Sea Turtles Spotted in the Mangrove Lagoon

Our sea turtles tours that we operate on both St. Thomas and St. John take place in other areas around the islands where the sea turtles regularly congregate. We have been delighted to now start consistently spotting sea turtles in the protected waters of the Mangrove Lagoon surrounding Cas Cay.

Our Cas Cay guided tour includes kayaking, hiking, and snorkeling which gives our guests multiple opportunities to enjoy watching the sea turtles in their new natural habitat. Our expert guides will show you where to spot them and how to observe them in a non-threatening, respectful manner. It is important that we make them feel at ease so they want to stay in the area!

Fun fact: Sea turtles can hold their breath for a surprisingly long time. If they’re relaxed and resting, they can hold their breath for a couple of hours. But if they’re stressed or otherwise active, they need air more frequently. Usually, when you see sea turtles while snorkeling, you’ll observe them going up for air every 5-10 minutes or so while they eat and swim around. In the lagoon, we have started to see them relaxing and sleeping on the sea floor.

Beyond the sea turtles, the Mangrove Lagoon and uninhabited Cas Cay are worth visiting. There are so many land and marine creatures that call this protected ecosystem home. And the hiking on Cas Cay to the volcanic blowhole is not to be missed.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

What was that?! USVI Underwater Mysteries, Solved.

By Chrissann Nickel • July 30, 2026

If you’ve ever been snorkeling here in the US Virgin Islands, you got to be surrounded by an abundant array of marine life. We’re fortunate to have thriving reefs with a high diversity of living things. However, if you didn’t go with a guide , you likely may have missed some things and/or seen some things that stumped you. We have a lot of things in the water here that may not be identifiable at first glance, which is what makes going on a guided snorkel tour so much fun. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—even if you’ve been snorkeling here many times, you can always get some value out of going out with a guide. Our local guides know these waters intricately and have a deep knowledge and passion for the USVI marine environment. Joining them for a snorkel tour (and yes, you can set up a private tour , if you prefer!) means you can get all of your questions answered, learn some cool facts, and have things pointed out to you that you may miss on your own. Here are a couple of things underwater that you might have seen and thought, “What on earth was that thing?!”