Hi everyone! I'm heading down to Jost next week and am thinking of spending a day out on the water this year. Any suggestions as to what islands to visit or snorkeling spots? I've been told to check out Sandy Spit. Any other thoughts? Thanks in advance!

Snorkeling: You might try Monkey Point (off Guana Island), Cistern Point (off Cooper Island), the Caves (Norman Island), and the Indians (Norman Island).

Turtles nearby Sandy Spit in the anchorage near Foxy's Taboo. Diamond Cay is interesting from the water. B-Line Beach Bar is there too.

Sandy Cay is a wee island that has many attributes of the larger islands, all in a 20 minute walking loop. Bring bug spray.

Brewers Bay on Tortola is good for a drift snorkel at outer fringes and across the gap. Its the first place I saw Manta rays. No anchoring.

Cheers, RickG

Are Manta rays really spotted in the Virgin Islands? Seeing these magnificent creatures in the wild is a dream of mine! I have bare boated twice in the BVI and snorkeled every day, but have not come across one. We are coming back this June for 10 days. Is there a particular spot they are know to visit or a season when sightings are more frequent or are sightings just rare and unpredictable? Also Brewer's bay is off limits per our charter company, so how would I access it for snorkeling?

The only place I have seen a Manta Ray is off the North drop fishing. I have never seen one inshore in over 25 years.
G

I've never seen one in the BVI's. We did see big schools of them in Bora Bora - apparently they are very shy creatures.

In the summer we get rays in the shallows on Apple Bay..seen many..make sure you shuffle your feet as you enter the sea as they love to bury in the sand..not good if you step on them otherwise they are friendly. Had one swim right up to me and then bury itself..lovely....

We seen many rays at different spots throughput the VI's. Usually see them buried in the sand with just the eyes exposed
The most memorable sighting we've had was just off the beach on St. Thomas of a Spotted Eagle Ray with a 6 foot wing span. It slowly swam under us in about 10 ft of water and we kept up with it for a minute or two, was simply magnificent.
Hope you get to experience these beautiful creatures on you trip.

We have seen many rays too. Usually see them at Cooper, Cistern Point; Loblolly, in front of Big Bamboo; Peter Island, Great Harbor; to name a few.

I see only https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_eagle_ray

I've seen stingrays and an eagle ray too, but RickG mentioned Manta rays. These can be 20 ft wide, can weigh a few thousand pounds and are pelagic. There are some Manta tourist spots elsewhere in the tropics but not the Leewards, that I know of. I would be curious if others have seen Manta's. I think that would be very rare.

Manta rays are frequently spotted at St. John in Maho and Francis Bay. Pelagic, sure, but we had one swim between Sweet Christine and the beach at Francis and she was barely waist deep in the water. It looked like a very large black magic carpet going by. They're more like 8-12 footers.

http://newsofstjohn.com/2013/04/12/mad-about-manta-rays/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqaEi4QsqJo

The pair of Mantas I saw at Brewers Bay were in the deeper water between the two points of the bay. They swam by and it was rather a surprise. Then they came back for another pass and it was a great experience. They looked very large, but I did not have reference, so I would just say that they were bigger than 12 feet. It was summer time in the mid 1990s and the water was super clear. Great memory.

Cheers, RickG

Wow. Thank you, RickG, for the links. That is truly awesome. Even more reason to be stoked about our upcoming trip. We will be splitting our 10 days between BVI and USVI, passing Brewers on our way to the north shore of St. John. Will keep a sharp lookout!

Best,
Peter

My crew saw a manta breach the water at Key Cay / Key Bay anchorage on Peter Island. I was being super nice, mixing rum drinks for everyone (below deck) when I hear "WHOA OH MY GOD OH MY GOD" then heard a splash. By the time I got on deck it was gone. But they said it was a manta ray, maybe 15 ft across. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Blush.gif" alt="" />