ST JOHN SNORKELING TOURS TO THE VIRGINS ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK!!
Get off the beaten track and away from the crowds
on our intimate, professional St John snorkeling
tours to hidden coral reefs. Snorkeling is such a big
part of our sailing tours we thought it deserved
its own page!
Sail Safaris strives to give you the best experience
possible. Not only do we take you to our favorite,
secret snorkeling spots, but we snorkel with you,
pointing out the incredible creatures, the different
coral communities and the life cycles of corals,
sponges and reef fish.
With Sail Safaris you are a name not just
a number. We take great care with all our adventurers.
Our small tours mean individual attention for our
guests and trips that meet your expectations. Don't
get corraled and herded! We promise we will never
speak to you through a megaphone.
Because our St John Snorkeling tours are small,
we are able to visit very unique spots within the
Virgin Islands National Park and the islands beyond
park boundaries.
Because of our passion for the coral reef and our
concern for one of the most endangered ecosystems
in the world we chose the vessels for our snorkeling
tours carefully. We use high performance sail boats
with no anchors and no polluting engines. Anchors
physically damage the reef and engines destroy the
water quality that's so important for healthy coral.
For those concerned about viewing the reef without
damaging it, we welcome you aboard.
We are kid friendly, family friendly, we're
just friendly. Our fleet of beach cats and captains
means we can accomodate larger groups. Each boat
can take up to 5 people. Call us and we can arrange
your multi-person, multi-boat expedition. The most
fun you can have on the water.
SNORKELING LESSONS
If you've never snorkeled before or if you feel a little uneasy
in the presence of so many fish, don't worry. We've taught
many, many people visiting St John how to snorkel safely,
from kids to grandmas. We will patiently help you fit your
gear and learn to breath underwater. The calm, warm Caribbean
makes it easy, and before you know it you'll
be swimming with the fish!
**Snorkeling tip: The real trick to snorkeling
is to relax and breath normally.
This is our annual Friends
of the National Park Adventure Sail. As affinity
members of the "Friend's" we
offer two ecology tours each year to Friends members
to help raise money for the Virgin Islands National
Park.
DID YOU KNOW?
Coral polyps host algae in their stomachs. The algae gets a
sunny, coral reef penthouse apartment in return for making
nutrients for the coral. This symbiotic relationship is
why coral needs shallow, sunlit water. It's half plant,
half animal.
Our beach catamarans are unique in their ability
to visit reefs that bigger boats can't. We land
on uninhabited islands and snorkel the fringing
reefs right from the beach. We can also tie up
to existing moorings and snorkel right from the
boat. For strong swimmers we offer drift snorkel
drops over the reefs.
DID YOU KNOW? We have
three species of turtles in the Virgin Islands:
Green Turtles, Hawksbill and the massive Leatherback. The Hawksbill eats jelly
fish and coral sponges. The Green Turtle eats turtle
grass and all three nest on our beaches. We often
see these gentle creatures gliding by the reef.
In colder oceans warm waters rise to the surface
carrying nutrients and supporting large populations
of phytoplankton, making the water cloudy.
In the tropics nutrients stay on the bottom
and plankton is scarce, making for our incredible
tropical water. Of course the white, sandy
bottom helps too.
The Hawksbill eats jelly
fish and coral sponges. The Green Turtle eats turtle
grass and all three nest on our beaches. We often
see these gentle creatures gliding by the reef. 