The Aquarium in St Croix - St. Croix
The Aquarium, tucked away in St. Croix, lives up to its name. At a gentle 15 meters, it’s a perfect spot for new divers or those looking for a relaxed afternoon. We’ve drifted along here often, spotting barracuda hanging still in the water column and juvenile drum schooling under small ledges. The coral heads aren't huge, but they’re busy, always with parrotfish nibbling away and a surprising number of trunkfish puttering around. It’s a good, easy dive, a real postcard of Caribbean reef life without any big thrills.
- Location
- St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 17.704200, -64.890500
- Maximum Depth
- 15m
- 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
- Shallow Wrecks at Butler Bay - 21m (wreck)
- Sprat Hole - 16m
- Tres Amigos - 21m
- Triton’s Anchor - 15m
Nearest Dive Centres to The Aquarium in St Croix
- 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 The Aquarium in St Croix
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