Buck Island Snorkeling Tour with Big Beards

Big Beard’s Buck Island Snorkeling Tour is one of the many tours offered by Big Beard’s Adventure Tours. I love to snorkel and by the time I discovered Big Beard’s, I’d done a good bit of snorkeling around St. Croix and even on the little island of Protestant Cay. However, I’d never treated myself to an actual snorkeling tour, so I was curious to see if Big Beard’s could offer me anything special. I can tell you that after a full day of snorkeling with this outfit, I promised myself that wherever I travel in the future, I’ll always take at least one official snorkeling tour. It’s one thing to slip on your goggles and snorkel and wade in off the beach. It’s quite another to be taken to a bona fide plethora of Caribbean marine life like none other you’ve seen.

Big Beard’s Buck Island Snorkeling Tour takes you out to Buck Island, which is on the far side of Buck Island Channel, on the northeast side of St Croix. Without the tour, there would have been no way for me to reach Buck Island. For my group, our captain was Molly and her First Mate was Cornelius. They were both incredibly friendly and helpful. It was hard to imagine that they do this all the time, because they seemed genuinely happy to be there, answering everybody’s questions and giving us the guided tour spiel. One thing I learned that I didn’t know is that the Caribbean sea is the 3rd saltiest ocean. That’s good for snorkelers, because salty water makes you extra buoyant. In other words, it’s easy to float and just enjoy the view without having to do much of anything else!

Buck Island

Notably, National Geographic readers have voted Buck Island Beach as the 6th best beach in the world. I can certainly see why. I’ve visited lots of beaches around the world, including in Mexico, the Bahamas, Florida and even some in Europe. Buck Island Beach is something right out of an advertisement. I literally felt like I was standing inside a Corona commercial. You know those ads you see in travel magazines and you think, oh, no place like that exists in real life? Well, they do exist, and Buck Island is one of them. I say you should come here even if you detest snorkeling and you never want to don a pair of goggles. It’s heaven on earth. Now, apart from the beaches, there isn’t anything going on on Buck Island. But that’s okay because it’s just a preserved nature destination for those who appreciate nature’s beauty, like me! Also, on the boat, they serve drinks. But I recommend skipping the alcohol because it will make you sleepy in the sun and take away your energy. They also serve soft drinks and fresh juice.

Reservations & Cost

Big Beard’s Adventure Tours opens at 8 AM sharp, seven days a week and closes at 6 PM every day except Sunday, when they close up shop at 5 PM. The full day tour is just about $120 for adults 13 years of age and older, and $90 for kids. Youngsters five and under get a deal for just $28. Half-day tours are $85, $65 and $25, respectively. You can book in person or online.

Getting There and Snorkeling

Big Beard’s is located at 81 Queen Cross Street, right across from the Purple Papaya Souvenir Shop.  The first thing you have to decide is if you want to do the half day or the full day tour. I did the full day and reserved my spot for the next morning. But that’s just because I happened to be right there. You don’t need to make an advance reservation, but it doesn’t hurt, especially if you’re on St. Croix during high season when everything’s busier.

Once you’re all booked, they’ll tell you when to show up. First you meet at the designated meeting spot on the Boardwalk, then you’ll meet your Captain and First Mate. You’ll take a boat ride out to Buck Island that lasts about half an hour, give or take.They bring you to Buck Island Beach to start with, which is the calm side, with a gorgeous, white sand beach.

The Captain and First Mate will ask if anybody needs any instruction. On my boat, we had an adorable couple on their honeymoon and the guy had snorkeled before, but the girl hadn’t and I could tell she was a little bit nervous. Molly and Cornelius were incredibly gentle and kind with her, showing her how to adjust the goggles, how to clear them when they get foggy, and how to use the snorkel. So first we snorkeled on the calm side and then, for the second half, they brought us over to the other side where there’s a reef and the most colorful and interesting fish I’ve ever seen.