One of the island's biggest bragging rights is scuba diving. St. Croix boasts a fantastic underwater wall along the north shore, where you'll interact with the marine life, including the region's famous sea horses as well as pelagic sharks and eagle rays. Salt River Canyon, Cane Bay and the Frederiksted pier are not to be missed.

Operators

Anchor Dive Center.
(Salt River National Park, tel. 340-778-1522/800-532-3 4 83). Daily tours of the "7 Wonders of St. Croix" dive sites and more.

Cane Bay Dive Shop
(Cane Bay, tel. 340-773-9913 and Frederiksted, tel. 340-778-5442). Beach dives from Cane Bay and boat dives from Frederiksted; open 7 days.

Dive Experience. (Comanche building, Strand Street, Christiansted, tel. 340-773-3307/800-235-9 0 47. St. Croix's oldest dive facility.

Dive St. Croix (King's Wharf, Christiansted, tel. 340-773-3434). Only dive operation allowed to run dives to Buck Island; custom packages set-up with five St. Croix hotels.

Scubawes. (Frederiksted, tel. 340-772-3701/800-352-0 1 07). Specialize in night dives at Frederiksted pier and daytime west-end shipwreck sites.

VI Divers, Ltd. (Pan Am Pavilion, Christiansted, tel. 340-773-6045). Since 1971, boat dives and hotel packages.

Dive Sites

Buck Island Reef National Monument - This lush protected area is operated by the National Park Service and has undersea markers which describe marine life.

 Frederiksted Pier - This 250-yard concrete pier is encircled by lots of fish, sponges and sea horses. There are a trio of somewhat shallow wrecks northwest of Frederiksted. The Northwind is in 45' of water. The Barge lies a short swim away and is colorfully encrusted with sponges. The Suffolk Maid, a North Sea trawler is at a 65' depth. Less than 100 yards away, the Rosamaria, a 70' container ship, sits upright much deeper in 100' of water.

Salt River Canyon - This 1,000' drop-off has a submarine ravine ending in a waterfall, and it's west and east sites are the most requested and suggested dives on the island. Find countless species like big hawksbill turtles, moray and electric eels.

Wall at Cane Bay - Coral walls branch out at 40' to 60' - over a 600-foot drop-off along five miles of the northwest coast - and display dozens of old Danish anchors. Swim out 150 yards across a sandy plain to the site or take a 5-minute boat ride to a mooring.