US Virgin Islands » St Thomas | 🏛 Snorkeling Tour St Thomas

St Thomas Snorkeling: Virgin Islands National Park & Sea Turtles

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/25

Duration3h 30m

GroupUp to 49

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two reef stops in the Virgin Islands National Park, sea turtles included

You board at Red Hook (St Thomas) or Cruz Bay (St John) and spend two hours in the water at two different snorkel sites in Virgin Islands National Park, hunting sea turtles and coral. Snorkel gear, fruit and water before swimming, rum punch and beer after. The boat returns you by 12:30, leaving your afternoon open.

3h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Snorkeling tour in Virgin Islands National Park

Depart Ocean Surfari Red Hook at 9:00
Pick up guests at Cruz Bay beach at 9:30
Snorkel at two different spots
Enjoy open bar and light snacks after swimming
Return to St John drop off guests at 12:00
Return to St Thomas at 12:30

The Experience

The boat pulls away from the dock at Red Hook on St Thomas at 9:00 in the morning, and you're already scanning the water. Reef Surfari is a 47-foot power catamaran, newer, stable enough that you can actually relax instead of gripping the rail. The first thirty minutes is the run to Cruz Bay on St John — if you're staying there, you board at 9:30 from the beach in front of Ocean Surfari retail store. Either way, by the time everyone's aboard, the boat turns toward the snorkel sites in Virgin Islands National Park, and the crew starts talking about what you might see: sea turtles, brain coral the size of a car, schools of yellowtail snappers moving like one organism.

The two snorkel spots change depending on the day's weather and sea conditions, so there's no script — the crew picks what's actually swimmable and what's alive that morning. You get in with a mask and fins (all included), and the reef shows up fast. The water is clear enough that you stop thinking about depth. Turtles are the thing people remember; they're not rare here, just unhurried. You float above them, and they float below you, and nobody's in a hurry. Between the two stops, you're back on deck with snacks and fruit, cold sodas and water. The open bar doesn't start until after you're done swimming — rum punch, painkillers, cold beer, whatever you want — so you're not choosing between a drink and staying sharp in the water.

The return is easy. You drop back at Cruz Bay at 12:00 if you're staying on St John, then Red Hook at 12:30 if you're heading back to St Thomas. The whole thing runs three and a half hours from start to finish, which means you're back on land before the day gets hot and you still have the afternoon free. No rental car needed, no figuring out which reef to pick, no managing your own air supply or timing.

What’s included

All snorkeling equipment (mask, fins, snorkel).
Fruit and light snacks plus cold soda and water before you enter the water.
Open bar with rum punch, painkillers, cold beer, soda and water on the return to port.
Two snorkel stops in Virgin Islands National Park.
Pickup and return transportation between Red Hook (St Thomas) and Cruz Bay (St John).

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Ocean Surfari Charters

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to snorkel the national park reefs without arranging your own boat, picking your own sites, or managing the logistics — the fixed departure times and two daily stops mean you get the sea turtles and coral without the planning.