USVI-On-Line

last year on our way to the Indians, the surf was pretty high and our charter guide took a break in Newfound Bay on the east end. We thought it was pretty stunningly beautiful, looked like a sandy bottom, turtles and rays probably there. We were thinking it might be fun to do a snorkel there this year if there's some reef in there somewhere.

Has anyone tried snorkeling there before, and if so how is it?

thanks ahead.....JF

This is one spot I haven't snorkeled on STJ but here's a helpful link: http://www.seestjohn.com/trails_newfound.html

We snorkled there while doing a daysail on Breath. Very good snorkeling indeed. Rays and turtles on the sandy parts of the bay, and some good reef snorkeling along the coast just outside of the mouth of the bay.

I've snorkeled here twice from charters. It's stunnignly beautiful and so quiet just to sit there and look at the electric blue of the water. If you are on the water, facing inland, I believe the snorkeling was best over to the right. There's a few barracuda here too.

Ditto what Augie said, except no turtles when we visited. The reef is pretty long, so it's good if you have someone going with you in a dinghy.

Maggy

Great snorkeling , if you can get there by water. The owners of the entirely private property that the trail went through have shut it off and posted it---and people wonder why many long time locals don't like certain websites and guidebooks...

hugo wrote:Great snorkeling , if you can get there by water. The owners of the entirely private property that the trail went through have shut it off and posted it---and people wonder why many long time locals don't like certain websites and guidebooks...

Is it a long time local who owns the land and closed and posted the trail ? Because of the publicity? Thanks.

well, it sounds like a plan. Thanks all for the feedback.....JF

Exit,
I'm not 100% sure whose decision this was, but all of that land is owned by a VI family. Some members who lived in PR have recently moved onto the land, so that may be a factor as well...however, I am personally very grouchy about the internet trumpeting of little-known places--not just because I can't enjoy them as I used to, but the inevitable changes that occur--every place starts to be the same. Does that seem horribly elitist and misanthropic of me? Sorry. I have no problem with people going to those places, I just don't think the entire computer-owning world should know how to get there.

totally understood....in the surfing world its very common for web sites not to give every local break on their web site, only the very well known ones.....that way the local breaks are preserved for the locals.....JF

Thank you Hugo,
When I first read the subject I thought to myself when is enough, enough. There must be something left to self exploration. Not that Newfound is unknown anymore. When I first started going to spots around here like Newfound, no one was EVER there. Now, it is hard to be alone. Not trying to be one of the good ole days folks, simply I hope we can keep some secrets so that when you discover them on your own, you feel like you did something new. The hardest tourists to service are the ones that (think they) know everything.

My lips are sealed. Am I the only one who is keeping the STJ secret?

for all the newbies out there, the best beach on STJ is......the Westin.....

surfnh wrote:for all the newbies out there, the best beach on STJ is......the Westin.....

Hehe