Just Keep Swimming, Swimming

Covering over half of Saint John Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands and including over 5,600 acres of the surrounding submerged lands, Virgin Islands National Park protects beautiful hills, beaches, and colorful underwater gardens and menageries. This park offers a unique twist that few other parks have: a 225-yard-long underwater trail that includes interpretive signs that line the way.

Annaberg School 

Anne Finney, courtesy of National Park Service

Opportunities abound for learning about the complex history of humans starting around 840 BC, for underwater recreation like snorkeling, and for terrestrial tropical rainforest fun. While snorkeling and SCUBA diving, swimmers can explore a rarely-seen part of the park, over 40 percent of which is underwater, mangrove shorelines, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and a diversity of wildlife.

National Park Service

This small patch of protected area is a habitat for over 450 species of birds, fish, amphibians, and mammals, 740 species of plants, and about 50 coral species. For turtle lovers, three of the seven species of sea turtles in the world can be found flapping through the waters around Saint John.

With a complex history of civilizations dating back more than a thousand years and with an equally diverse natural environment, this national park gives visitors a unique opportunity to learn new things and to explore new places, even underwater!