Looking For The Best STJ Snorkeling Sites? Check Out This New App
By Sara Kirkpatrick | Virgin Islands Daily News |
Summer is a great time to explore the waters of St. John, and the new Plan your Snorkel app is full of helpful information to get started.
The app, developed by Friends of the V.I. National Park, rolled out in April 2024.
“As we consider the near and long term sustainability and protection of Park resources, we are continually looking at ways to enhance the visitor experience and at the same time raise the level of responsible visitation,” Friends of the National Park Executive Director Tonia Lovejoy told The Daily News.
The idea of creating a “snorkel map” for the waters surrounding the V.I. National Park started in 2016 when St. John resident and long-distance swimmer Jeff Miller noted that there was a lack of information on the marine environment.
“There’s a lot of apps and programs that talk about the hikes and trails in the park, but there’s few resources about what’s in the water,” he said.
Miller, who served as a National Park Service fisheries biologist for 26 years, is often asked the same question, “Where’s the best place to go snorkel?”
“Everyone wants to know that, and the answer to that is another question, what do you want to see? And how much experience do you have, and how much time do you have?” Miller said.
“This app is our effort to combine that all together, and give that to residents and visitors alike.”
Based on his years of swimming, snorkeling and diving around the island, Miller provided observations on the marine characteristics found in the commonly snorkeled bays, what marine creatures may be spotted, as well as information on ease of accessibility.
On a map of St. John, the app identifies 25 snorkel spots ranging in difficulty levels from easy to challenging. The locations can be filtered using categories such as time duration, marine features, amenities, and transportation.
The site descriptions also include information on facilities, access points, optimum wind and swell conditions, and what snorkelers can expect to see.
“For example, the east shoreline of Little Lameshur Bay is described as a good spot for beginners, dense with snappers, grunts and other fish with often very calm conditions,” Lovejoy said. “On the other hand, Francis Bay Reef (north) is viewed as challenging and more for experienced snorkelers who can expect to see scattered communities of sponges, star corals, finger corals and mustard corals with grunts, snappers, parrotfish and squirrelfish mixed in with reef structures. Snorkelers in this area are warned to not swim across to Whistling Cay without boat or kayak support and to note that the site is not accessible when winds are northerly and/or there is a large north swell.”
The app also includes a fish, coral and marine creature identification guide with photographs by marine ecologist Caroline Rogers.
Safety is another important feature of the app. Snorkelers are asked to keep a distance from sea turtles, to not touch or stand on coral, and to be aware of things like personal skill level and weather conditions.
Miller noted that when snorkelers are safe in the water, they are comfortable and more likely to see wildlife.
“You are calmer in an experience aligned with your abilities, you are relaxed and see a lot more of what’s there,” he said.
Miller and Lovejoy agreed that helping people see the amazing coral reefs will also help to create more advocates for the fragile marine ecosystem.
“We hope that by helping people plan their perfect snorkel, we are also helping to ensure people explore our ocean in safe ways that ultimately will lead to better protection and preservation,” Lovejoy said.
She added that the bulk of content and technology development for the app was completed in the last year.
“We were incredibly lucky to have a number of people volunteer their time and expertise, as well as the assistance last summer of a couple of diligent interns, Amelie Zucker and Caliyah Helliger, who is a recipient of our Jeffrey Matheny Scholarship,” Lovejoy said.
Karen Cannell donated her time and expertise to build the app, and arranged to have the app hosting sponsored by Oracle.
“Our hope is that people will provide feedback on the technology including things like ease of use as well as on the content over the next few months that we can use to improve both the technology and content,” Lovejoy said.
