Exploring Buck Island from St. Croix

exploring buck island

St. Croix’s Buck Island, USVI. Courtesy of NOAA Photo Library.

Just off the coast of St. Croix lies Buck Island, a small, uninhabited patch of land that also happens to be a national monument. The National Park Service protects the island and the surrounding reef, which sees about 50,000 visitors per year. Snorkelers enjoy exploring Buck Island and swimming its underwater trail—one of only three in the United States. Turtle Beach, on the west end of the island, has picture-perfect white sands and turquoise waters, perfect for relaxing. It was voted one of the world’s most beautiful beaches by National Geographic readers.

Exploring Buck Island can be difficult to do on your own. In order to preserve the vibrant marine life of its coral reef, it is only accessible by boat. If you’re staying at Divi Carina Bay All-Inclusive Beach Resort on St. Croix, however, this natural wonderland is just a short boat ride away. Family-owned and -operated Buck Island Charters is the only chartered tour company that takes visitors to Buck Island on sail power alone, and it’s been doing so since 1968.

exploring buck island

Sun on the water off Buck Island. Photographer Ellen Sanpere. Courtesy of NOAA’s National Ocean Service.

It’ll be smooth sailing aboard one of their two trimaran sailboats, the Teroro II or the Dragonfly, with Captain Carl or Captain Heinz at the helm. They’ll treat you to a personalized tour of Buck Island National Monument that includes sailing, snorkeling and hiking.

The half-day trip aboard the 42-foot Teroro II departs the Green Cay Marina at 9 a.m., returning by 2 p.m. at the latest. The cost is $75 per person; for children ages 11 and under, the cost is $55 each. Children ages two and under are free.

“Weather permitting, we sail to the underwater trail first and spend an hour there snorkeling,” says Captain Carl. “We provide all the snorkel gear and excellent instruction with a guided tour through the marine garden and time to do your own exploring. We then sail over to Turtle Beach and spend about one-and-a-half hours there. You can go on a self -guided hiking and photo tour, or snorkel some more, or just enjoy the beach.”

The 38-foot Dragonfly is also available for private charters, for those interested in a more customized experience. The Dragonfly can accommodate groups of up to six people, with a charter rate of $570.

Don’t forget to bring your bathing suit, beach towel, sunscreen, hat or cover-up, water shoes, camera, bottled water and anything else you’d like to eat or drink during the trip.

Captain Heinz and Captain Carl are a father-son team that have been sailing the St. Croix waters for more than 30 years. They enjoy sharing their local knowledge with visitors and would love to have you aboard!

To reserve your spot on Captain Heinz or Captain Carl’s next excursion, call 340-7218-3161 or email teroro@msn.com. Both are U.S. Coast Guard certified and National Park Service approved. For more information on Buck Island Charters and exploring Buck Island, visit www.gotostcroix.com/heinz. Rates and trip details are subject to change.

Amazing Instagram Photos of Divi Little Bay Beach Resort

instagram photos of divi little bay beach resortWe love seeing Divi Resorts through your eyes. We’ve started a new feature highlighting some of the best Instagram photos taken at each of our resorts. Our guests are great photographers who deserve a shoutout! Here are just a few share-worthy Instagram photos of Divi Little Bay Beach Resort on St. Maarten.

Our Luxurious Beach

Our dreamy Little Bay Beach is the picture of sublime Caribbean paradise.

Balcony view…amazing!

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#sxm #resort #greatday #stmarteen #travel

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Our Pristine Infinity Pool

It’s virtually impossible to take a bad photo of our Infinity Pool, which was recently rated one of the best infinity pools in the world (see the list here).

#minibirthdayvacay #stmarteen

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Gizmo, Our Resident Parrot

Gizmo, the namesake of Gizmo’s Bar & Grill, has been with us at the resort since 1992. She’s a Little Bay icon to our owners and repeat guests, and has gained a reputation as the “Divi Diva.” She’s used to being the center of attention.

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Breakfast buddy

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If you’d like to share your Instagram photos of Divi Little Bay Beach Resort with us, simply tag the resort as your location when you post to Instagram, and make sure your profile is set to public. We’ll be sharing more Instagram photos from our other resorts in the following weeks!

Aruba: Hottest Honeymoon Destination of 2017

Why Aruba for your honeymoon? The answer is simple. Aruba is bursting with some of the most beautiful white-sand beaches in the world, as well as fun adventures, amazing food and rich culture. It’s one of the safest islands in the Caribbean, with one of the highest GDPs. Situated outside the Hurricane Belt, you probably won’t have to worry about weather ruining your plans. And Aruba boasts the highest number of sunny days compared to any other Caribbean island.

Learn more about the island as a honeymoon destination here. There’s so much to do, from horseback riding to kayaking to shopping and spa days. Divi Resorts also offers unique honeymoon packages at two of its Aruba resorts: Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort and Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort. Enjoy a luxurious welcome turn-down service as well as a romantic candlelit dinner and daily breakfast for two. Learn more about Divi’s exclusive honeymoon packages here.

Bonaire: One of the World’s Best Islands for Snorkeling

bonaire snorkeling

Calabas Reef, just off the shore from Divi Flamingo Beach Resort

Bonaire was ranked No. 4 in a prominent Islands.com list of the world’s best islands for snorkeling, in the company of outstanding islands such as Fiji, Dominica and Maui. The list points to Bonaire’s 200-plus caves, beautiful fossilized coral and crystal-clear water. You can see the entire list here.

Spectacular Instagram Photos of Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort

instagram photos of divi aruba phoenix beach resortWe love seeing Divi Resorts through your eyes. We’re starting a new feature highlighting some of the best Instagram photos taken at each of our resorts. Our guests are amazing photographers who deserve a shoutout! Let’s start with a few fabulous Instagram photos of Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort.

Our Perfect Views

Whether you’re relaxing by one of our pools or enjoying the ocean view from your suite, you’re surrounded by tropical beauty at Divi Phoenix.

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Back in Paradise! ☀???

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Our Stunning Sunsets

Truly must be seen to be believed.

Our Famous Beach Chairs

Irresistibly Instagrammable, our rainbow chairs are a long-time symbol of Divi Phoenix.

It’s sunny out there! Grab a chair and ur tanning lotion! #Aruba #IslandVibes #sunnyday

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If you’d like to share your Instagram photos of Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort with us, simply tag the resort as your location when you post to Instagram, and make sure your profile is set to public. We’ll be sharing more Instagram photos from our other resorts in the following weeks!

Round 2: More Flight Deals to the Caribbean for Summer 2017

Our first roundup of flight deals to the Caribbean was so popular, we’re doing it again! We found a few more instances of low airfare to our islands, and we thought we’d share:

-American Airlines, JetBlue and United flights as low as $190 round-trip from BOS (Boston) to AUA (Aruba), multiple dates in June

-American Airlines flights as low as $259 round-trip from BOS (Boston) to SXM (St. Maarten), May 31-June 6

-JetBlue flights as low as $396 round-trip from RDU (Raleigh-Durham) to BGI (Barbados), May 24-June 2 (these flights have overnight connections)

-Delta and JetBlue flights as low as $406 round-trip from JFK (New York City) to SXM (St. Maarten), May 30-June 6

Information is valid at the time of writing. Sometimes you may not find the price mentioned in this post (for example, several days after the original posting date). It means that the airline has changed the price.