The Virgin Islands Scuba Diving
Including the US Virgin Islands (St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas)
and the British Virgin Islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda)
An Undercurrent Insider Report on The Virgin Islands Diving
The Consumer Newsletter for Serious Divers Since 1975
Overview of The Virgin Islands
Patch reef diving on these closely
grouped islands is easy, pleasant,
and fairly similar despite which
island you choose. The islands are
small, friendly, and great getaways.
St. Croix is getting more attention
from divers, thanks to its underwater
topography and improved dive
services. Once unfriendly to visitors,
the Virgins are now a good tourist
destination with decent Caribbean diving on St. Thomas and St. John.
The Virgin Islands Seasonal Dive Planner
British Virgin Islands
Mild temperatures vary from mid-70s in winter to lower 90s in summer.
Wind is the predominant factor affecting diving. It blows much harder during winter.
Also, storms in the North Atlantic bring large swells to the island's north shores,
making divers move to a south lee. Hurricane season is typical Caribbean.
US Virgin Islands
Winter air temperatures average about 77°, with water temperatures
down into the mid 70s. Summer air temperatures average 83°, with water temperatures
in the mid 80s. Heavy fall and winter rains affect water visibility. Winter also
blows up some heavy winds, making divers search for a lee. Hurricane season is
typical Caribbean.
The Virgin Islands Feature Articles and Reader Reports
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Instant Reader Reports - the most recent ones available online |
| Reader Reports - from the Travelin' Divers' Chapbooks |
| Reader Reports - from the Travelin' Divers' Chapbooks |
Editor's Book Picks for The Virgin Islands
Including the US Virgin Islands (St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas)
and the British Virgin Islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda)
The books below are my favorites about diving in this part of the
world All books are available at a significant discount from Amazon.com;
just follow the links. -- BD
 World
Atlas of Coral Reefs by Mark D. Spalding, Corinna Ravilious,
Edmund P. Green, United Nations World Conservation Monitoring Center.
If there is one book that belongs in every traveling diver's library, this is
it. The superb World Atlas of Coral Reefs has everything you want to know
about the reefs from Costa Rica and Cuba to the Coral Sea and Cayman. The information
is specific and up to date. The photos, maps and layout superb. And the price,
for this 424 page, full color, hard bound volume, is a steal at $31.50
The Atlas was released in September by the United Nations World
Conservation Monitoring Center to document and conserve the world's coral reefs.
Clearly written with divers in mind, it's an invaluable resource for global
travelers. Here's what you'll find.
- 94 maps, including global maps of biodiversity and reef
stresses, regional maps showing 3-D bathymetry and high resolution maps showing
reefs, mangroves, population centers, dive centers and protected areas.
- 280 color photographs, showing reefs, wildlife, people and
places, Including 84 photographs taken from space by Shuttle astronauts.
- Text explaining the formation, structure and ecology of
coral reefs; their various uses and abuses at the hands of humans; and the
techniques used in coral reef mapping.
- Detailed texts describing the distribution and status of
coral reefs in every country.
- Data tables listing information on biodiversity, human
use, and protected areas. These include statistics on coral reef area, biodiversity,
fish consumption, and threats.
For example, you can learn about pollution damage to the reefs
at Providenciales and the lack of human impact, as well. Or, where extensive
bleaching took place in Honduras 1998. You'll read that Milne Bay in Papua New
Guineas has the most extensive reef system in that country and where, in Fiji,
the bumphead parrotfish and tridachna clams will not be found, thanks to overfishing.
Order
now.
 Diving Cozumel, 2nd Edition ... Diving Cayman Islands ... Belize
... Bay
Islands ... Bonaire
... Diving Bermuda, 2nd Edition
... British
Virgin Islands ... Hawaii
... Micronesia
by Speck, Garoutte, Middleton, Cancelmo, Strohofer,
Lewbel, Martin, Douglass, Verdure, Rosenberg, Hanauer... No
matter where you are headed, the Aqua Quest Books covering your destination are
the only way to supplement Undercurrent's hardhitting critical information.
Each of these books describes specific dive sites, depths and location, shore
diving entries, the critters you'll see, local history and customs, places of
interests. Take one as you travel or buy one after you return for the memories.
Scores of excellent colorful pictures and maps supplement each of these 7x10 paperback
128 page books.
Paul Humann ID Books by
Paul Humann, Ned Deloach: The three set fish, creature
and coral ID books by Paul Humann are the unparalleled sources for information
on Caribbean sea life and identification. This month Paul and his partner
Ned deLoach released updated and expanded editions of each, with scores of new
critters, even better photos, and information unavailable anywhere else. Why,
the Reef Fish Identification book, at more than 500 pages, is
20 percent larger than the previous volume, which came out in 1994. Whenever
I travel to the Caribbean, I tote all three books and spend my down hours figuring
out what I saw and where to look to find rare creatures. Paul's splendid Reef
Creature book (420 pages), covers sponges, nudibranchs, octopus, crustaceans,
Christmas tree worms and plenty more. His Coral ID book (276 pages) helps
you identify all the hard and soft corals, spawning, and even the growth on
top of corals, as well as algae and other plant life. Beginners may want to
ID only fish, but I'd recommend that all three books be part of every diver's
library. And, if you have an old set, by all means replace it. You'll be delighted
at the additions and improvements. Each book normally retails for $40, but are
discounted when you order here. And the boxed
3-volume set is available now at a bigger discount, $81.60
(June, 2004). You'll get the best prices
Amazon.com has to offer, speedy delivery, and the knowledge that a large hunk
of our profit will go to the Coral Reef Alliance, which is working to keep our
reefs alive and well. All are spiral bound, 6x9
Watching
Fishes: Understanding Coral Reef Fish Behavior by Roberta
Wilson, James Q. Wilson. Your buddies can probably name
the reef fish, but read this volume and you can explain what those critters are
actually doing -- and why. This fascinating book describes why and how fish change
color, how they smell and socialize, the difference between day and night behavior,
even how damsels cultivate algae patches -- which is why they attach you when
you fin by. Watching Fishes, Understanding Coral and Reef Fish Behavior is written
for divers, not scientists, by Roberta and James Q. Wilson. They describe in lively
nonfiction prose the behavior of basslets to blennies, clownfish to crinoids,
damsels to drumfish. Perfect for between-dive reference. Paperback, 6x9, 274 pages.
You might find some other books of interest in our Editor's
Book Picks section.
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