Why Everyone (Not Just Newbies) Should Go on a Guided Snorkel Tour

Here’s a hot take I have for the US Virgin Islands: Everyone should take a guided snorkel tour at least a couple of times, no matter how many times they’ve been snorkeling here before.

I know, I know… you’ve already snorkeled here. Why would going with a guide change anything when you already know how to snorkel? Why do you need someone to accompany you when you already have a fish identification card and rented snorkel gear so you can go by yourself?

Hear me out: As someone who was a snorkel guide herself, I’ve seen firsthand how much snorkel enthusiasts can get out of a guided tour. There’s a lot you didn’t realize you were missing when you embarked on a snorkel on your own.

Here are just a couple of reasons why I think a snorkel guide will elevate your experience in the USVI waters:

A guide will explain mysterious marine creature behavior.

Wondering why that octopus is changing color and shooting water to the side (and where is that water jet coming from?)? Or perhaps you’re not sure if it’s safe to swim past that moray eel popping out of a hole. Rest assured: your snorkel guide has the answers (and they’re juicy!).

A guide will help you identify things that you can’t find on your general fish identification card.

Those cards are awesome because they cover the basics. But there’s a lot you will see underwater that won’t be on those cards. Juvenile fish often look very different from their adult counterparts. Soft corals can look like something made from play dough. And that tiny crawling thing—we can tell you what it is and the role it plays in the underwater world.

Sure, you can always look these things up when you get back to shore and dried off enough to use your phone, but let’s be real—you’ll likely forget to Google them once you’re out of the water, let alone struggle to remember the exact details. 

A guide knows the local waters.

Our guides snorkel these waters day in and day out, all year long. Here’s something you may not realize: Fish live in “neighborhoods” too and can show signs of individual personalities (Did you see, My Octopus Teacher?). Guides who frequent particular snorkel sites get to know which fish “ live” there, especially those with stand out personality traits.

It can be fun to have a guide show you a particularly bossy damsel fish we call Darla who defends her hole in the coral with a fierceness rivaling a tiger. It is also so charming to “meet” old sea turtles we have been seeing for years and learn what sets them apart both visually and behaviorally.

A guide will use their expert eyes to point out things you’d otherwise miss.

There’s so much to look at underwater that it’s easy to skim over the details. Our guides know what to look for and will ensure you don’t miss the extra cool finds like those banded coral shrimp or the teeny seahorse hanging out on the wall. 



A guide will watch your back so you can just relax and enjoy the show.

Our guides are focused on safety and it’s essential to keep your senses alert when you’re in the water. With a guide, you can focus on snorkeling and they’ll be sure you stay out of the way of dinghies, boats, or things you shouldn’t rub up against.

So—have I convinced you? Do you think you’ll join us for a guided snorkel tour on your next trip to St. Thomas, St. John, or St. Croix?

If not, no hard feelings. We are still more than happy to rent you snorkel gear to explore on your own—and we can’t wait to hear your fish tales when you return it!