St. John · U.S. Virgin Islands · Reef · Night
Grass Cay
Night dives for lobsters, crabs and octopus after sunset
Photo: Gruepig · CC BY-SA 4.0
Grass Cay sits between Thatch and Mingo Cays off the north-west side of St. John. The cay holds four distinct dive sites. It is a favoured night-dive site, when lobsters, crabs and octopus come out after sunset.
0Where it is and how deep
18.3585° N, 64.8340° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The cay is split into four distinct sites, which together run from 5 m (15 ft) in the shallows to 21 m (70 ft) at the deepest. It is dived by day and is a favoured spot for night diving: after sunset, lobsters, crabs and octopus come out that are rarely seen during daylight hours.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows St. John: Diving is good any time of year; tarpon school at Carval Rock in spring and early summer, and May to November is the rainy season.
Dive videos
SCUBA DIVING @ GRASS CAY ST. JOHN USVI 10-25-12 · Ryan Mackie on YouTube
Sources
- St. John Scuba Diving Experiences — US Virgin Islands tourism
- St John Scuba Diving - Saint John Island Guide — Saint John Island Guide
Photo credits
- Low green cays strung along the horizon across open blue water under a sky of white clouds, with a small sailboat in the distance by Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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