Some of the most expert divers in the business have migrated to the Virgin Islands. These professionals teach beginners and also take out the experienced to those special areas they have come to know. Two famous sites are coral-encrusted ships resting on the sandy bottom of the sea. The Royal Mail Steamer R.M.S. Rhone went down in 1867 in a storm off Salt Island in the British Virgins. The Cartanza Sr., an old tramp steamer, lies off St. Thomas at nearby Buck Island.
Night diving is another popular sport.
You get a new and dramatic look at the world below the surface and, surprisingly, a very colorful one. St. Thomas Hospital has a decompression chamber, constantly monitored, the only civilian one in this Caribbean area. Diving may not be for everyone but snorkeling is an all-around favorite for both young and old, the timid and the brave, the heavy and the thin. Gear can be rented at some beaches, is almost always available on charter day sails. And a lot of fun.