Trunk Bay Snorkeling

[eramp76]

I read posts all the time about the snorkeling on Trunk being below par due to all the tourists. We agree that the snorkeling might be a little better on other St. John beaches, but we were there recently on a cruise and snorkeled Trunk again. We started off to the right near the rocks and a huge sea turtle swam right up to us and swam with us for awhile. We later were over to the left of the cay, almost out past it when we saw a shark (about 4 1/2 or 5 feet from tip to tip). Anybody seen sharks here before?

We have been to beaches and snorkeled all over the Caribbean and Hawaii. St. John outshines them all.

[California Girl]

I had good luck snorkeling at Trunk, too, but no turtles or sharks. I think you're right about Trunk getting a bad rap because of the cruisers. No one likes to snorkel in a crowd and get kicked by someone else's flippers, but when it's empty there, it's purty durn nice! I also like the amenities there...bathrooms, showers & frosty boozy drinks!

[liamsaunt]

I have had some really good snorkle experiences at Trunk too. The coral is kind of beat up, but we've seen turtles a bunch of times. They are usually small, but cute:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/550104980/" title="trunk turtle surfacing by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/195/5501 ... de2778.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="trunk turtle surfacing"></a>

We've also found tarpon, rays, schools of tang, angelfish, crabs, lots of snappers...no sharks, thankfully!

We usually go in the late afternoon. This is one of my favorite photos of Trunk at sunset, when we got stuck in the water waiting for a wedding to finish (they set up right near our snorkel bag):

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/1753096652/" title="trunk floating 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/175 ... 7cd841.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="trunk floating 2"></a>

[nothintolose]

I have seen tarpon that were almost as long as me there but no sharks. I have seen turtles (small ones like liamsaunt said), beautiful large angelfish, and an octopus in addition to many other fish.