Dive In St. Thomas for a New Perspective on Tropical Marine Life

The beautiful sea and the sparkling beaches are definitely the most important reasons for choosing to vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Even if you are a novice in swimming, you should not miss out on a St. Thomas diving experience in the tranquil azure blue waters. You will get a completely new perspective on the tropical sea and the bountiful marine life it hosts. There are an amazing 500 plus fish species, a few hundred types of invertebrates, 40 coral types, as well as dolphins, leatherback turtles and even sharks to study and admire. Since you are in an U.S territory, you have the added confidence that you are safe in American waters and the dive boats and their captains U.S Coast Guard-inspected and certified.

Up and Close With Denizens of the Deep:-

The crystal-clear sea waters in the vicinity of St. Thomas are home to an amazing abundance of tropical marine life. The fish you can see include the colorful parrotfish, the sinister barracuda, snappers, French grunts, spotted butterfly fish, damsel fish, soldier fish, hawk fish, porcupine fish, squirrel fish, just to mention a few.  The area is also rich in coral reefs that are formed by tiny coral polyps that secrete calcium that ultimately build up to form the reefs that become an amazing but extremely fragile marine ecosystem. Another type of coral, gorgonians, form outside the reefs and resemble colorful exotic plants that are a wonderful sight. Conches that can be quite long-lived and weigh up to four pounds are unique to this region are much prized in the local cuisine. Over-fishing has depleted stocks and now they are protected by law.St. Thomas diving tours can give you an opportunity to see other marine creatures such as leatherback turtles, dolphins, moray eels, sharks, lobsters, starfish, jellyfish, stingrays, and much more.

A Choice of Great Diving Sites:-

There is no dearth of accessible and interesting dive sites in St. Thomas. The region has some of the best tropical coral reefs that teem with marine life of an amazing variety as well as quite a few shipwrecks that make for wonderful underwater exploration opportunities. The two Navy barges that were demolished and sunk after the World War II and a former naval tank-landing ship provide for extremely fascinating St. Thomas diving tours. Two rocks given the name of "Cow and Calf" and the tunnels of Thatch are also extremely popular diving sites because of the abundance of marine life and coral formations that can be explored. Coki Beach is another favorite haunt of scuba divers as it gives a matchless opportunity of observing a variety of marine life such as yellow headed jawfish, bar jacks, cleaner shrimp, turtles as well as stingrays in a placid pool-like condition that's perfect for even the most novices of divers. With water temperature in the summer at 82° F (29° C) and a tad below that in winter, conditions for diving are as ideal as they can be. The 60-100 foot visibility means that observation couldn't be simpler.

Scale Up Your Diving Skills with Professional Instructors:-

St. Thomas diving is also a wonderful opportunity for those wanting to upgrade their scuba diving skills. There are plenty of operators who teach courses that range form the beginners' to the extremely advanced, all certified by either Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) or the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). You can even undergo special courses that teach underwater photography, boat diving, wreck drift, and peak buoyancy. Participants with physical disabilities are catered to at quite a few dive outlets.