St Thomas: Night Kayak Mangrove Lagoon Tour with Guide

4.79

(146 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to feel nervous about kayaking at night, but there I was in St Thomas, fiddling with my headlamp strap while our guide, Marcus, grinned and told us not to worry about the crabs. The air smelled briny and warm — kind of like wet leaves mixed with salt — and the water was so still you could hear every paddle dip. We paired up and pushed off into the mangrove lagoon, which looked totally different after sunset. I kept thinking I’d lose sight of the group, but those little lights bobbing ahead made it feel safe, almost cozy.

Marcus knew every twist in those winding waterways. He pointed out birds settling into their nests (I only saw silhouettes, but he could name them all), and he even spotted a stingray gliding under someone’s kayak. There was this moment when we just floated in silence — no one talking, just listening to frogs and the soft splash of paddles. It felt weirdly peaceful for something that started out feeling so unfamiliar. At one point I tried to say “mangrove” in Spanish to impress my friend — pretty sure I butchered it because Marcus laughed and corrected me gently.

We stopped in a patch where the water was shallow enough to see roots twisting below us. Our guide explained how important these mangroves are for marine life here in St Thomas — honestly, I’d never thought much about trees growing out of water before. The air got cooler as we sat there and I realized how much I’d relaxed since we started. Heading back, my arms were tired but I didn’t really care; there was something about paddling home under stars that made everything else fade out for a bit. Still think about that silence sometimes.