Emerald Gardens St Croix USVI - St. Croix
Emerald Gardens is a good pick for a relaxed afternoon dive off St. Croix, particularly if you’re newer to the sport. The maximum depth of 23 meters keeps things comfortable, and we’ve found the conditions here generally very calm. We often spot green sea turtles munching on the seagrass beds near the reef’s edge, and the occasional southern stingray glides past. It’s a pleasant, easy dive, perfect for getting back in the water or for a less strenuous day.
- Location
- St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 17.773200, -64.814500
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 23m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve
Best Time to Dive in St. Croix
The warmest water temperatures in St. Croix occur in January, averaging 27.0°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.0°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.0°C (air: 24.6°C)
- February: 27.0°C (air: 24.3°C)
- March: 27.0°C (air: 24.6°C)
- April: 27.0°C (air: 25.2°C)
- May: 27.0°C (air: 26.3°C)
- June: 27.0°C (air: 27.0°C)
- July: 27.0°C (air: 27.1°C)
- August: 27.0°C (air: 27.3°C)
- September: 27.0°C (air: 27.4°C)
- October: 27.0°C (air: 27.1°C)
- November: 27.0°C (air: 26.2°C)
- December: 27.0°C (air: 25.5°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in St. Croix
- Alien Nation - 23m
- Armageddon - 26m
- Butler Bay Wrecks - 10-30m (wreck)
- Cables - 19m
- Cane Bay Wall - 10-40m (wall)
- CUMULUS - 2m (wreck)
- Frederiksted Pier - 3-12m (muck)
- King’s Alley - 19m
- King’s Corner - 23m
- North Star - 25m
- Shallow Wrecks at Butler Bay - 21m (wreck)
- Sprat Hole - 16m
- The Aquarium in St Croix - 15m
- Tres Amigos - 21m
- Triton’s Anchor - 15m
Nearest Dive Centres to Emerald Gardens St Croix USVI
- Nep2une Scuba Diving
- St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures - ["PADI"]
- Sweet Bottom Dive Center - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in St. Croix
Home to 465 recorded species including 391 reef fish, 38 hard corals, 9 sharks & rays, 6 seagrass & algae, 6 whales & dolphins, 5 other.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) - Reef Fish
- Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Emerald Gardens St Croix USVI
Based on average water temperature of 27.0°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories