St. Thomas · U.S. Virgin Islands · Pinnacle · Reef
Packet Rock
Lots of barracudas around rocks in the middle of the cut
Area photo: Becky A. Dayhuff, Environmental Educator · Public domain
Packet Rock is a group of rocks out in the middle of the cut between St. Thomas and Buck Island, right in front of Bolongo Bay. The rocks rise to within a few feet of the surface, and barracuda gather around them in numbers.
Where it is and how deep
18.2997° N, 64.8904° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive is a short swim around the rocks, from their tops just under the surface down to about 15 m (50 ft) at their base. Lots of barracudas hang around the formation, and a circuit of the rocks is enough to find them.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows St. Thomas: Boats leave daily; June brings resting sharks to the Navy Barges, and May to November is the rainy season.
Dive videos
SCUBA Diving at Packet Rock in St. Thomas · Ketchup and Mustard SCUBA Diving on YouTube
Sources
- AAdivers dive sites — AA Divers
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
More dive sites in St. Thomas
Wall
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Wreck
Intact engines on a shipping vessel broken into three pieces
A canyon with almost vertical walls on the north side
Reef
A series of swim-throughs cut through the rock
Wreck
A former hospital ship and office complex lying on her side
Reef
Huge barrel sponges on terraced rock groupings
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