entry and exit points. The slightly spooky but beautiful site was full of life, from hawksbill turtles to an enormous stingray, cubera snapper and a dozen-strong pod of liquid-silver African pompano. Get there with: Admiralty Dive Center; admiraltydive.com; 888-900-3483.

* East Wind/Chrysler Reef, St. Thomas: Like diving an aquarium, this easy, shallow site not far from the Miss Opportunity is a photographer’s dream, with overhangs and swim-throughs bathed in dappled sunlight and almost unbelievably packed with life, from nurse sharks to spotted eagle rays to every kind of reef fish, including brave little sergeant majors guarding fields of purple egg patches. The remains of the wreck of the East Wind yacht, once owned by the heirs to the Chrysler fortune, still are visible here among fields of staghorn and other corals. Gorgeous and inviting, this is one of those sites that makes you think, “This is why I learned to dive” — with so many nooks and crannies to explore you feel like you could stay all day (and at these depths, you almost could). Get there with: Admiralty Dive Center; admiraltydive.com; 888-900-3483.

* Ledges of Little St. James, St. John (also accessible from St. Thomas): We hadn’t been in the water a minute when a spotted eagle ray flew by these brilliantly colored ledges crammed with encrusting sponges; one minute more and an even rarer treat slowly cruised into view from behind a ledge, a 5-foot Caribbean reef shark. The overhangs and undercuts at this super-colorful site make a great hiding place for the USVI’s ever-present lobsters, turtles, nurse sharks, Nassau grouper and more. Get there with: Low Key Watersports; divelowkey.com; 800-835-7718.

* Cow, Calf & Cow, St. John (also accessible from St. Thomas): The most fun you’ve had since elementary-school recess, this playground for grownups is one of the most popular and best-known USVI sites, and we could see why. Pillars, ledges, swim-throughs and peek-a-boo slots — many covered in corals and encrusting sponges in brilliant reds, oranges and every hue in between — create an irresistible place for a game of hide-and-seek, with the abundant marine life or with your fellow divers. Get there with: Low Key Watersports; divelowkey.com; 800-835-7718.

* Cane Bay, St. Croix: At laid-back Cane Bay, where the dive shop is steps from the beach, you’ll find shore diving like you’ve never done it before, with multiple top-notch dives easily accessible from one entry point. Less than 100 feet out are shallow coral gardens packed with hard and soft corals of all types, while a little farther out the famous Cane Bay Wall drops from 40 to more than 3,000 feet, where you’ll find evidence of centuries-old shipwrecks and every kind of sea life. Après-dive, there’s a great chill spot for a drink and a nosh right on the beach, at Eat @ Cane Bay. Get there with: Cane Bay Dive Shop; canebayscuba.com; 800-338-3843.

* Frederiksted Pier, St. Croix: One small step for man, one giant stride for a diver: The drop off the famed pier is a doozy, but that’s just the beginning of the fun at one of St. Croix’s best-known night dives. We had the place to ourselves that evening, other than a tarpon the size of a silver corvette, along with octopuses, eels, scorpionfish, stingray, spotted eagle ray, numerous reef fish and every color sponge from yellow to pink, salmon and purple. Here we also got to assist our divemaster, Simeon Tolar of St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures, in capturing and eradicating the ever-present invasive lionfish. Get there with: St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures (S.C.U.B.A.); stcroixscuba.com; 877-567-1367.

* Salt River Canyon East Wall, St. Croix: A deceptively easy dive that starts in just 40 feet of water, the gentle slope on the east side makes this a good one for wall newbies — just look out for that 1,000-foot drop-off. Corals of every description, including two types of black coral, are the stars at this site near where Christopher Columbus landed with 17 ships in 1493. Get there with: Dive Experience; diveexp.com; 800-235-9047.

* Blue Chute and Sleepy Shark Hollow, St. Croix: These close-by sites can be done on a single dive: At fishy, coral-heavy Blue Chute we watched as two enormous, fearless green morays free-swam around and through our pod of divers, while at Sleeping Shark Hole, captain and divemaster Sam Halvorson of Dive Experience stood on his head to peek under the ledge for the namesake fish. Yep, there they were, two good-size —and sleepy — nurse sharks. Get there with: Dive Experience; diveexp.com; 800-235-9047.