Ledges of Little St. James - St. Thomas & St. John
The Ledges of Little St. James is a solid beginner site, sitting at a comfortable 13 metres. We like it for an easy second dive or for getting new divers comfortable in the water. You’ll find a series of gentle rock formations here, creating little overhangs and crevices that are home to nurse sharks napping in the shade, and occasionally a green sea turtle munching on algae. Keep an eye out for yellowtail snapper and parrotfish grazing along the reef, and the occasional stingray buried in the sand. Visibility is usually pretty good, making it easy to spot the smaller critters tucked away.
- Location
- St. Thomas & St. John, US Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.298300, -64.829900
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 13m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Dog Island
Best Time to Dive in St. Thomas & St. John
The warmest water temperatures in St. Thomas & St. John occur in January, averaging 27.1°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.1°C (air: 25.0°C)
- February: 27.1°C (air: 24.6°C)
- March: 27.1°C (air: 24.7°C)
- April: 27.1°C (air: 25.2°C)
- May: 27.1°C (air: 26.3°C)
- June: 27.1°C (air: 27.0°C)
- July: 27.1°C (air: 27.3°C)
- August: 27.1°C (air: 27.5°C)
- September: 27.1°C (air: 27.7°C)
- October: 27.1°C (air: 27.5°C)
- November: 27.1°C (air: 26.6°C)
- December: 27.1°C (air: 25.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in St. Thomas & St. John
- Buck Island Point (Submarine Alley) - 18m
- Cabrita - 13m (reef)
- Cabrita Pinnacle - 15m (pinnacle)
- CARIDAD - 6m (wreck)
- Cartanser Sr. Wreck - 10-18m (wreck)
- CHARMAINE (?CHARMAINE II) - 35m (wreck)
- Christmas Cove - 10m (reef)
- Coki Point Beach - 14m
- Cow and Calf Rocks - 10-25m (pinnacle)
- Cow Rock - 14m
- DAISY - 23m (wreck)
- DIFFERENT DRUMMER - 2m (wreck)
- Dog Island - 14m
- Flag Pole Little St James - 11m
- French Cap Pinnacle - 22m (pinnacle)
Nearest Dive Centres to Ledges of Little St. James
Marine Life in St. Thomas & St. John
Home to 488 recorded species including 390 reef fish, 39 hard corals, 14 sharks & rays, 11 other, 7 whales & dolphins, 6 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Barred Hamlet (Hypoplectrus puella) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Ledges of Little St. James
Based on average water temperature of 27.1°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