The Beach · East End · St. Thomas
Snorkeling & the
Reef at Sapphire
Beach
Three places to get in, everything you will see down there and when it is not worth the swim.
START HERE
The reef at Sapphire Beach starts about ten feet off the sand. You do not need a boat, a guide or a plan. You need a mask and a morning.
That is the whole appeal and it is genuinely rare. Most of the good snorkeling on St. Thomas involves driving somewhere or renting a boat.
Here, you just walk in. Every photograph on this page was taken on this reef. Nothing is stock and nothing is from somewhere else in the Caribbean.
WHERE TO GET IN
Three spots, and they are not the same.
Most people swim straight out from the middle of the beach, which is the least interesting option of the three.
01
The rocks along Prettyklip point
Enter in front of E building or from the middle at Sapphire Beach and swim to the right. Structure, ledges and the most consistent fish life on the beach.
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Swell comes in hard and the current can run along the rocks, so it suits confident swimmers more than first timers. Not a beginner location...but the best, in my opinion.
BEST OVERALL
4 - 25 FT
CONFIDENT SWIMMERS ONLY
02
The middle, off the beach bar
Swim straight out and keep going, exploring the sandy patch. Turtles and conch inhabit these sections quite heavily which is nice. Shallow, forgiving and the easiest place to put a nervous person in the water.
EASIEST ENTRY
3 - 30 FT
BEGINNER FRIENDLY
03
The seagrass in front of Crystal Cove
Quieter, less trafficked and where the seagrass beds are, which means turtles and rays rather than reef fish.
Different experience entirely. Worth doing on a day when the point is stirred up.
RAYS, REEF FISH
3 - 20 FT
SEAGRASS & CORAL
WHAT YOU WILL ACTUALLY SEE
A field guide to the reef at Sapphire
All photographed at Sapphire Beach. None of these are unusual sightings and most of them turn up on an ordinary morning.
EVERYWHERE · ALL YEAR
Blue Tang
They move across the reef in big grazing schools and they are not remotely bothered by you. If you see one, wait. Forty more are usually behind it.
REEF EDGES · HARD TO SPOT
Trumpetfish
Long, thin and a genuine expert at being invisible. They hang vertically among the soft corals and hold completely still. Once you learn the shape you will see them constantly.
SAND & SEAGRASS · CRYSTAL COVE
Southern Stingray
They sift the sand for food, so look for the small cloud rather than the ray. Usually not a problem as you enter the water as they are further out.
SEA FLOOR· ON STRUCTURE
Anemones & soft coral
The thing most people swim right over. Stop for two minutes above one of these and you will find shrimp, crabs and half a dozen things you did not know were there.
THE POINT · UNDER LEDGES
Nurse shark
The one people panic about and the one they should not. They spend the day parked under a ledge and want nothing to do with you. Give her room and enjoy it.
CORAL HEADS · MOSTLY HIDDEN
Caribbean Reef Octopus
The best thing on this reef and the hardest to spot. Look for a tidy pile of shells outside a hole, which is the giveaway. Then look for the eye or siphon.
SEAGRASS· COMMON
Green & Hawksbill turtles
Out in the seagrass where they feed, head down and completely uninterested in you. Stay above and behind, keep your distance and they will carry on eating and let you watch.
CORAL CREVICES · SHY
Green moray eel
Tucked into a hole with the head out, watching you. That open mouth is how it breathes and not a warning. Keep your hands out of places you cannot see and there is nothing here to worry about.
CORAL · EVERYWHERE
Reef fish
Parrotfish, sergeant majors, wrasse, damselfish, the occasional barracuda hanging in the blue. A slow hour here beats a fast one anywhere.
GEAR
You can rent everything on the sand.
Renting gear at Sapphire Beach
Masks, snorkels and fins rent right on the beach at Sapphire, so you do not need to pack any of it or drive anywhere on your first morning. Floats and boogie boards too if you wanna play and chill.
You can find gear rentals at the stand next to the beach bar and all other rentals go through Naia Boutique.
Helpful hint: bring a little bit of dish soap with you for defog...a couple of drops inside the mask and rinse well and you should be good for the morning.
If you bring your own
Worth it for a week long stay, and a mask you have already fitted at home is the single biggest upgrade to the experience.
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Mask and snorkel, fitted before you travel
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Fins if you plan to cover any distance
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Rash guard, because the sun on your back is brutal and protection from stinging coral or jellyfish
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Reef safe sunscreen, and only where the shirt is not
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A dry bag for the walk down
What camera do I use?
Every single photo on this page was shot on an OM System TG-6. It is the camera I have used for years and the one people ask about every time we post photos.
Why it works here: it is waterproof to fifty feet with no housing, so you can walk it straight into the water off the beach. It has a macro mode that gets you close enough on an anemone to see the shrimp living in it. And it is small enough to freedive with, which most underwater setups are not.
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You will not find one at Sapphire, so buy it before you come. Nobody on this beach rents cameras and the shops in town are not stocking these. I've been using the 6 for awhile now but they do have a newer version for less on Amazon.
CONDITIONS
When to go and when to skip it.
The reef does not change. The water over it changes constantly and that is what decides your morning.
TIME OF DAY
Early. The winds usually fill in late morning and once they do the surface chops and the visibility drops a bit. Still totally doable but I like mornings the best.
VISIBILITY
Ranges from remarkable to about six feet, sometimes in the same week. Rain and swell are usually the culprits and both clear within a day or two.
WATER TEMPERATURE
Roughly 79°F in winter and 86°F in late summer. No wetsuit, ever. A rash guard is for the sun and not the cold.
WIND
Almost always out of the east and this beach faces east. Calm days are special, so take it when it comes rather than saving it for later.
SARGASSUM
Late April through October and it does not land evenly along the beach. The crews clear it daily. They honestly do a pretty good job of keeping it clear.
BOAT TRAFFIC
The marina is at the west end so keep an eye out around the point. A brightly coloured float or a dive flag is not a bad idea if you are going far.
BEFORE YOU GET IN
The questions everyone asks.
Is it good for beginners?
Yes, particularly the middle of the beach. It is shallow, you can stand in a lot of it and there is no entry over rocks. Go early when it is flat and stay where you can touch bottom until you are comfortable.
Is it safe for kids?
With a float or a vest and an adult in the water, absolutely. Plenty of families do it every day here. The middle entry is sandy and gradual, which makes it much easier than a rocky shore.
Are the sharks a problem?
No. Nurse sharks rest on the bottom and avoid people. There is no reason to leave the water because you saw one, and honestly it is the best thing that will happen to you that morning.
Do I need a guide or a tour?
Not at Sapphire. This is a walk in beach and that is the point of it. Save the guided trips for St. John and Christmas Cove, where a boat actually gets you somewhere you cannot swim to.
What should I not touch?
Anything. Coral is alive and fragile, fire coral will remind you it exists for about three hours and urchins are exactly where you would put your foot. Look, float, leave it alone. And please don't take shells, they are their homes.
NEXT
If you want to go further out
Boat trips & charters
St. John, Christmas Cove and the reefs you cannot swim to. Most of them leave from the marina at the end of this beach.
Where to stay
Which building puts you closest to which stretch of reef, and which rentals are worth the money.
Plan your week
Tell us when you are coming and get lodging, excursions and tons of other helpful advice before you land. Sorted.