Shallow Wrecks at Butler Bay - St. Croix
Butler Bay offers a relaxed introduction to wreck diving, with four distinct vessels resting in about 21 metres. We’re talking a tugboat, a barge, an old oil rig support vessel, and a small trawler. They're all pretty intact and close enough together for an easy swim-through. Keep an eye out for schooling jacks circling the mast of the tug, and plenty of squirrelfish hiding in the darker crevices. This site is ideal for newer divers looking to get comfortable exploring sunken structures without any strong currents or deep penetration.
- Location
- St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 17.750900, -64.895300
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 21m
- 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)
- Emerald Gardens St Croix USVI - 23m (reef)
- Frederiksted Pier - 3-12m (muck)
- King’s Alley - 19m
- King’s Corner - 23m
- North Star - 25m
- Sprat Hole - 16m
- The Aquarium in St Croix - 15m
- Tres Amigos - 21m
- Triton’s Anchor - 15m
Nearest Dive Centres to Shallow Wrecks at Butler Bay
- 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 Shallow Wrecks at Butler Bay
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