Lameshur Bay

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The island of St. John is very different than the other USVI in that it is a National Park. Roughly two thirds of the island is protected and therefore pristine. There are no houses, hotels, shops, or restaurants within the park boundary. The anchorages are tucked into natural bays, in the shadow of the lush mountainside with beautiful beaches and deep aquamarine water- absolutely gorgeous. The National Park was expanded in 2001 to include the surrounding reefs and seabeds. In fact the park service provides mooring balls for boaters to use which help alleviate the damage from anchoring. Thus the snorkeling in St. John is great and fish and turtles swim right up to the boat- how awesome. We really loved our time here.

The first place we visited in St. John was Lameshur Bay, on the south side of the island. This anchorage was deep all the way up to the mountainside and the mooring balls were placed right off the rocky coastline. It was almost eerie as we approached because we very rarely anchor so close to land, we thought for sure we would hit the bottom. But the depth meter did not lie; we were in 30 feet of water just 100 feet off land- amazing! So we tied up and settled into this beautiful little spot. We still aren’t used to the elevation of these islands, understandable after spending 2 years in the Bahamas which are completely flat. But the mountains are gorgeous, jutting straight up from the sea. And the color of the water is beautiful. We admired the way it would change color from turquoise in the shallows, azure as it drops off to 20-30 feet or so, and then cobalt in the deep. It truly was a scenic spot.

We spent most of our time there just hanging out on the boat, enjoying the peaceful solitude. Oh sure, there were a couple other boats at anchor but it was still quiet and secluded. During the day we would jump off the boat and into the water for a quick snorkel to admire the fish from time to time. Or just marvel at all the sea turtles which would pop their heads up as if to say hello as they passed by, very cool. One day we decided to hike the trail out to Yawzi Point, which overlooks the anchorage. It was not a far hike, but an enjoyable one. The views from the point were picturesque. It was a great spot to stop, rest, and enjoy the USVI.

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Photos

Sunset
What a gorgeous sunset!

Rum Runner
The Rum Runner, anchored out in the National Park on St. John.

Jay
Jay, admiring the view at the end of our hike.

Lameshur Bay
Lameshure Bay on the southern coast of St. John.