Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.
bRYANt H. Hill
I can’t tell you where this is because, well, it’s a secret, a secret harbour. But, I will tell you it’s on the south shore of St Thomas, you won’t find it on any chart, at least not by the name Secret Harbor which is the unofficial name of this place. There are private moorings here but limited space for boats on the hook, which is your only option if one of those moorings is not yours; nevertheless, if you get a spot, it’s a beautiful place to spend the night—tired of galley duty? The on the beach restaurant will happily take care of you.
Look closely at the powerboat moored close to the beach on the left side of the top photo. That’s a dive boat operated by Aqua Action Dive Center. They will also happily take care of you. Not a certified diver? Not a problem. They have on-site instructors who will get you in the water on the same day. For divers like me, who haven’t donned a tank in a few years, they offer a brief refresher course. It consists of a short lecture, a safety film, and a shallow water check-out from the beach.
As fun and simple as a snorkel can be, the complexities and logistics of self-contained underwater breathing apparatus are definitely worth the trouble. It’s a bit of a paradox, but all that clumsy gear opens up a whole new level of underwater freedom. Deeper reefs become accessible. Half of the scenery in the islands is under water, and you don’t want to miss it. The Aqua Action Dive Center folks take you to the good spots; they rent the gear and literally do the heavy lifting with a smile. They come highly recommended.
I don’t trust my snorkeling camera at diving depths, so here are some shots from a previous dive, but no worries they are all from the USVIs.
Sailing Sea Sea 