Trunks of Nature's Treasures
Written: Aug 14 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Some of the most beautiful water, coral, and fish I've ever seen
Cons: visibility on some of the tours between the Virgin Islands
The Bottom Line: Trunk Bay in St. John is a glorious place with calm cool water and a lot of visually interesting sights for snorkelers.
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| quasar's Full Review: St. John |
The third and final stop on my Caribbean cruise was St. Thomas. I had had such a good time snorkeling a few days earlier in the Bahamas I decided to snorkel again. The two snorkeling excursions that caught my eye were a sailing trip to St. John that included snorkeling once there and a motorboat trip that included a 45 minute tour of St. Thomas by water then snorkeling at Trunk Bay. After much internal debate I chose the latter trip because it left quite a bit of time to see Charlotte Amalie. After not getting a chance to see much of Nassau I really wanted to see the local sights in St. Thomas.
We journeyed to St. John on the Leland Sneed, a boat that seated about 60, mostly on benches. Crew members took turns pointing out famous hotels and homes on St. Thomas and famous islands and formations on the water side. The boat was very full and I was sitting on the water side so I couldn't really see a lot of what they pointed out on St. Thomas, but I didn't really care. I was enjoying the beautiful scenery and the feel of the wind in my face.
Snorkeling gear came with the price of admission, so about 15 minutes from St. John they led us below decks to pick out masks and fins. They had a lot to chose from, but not many larger masks and almost no larger fins (I wear men's 13EEEE shoes). I finally found a pair of adjustable fins that worked and a mask that didn't quite fit. The crew member who helped me assured me it would be fine.
By the time we arrived at Trunk Bay I was more than ready to get in the water. The boat dropped anchor in the middle of the bay and we were offered three choices: take a dinghy to shore, climb down a ladder into the water or jump. I jumped.
We basically jumped off the stern of the ship, maybe six feet above the water. It was exhilarating. Unfortunately my mask didn't survive impact. I got a lot of water in my eyes and had to wait about five minutes to get another mask.
I found the fins inhibited my ability to swim and I quickly shed them. Once rid of them, I was able to swim easily and enjoy myself.
The snorkling was incredible. The edges of the bay flanked with trees and other greenery had coral reefs protruding out underwater. The coral came in every color imaginable, every combination of colors imaginable. Hiding amid the odd finger shaped growths were all sorts of fish, most brightly colored. Many of them blended with the coral, peering out every so often to see who had invaded their turf.
We were allowed to roam anywhere between the ship and shore. There was plenty of room for all which is not to say there were no collisions. However, they were caused by several people trying to look at the same section of coral not because there wasn't enough room.
The area where the boat docked was quite deep, but the areas with coral averaged two or three feet of water above the growth. It was very easy to dive to within inches of specific formations for a close look.
I never went to shore, having no interest in doing anything but swimming and snorkeling. The beach looked nice, and those who chose to go to the beach rather than frolic in the water all said it was one of the nicest beaches they'd ever visited.
We were only given about 75 minutes in the water, much less time than I would have liked. I dawdled a bit getting out, staying at the back of the line waiting to climb up the ladder to the boat. I swam around a bit in that area, dove a bit, getting as wet as possible and dragging every last ounce of fun out of the trip. Finally I climbed back up after everyone else had gone.
We took approximately the same route back as we had going but this time instead of touristy information we had music and rum punch. I couldn't help but be depressed that my snorkeling was over for the cruise. At the same time I was grateful that my last dip came at such a beautiful and enjoyable place as Trunk Bay. Maybe someday I'll have the pleasure of a repeat visit.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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