Explore Under the Sea in St. Thomas

St. Thomas U.S.V.I.

Exquisite Above 

or Under the Sea

This image captured by us on one of our past trips to St. Thomas was taken from the world famous Mountain Top.   From there you can see all of the surrounding area and really get the true sense of how blue the waters really are.

St. Thomas is truly a Caribbean paradise which is featured on many Eastern Caribbean cruise itineraries.  On our most recent visit, during our Carnival Conquest cruise, we decided to explore under the sea, without even getting wet.

Coral World

Coral World (click for more pictures)

After a short cab ride from the pier, we arrived at Coral World St. Thomas.  It is the second marine park developed by Coral World International and incorporates the following attractions: Marine Museum, Shark, Stingray and Turtle Pools, Touch Pools, and naturally - The Underwater Observatory.   Now you know how we could explore under the sea without getting wet.

The park has been damaged by several hurricanes in the past.  The Underwater Observatory was undergoing some renovation when we were there this February.  

The cruise lines offer this as one of their excursions or you can take a cab there on your own.  The prices are pretty comparable but the difference is with a group you are set to a schedule while when on your own you can set your own pace and possibly include one of the optional activities, such as the SNUBA® adventure pictured here.

SNUBA® gives you complete freedom of movement and ease of breathing under water as the air tanks are located at the surface being carried on a raft.

After a short orientation a certified SNUBA guide will lead you and a group of no more than 4 people on your adventure to the shores of Coki Point where a beautiful coral reef thrives with a wide variety of sea life.

Planning on Visiting USVI?

If you are flying directly to St. Thomas you won't need a passport if you are a U.S. Citizen. Of course, if you plan to also visit other islands that aren't U.S. Territories, or if you are on a cruise, you will still need your passport.

There are plenty of things to do from dining, shopping, relaxing on a beach, to exploring the wonderful world under the sea as we have discussed here. Visit the U.S. Virgin Islands tourism page to learn more about the islands and what they have to offer.

Click for Mini-Series Articles / Images

Tip: There are several attractions near the ship's pier in St. Thomas.  You can venture off on your own if you prefer.

We'll continue with San Juan  and more about the ship in our next installments.   If you are just joining us, we have several articles in this mini-series already.   You can either page backwards or check our main article (click image).

Underwater Footage - Images Costa Concordia

Images Tell the Story

You've heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.   Today, we decided to let some pictures tell the story that is still unfolding in the frigid Mediterranean waters off the coast of Giglio, Italy.

To be honest, we've never even heard of the village of Giglio before the Costa Concordia accident.  Although we've been to the Mediterranean, that wasn't on our tinerary, nor was it for the passengers of the Concordia.  

When the story of 2012 is told in pictures,  these images will undoubtedly be among those.  We'll let them tell their story...


First pictures inside Costa Concordia following the tragic accident .  Several areas of the ship are shown, including before and after pictures of the restaurant, as crews start to explore the ship for survivors and victims.




Here is amazing footage from the search and rescue operations being carried out by the Italian Navy. It is in Italian, but you don't need a translation to understand the effort involved here. We salute the brave crews who are still working to account for all the passengers and crew of the Costa Concordia.

More Photo Galleries

Costa Concordia rescue effort - in pictures

Incredible rescue efforts 

NCL Dawn Bermuda - Underwater Exploration Institute

It's day 3 in Bermuda and time for the Norwegian Dawn to make a short journey from King's Wharf to Hamilton, Bermuda. The ship tenders in Hamilton, so it was necessary to obtain tender tickets before going ashore.

We decided not to rush and had some breakfast. When we finished our breakfast, we headed to the lounge to pickup our tender tickets. Timing couldn't have been better - we were able to obtain our tender ticket and head to the gangway to disembark.

Our tender boat was actually one of the ferries, so it was able to accomodate a large number of passengers waiting to go ashore. Once ashore we began walking down Front Street, the main street of Hamilton. We weren't exactly sure where the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) was located, so we asked a women walking along the street. We were only three or four blocks away from the BUEI. If you don't want to walk, you can also get to the BUEI by bus.

We spent two hours there visiting the various exhibits such as Bermuda Revealed, Underwater Bermuda, Shell Collection, Science at Sea, The Dive, The Deep, Bioluminescence, Shark Cage, Treasure Room, and the Shipwreck Gallery. Once again our timing was excellent. By the time we walked to The Dive exhibit, the ride was about to begin. If you've been to a theme park and gone on a motion ride, this is very similar. We were actually the only people on the ride.

There is a wealth of information throughout the various exhibits. One could easily spend several hours going through the institute, especially if that was their are of interest.

Even if marine biology and underwater exploration isn't your favorite subject, I think you will enjoy the Lightbourn Shell Collection. The collection is housed in several display cases. Jack Lightbourn started with Bermuda shells and expanded it to the entire world. It is by far the most amazing collection of shells we've ever seen.

For more photos, see our BUEI Photo Album and Shell Collection Album.

When we left the BUEI, it started to sprinkle a little, but it wasn't enough to keep us from going to our next stop, Fort Hamilton. My next post will describe our visit there.

NCL Dawn Bermuda - Hartley's Helmet Dive

If you weren't human, would you want to be a fish? What if you could talk to a fish and ask them if they had a good life? Sounds a little fishy to you perhaps. Well, once you meet Greg Hartley, the owner operator of Hartley's Undersea Walk Bermuda, you might think that he and his family had these strange thoughts many years ago. He calls each fish by name and they eagerly come to greet him as he enters the water with his guests.

Greg's father started the family business over 50 years ago. He invented what is known as the Hartley Diving Helmet. It works like a glass turned upside down in water. There is a constant supply of fresh air pumped from the boat and the excess bubbles freely flow out the bottom. Your head stays dry and you can reach in to touch your face or adjust your glasses. You can even wear your prescription glasses or contact lens.

The helmet dives occur on the same reef every day and the fish have become used to the visitors. Some of the fish are so tame they'll let you pet and hold them. They might even do tricks for you (such as swimming through a hoop). They pose for underwater pictures with you and your companions. For a small fee, Greg will take digital photographs of you and your companions during your underwater sea walk. You'll have a copy of your pictures on CD, along with some marine pictures that Greg and his family have taken over the years, to take home with you as a lasting souvenir of your adventure.

The great thing about helmet diving is that you don't need to be certified or even be able to swim. Greg leads you around the sandy bottom in about 10 feet of turquoise water, between coral reefs and waving sea fans as tropical fish swim all around you. With Greg's various props, he actually instructs you as he points out the various marine life.

Our first helmet diving experience was actually in Tahiti. Since we had enjoyed that experience, we put Hartley's Helmet Dive on the top of our must do activities for our Bermuda cruise. You can purchase your tour through NCL or directly with the Hartley's. Since the ship's excursion was in the morning, we decided to book that tour instead of doing it directly with Greg.

Both our helmet diving experiences were fabulous adventures. Of the two, we liked Greg's tour better since it was educational in addition to being recreational. He and his family have a deep love and respect for the eco environment and strive to educate each visitor. With people like Greg providing these tours, we hope that the reefs will stay protected so that many generations will be able to enjoy their beauty.

I encourage you to check Greg's website for more information about the undersea walk. It is fun for the entire family, for young and old. Remember, no special skills are needed. All you need to be able to do is walk and follow directions to have a great time.

This tour was one of the highlights of our Bermuda cruise. I strongly encourage you to consider this tour while in Bermuda. There's still more to come, so be sure to visit my blog again.