Natural Ways - Snorkeling in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Natural Ways - Snorkeling
Underwater pictures from
U.S. Virgin Islands
I was in St John, U.S. Virgin Islands, for four days on December 1996. It was a wonderful experience, the water was clear and calm most of the time. You can check my travel report to know more about it. Visibility was great and I took some good shots with Kodak's underwater disposable camera. Here are some of them and I will add explanations soon. Keep in contact!

Spotlight Parrotfish
(Sparisoma viride)
One of the most beautiful fishes I saw there, with bright colors, and it was commonly found. This is the male, which measure about 1 to 1 1/2 ft long. The female is smaller, brownish with white scales. The yellow areas on its tail are the most noticeable difference between the spotlight and and its relative redband parrotfish.

Great Barracuda
(Sphyraena barracuda)
It was very exciting to see this one so close to the beach. I had seen one in a dive before. This one was probably not more than 2 ft long, though they can reach 6 ft. They have a silver body with some black spots and pointed teeth and are often swimming alone.

Starfish
I have no information about them. There were many on the bottom of the sea at Leinster Bay.

Eyed Flounder
(Bothus ocellatus)
Flounders are amazing! They are very flat and most of the time lie on the bottom, blending with the background. In another occasion I saw a darker flounder, brownish. They are around 5 in long. I was told they are born with one eye on each side, then one of the eyes migrate to the top of the fish.

Sand Diver
(Synodus intermedius)
I am not sure if this lizardfish is really the sand diver, but I think it was too large to be the smaller and less common bluestriped lizardfish (Synodus saurus). They rest on the bottom, motionless.

Fan Corals
This is a very common type of soft coral.

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Updated on January 22, 1997

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	Spotlight Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) One of the most beautiful fishes I saw there, with bright colors, and it was commonly found. This is the male, which measure about 1 to 1 1/2 ft long. The female is smaller, brownish with white scales. The yellow areas on its tail are the most noticeable difference between the spotlight and and its relative redband parrotfish.
	Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) It was very exciting to see this one so close to the beach. I had seen one in a dive before. This one was probably not more than 2 ft long, though they can reach 6 ft. They have a silver body with some black spots and pointed teeth and are often swimming alone.
	Starfish I have no information about them. There were many on the bottom of the sea at Leinster Bay.
	Eyed Flounder (Bothus ocellatus) Flounders are amazing! They are very flat and most of the time lie on the bottom, blending with the background. In another occasion I saw a darker flounder, brownish. They are around 5 in long. I was told they are born with one eye on each side, then one of the eyes migrate to the top of the fish.
	Sand Diver (Synodus intermedius) I am not sure if this lizardfish is really the sand diver, but I think it was too large to be the smaller and less common bluestriped lizardfish (Synodus saurus). They rest on the bottom, motionless.

	Fan Corals This is a very common type of soft coral.