USVI-On-Line

Quick question: At what beaches and what time of day do most of you have success snorkeing with turtles???

morning- Waterlemon and Francis.

Maho too

The beach at Leinster Bay (on the way out to the entry-point for Waterlemon). I have never snorkeled there and NOT seen turtles. Also, rays, barracuda's, etc.

I know others will say Maho - and that is by far my favorite beach, but I've never seen a turtle in Maho Bay. I probably don't get there early enough.

My best luck is to get up EARLY and hit MAHO at 7am. Stand on the beach and watch the water drinking your favorite beverage. You will see the turtles coming up for air to get an idea of where to look. Put on you snorkel gear and go play MARCO POLO for an hour or two!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Gizzmos2007/StJohn

I was at Giboney beach today from about noon- 2pm and sat out on a mooring to have lunch by the red/green channel markers and saw MANY big turtles coming up for air - certainly some were the same turtles re-surfacing over that 2 hour period but I would say that at least 50 times one or more, and as many as 5 once, were up for air.
I understand the females are alerted by the summer solstice, length of day and N. angle of the sun that it is time to go ashore for egg laying.
Two of the largest and oldest ones I have ever seen were hooking up out by Henly Key when I sailed by.

Anywhere where there is lots of sea grass you tend to see the green turtles and the hawksbill are the ones that eat the coral.

We have seen green turtles at Francis, Salt Pond, Leinster/Waterlemon, Maho, Trunk, and once at Cinnamon. We saw hawksbill on the way out to Mary's Point at Francis and also along the far right side of Gibney.

nothintolose

p.s. Francis had the most at once and Leinster secondly.

KWL,

Everyone is pointing out the right beaches! You can find them all day long, but I find early mornings and late afternoons are more active in grassy areas. We sit back and wait for their heads to pop up, then we ease on out there! Take time to sit and watch. We like to walk slowly to Leinster, my wife and daughter focusing straight down looking for sea glass and I grab a spot up on a boulder scanning the water, I often spot a small shark cruising the shoreline. Leinster has some turtles, not to mention starfish!!!!!!

All this talk has me stoked to go on our trip!
Budman

Great advice from all. Snorkel alot and they will come

We like to float motionlessly in the middle of Salt Pond Bay and wait for a drive by. There's also a big guy we call VW (as in beetle, he's that big) that seems to graze Francis Bay out by the buoy line.

Cheers, RickG