Snorkeling & Scuba Diving

Our Everyday Beach

If you're staying at Oceans, start here.

Cane Bay Beach is just an eight-minute walk from the villa, with clear Caribbean water, a relaxed North Shore atmosphere and some of the island's best-known snorkeling and diving just offshore. It's equally good for an early-morning swim, an afternoon under the palms or a drink after the beach.

We swim here most mornings after coffee, which probably tells you everything you need to know.

Best For: Swimming, snorkeling & an easy beach day

From Oceans: About an 8-minute walk

Amenities: Restaurants, beach bars & dive shop nearby

Good to Know: No need to bring beach chairs from the villa. Win at The Landing graciously provides colorful beach chairs, along with WiFi at the beach.

Cane Bay is famous among divers for something you can’t see from the beach

‍The dramatic underwater drop-off known simply as The Wall.

The reef begins relatively close to shore before plunging into much deeper water, creating one of St. Croix’s signature dive experiences. It’s an extraordinary combination of coral, marine life and underwater topography — and one of the reasons divers come specifically to the North Shore.

Best For: Certified divers and anyone who wants to experience St. Croix’s signature wall diving

What to Know: The Wall can be reached from shore or explored by boat. Conditions and experience matter, so diving with a local operator is a good choice if you don’t already know the site.

Oceans Tip: We see dive boats cruise right past Oceans on their way to the Wall. One of St. Croix’s great dive experiences is literally in our front yard.

Frederiksted Pier is one of St. Croix’s most distinctive dive sites.

The pilings beneath the pier have become habitat for an extraordinary variety of marine life, making it especially popular with divers and underwater photographers. The experience is completely different from a reef or wall dive — slower, shallower and filled with small things to discover.

Best For: Divers, underwater photographers and marine-life lovers

What to Know: Diving access is restricted when a cruise ship is at the pier, so check the cruise schedule before making the trip west.

Oceans Tip: If you’re an experienced diver, consider coming back after dark. Frederiksted Pier is particularly well known as a night dive.

For something completely different, head to St. Croix’s West End, where a collection of shipwrecks rests beneath the water at Butler Bay.

The wrecks have become artificial reefs, attracting coral and marine life and creating one of the island’s most interesting dive environments. With wrecks at varying depths, Butler Bay offers a very different experience from Cane Bay’s Wall or the marine life around Frederiksted Pier.

Best For: Certified divers looking for a wreck dive

What to Know: Some of the Butler Bay wrecks can be approached as shore dives, but access and difficulty vary. Unless you know the sites well, this is one we’d explore with a local dive operator.

Oceans Tip: Butler Bay has a special connection to Oceans. The large original Barbara Gelardi painting in our living room depicts the underwater world at Butler Bay, complete with a sea turtle. After seeing the real thing, you may look at the painting a little differently when you get home.

Located right at Cane Bay Beach, Sweet Bottom couldn’t be more convenient for guests staying at Oceans.

The full-service dive center offers guided shore dives, equipment rentals, instruction and introductory scuba experiences, with an emphasis on small, personalized groups. Their Cane Bay location makes them a natural choice for exploring the reef and the Wall.

Best For: Cane Bay diving, shore dives, small groups and newer divers

What to Know: You don’t need to be an experienced diver to start here. Sweet Bottom offers options for beginners as well as certified divers.

Oceans Tip: If you’re staying with us and want to explore Cane Bay underwater, this is the easiest place to start. They’re right at the beach, behind The Landing.

Despite the name, Cane Bay Dive Shop is based in Frederiksted, but its boats explore dive sites around St. Croix, including the North Shore.

Boat diving is one of its strengths, making it a good choice if you want to reach sites beyond those easily accessible from shore.

Best For: Boat diving, North Shore sites and divers who want to explore beyond Cane Bay

What to Know: Their trips give divers access to several different kinds of St. Croix diving, from walls and reefs to West End sites.

Oceans Tip: We see the Cane Bay Dive Shop boat cruise right past Oceans just about every day on its way to take divers to the Cane Bay Wall. If you’re sitting on the terrace with your morning coffee, keep an eye out for it.