Wow! Swimming with the turtles was an excellent experience! It was something tranquil about watching turtles of all sizes seemly glide in the water as they swam to the surface for a quick gulp of air. Before I embarked on this adventure, I met my Tour Guide Sven from St. Thomas Adventure Tours at the entrance of Lindbergh Bay on St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands.

Sven greeted me with a big smile as we shook hands for the first time. He handed me a waiver form to fill out, secured my valuables in a waterproof bag and explained the safety protocol and instructions of kayaking. I put on my life jacket, adjusted the back support strap in my kayak and my tour officially began!

The first part of the tour consisted of kayaking from St. Thomas to Water Island. Although it was challenging kayaking this distance, it was still a lot of fun! I commuted to Water Island many times before on the ferry, but this was my first-time island hopping on a kayak! It took a lot of upper body strength to use my paddles, but since the ocean waves were calm, it made my trip a lot less strenuous.

Along the way, on my left, I passed the rock formations on St. Thomas. On my right, in the distance was Puerto Rico, Sabor Rock and other neighboring islands that are inhabited. Eventually, I was out in the open ocean and then finally I arrived at Honeymoon Beach on Water Island.

The beach was gorgeous. The aqua blue waters were crystal clear. The sand was soft and white. There were coconut trees that lined the shore. Sven secured the kayaks and gave me a snorkeling mask to put on. Afterwards, we went into the water, and he guided me to an area populated with sea turtles.

They were all beautiful. Some of the turtles were very large, while others were either very small or medium-sized. The majority of the turtles were feeding on the sea grass at the bottom of the ocean floor. Then on their own time, the turtles swam to the surface for air before heading back down for more food. Swimming alongside them was serene. It was also really cool to watch the turtles in their natural habitat as well. Eventually, Sven and I went back to the shore and had lunch.

After lunch, Sven and I hopped back into the kayaks, and we went to another part of Water Island. The previous location in which we snorkeled the ocean was very shallow. However, snorkeling at this new site, was more intense. The sea was a lot deeper and we snorkeled against the current. There weren’t any turtles there. However, my time spent was equally rewarding.

A beautiful array of coral reefs adorned the rocks underwater. Naturally, there were a plethora of tropical fish that hung out nearby. Some of them were the trumpet fish, parrot fish, a school of yellowtail, and cowfish with two horns sticking out of its head. Hanging out inside the rocks was a puffer fish that stuck its face out from time to time. After snorkeling the area for a while, we went back to the kayaks and headed back to Honeymoon Beach.

I relaxed on the beach. I rested for a while and then it was time to leave Water Island and return to St. Thomas. On the trip back. The ocean water was calm. My kayak glided along effortlessly. I arrived in St. Thomas with new memories, a wonderful time, and a new adventure accomplished.

I had a wonderful time with St. Thomas Adventure Tours! To book your tour call 340-227-8383 and visit the website at www.st.thomasadventuretours.com.

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The puffer fish peeking out the rocks.