Want to see some amazing underwater creatures? Captain Steve is the man who will take you to the best spots for snorkeling! Check out those amazing videos of Barracuda, Reef Squid and an Octobus by Photosnorkeler who recently booked a full day snorkeling trip with us!
Barracuda filmed while snorkeling at Booby Rock
Booby Rock is a great snorkeling spot on the South Shore of St. John that is part of our full day snorkeling trip and can also be a stop on the day trip to Norman Island if you skip Jost and take the South Shore back
A video posted by Photo Snorkeler (@photo_snorkeler) on
Reef squid filmed while snorkeling at Tektike
Tektike is a great snorkeling spot on the South Shore of St. John that is part of our full day snorkeling trip and can also be a stop on the day trip to Norman Island if you skip Jost and take the South Shore back
Anegada is the northernmost of the British Virgin Islands. It lies approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Virgin Gorda and is about 55 miles from St. John. Anegada is formed from coral and limestone, rather than being of volcanic origin. While the other islands are mountainous, Anegada is flat and low. It is the only all-coral atoll in the VI and a mere 28 feet above sea level.
Anegada, BVI
Anegada is known for miles of white sand beaches and the 18-mile (29 km)-long Horseshoe Reef, the largest barrier coral reef in the Caribbean, and the fourth largest on earth, a watery graveyard for many an unsuspecting wind-tossed ship, it is known to have over 300 wrecks in its waters, some of whose artifacts can be seen in a local nautical museum. Aside from the Lobster for which Anegada is mostly known, it is also great for surfing, it is the Virgin Island that is most exposed to the swell.
The sand is even whiter and pinker on St. John (since it is of coral and limestone) and that gives the water an absolutely amazing turquoise color. The island is very laid back and relaxed it is amazing how refreshed you will feel after a day or two there. If we need a vacation from St. John, we go to Anegada.
The flora, fauna and scenery is very different from the other Virgin Islands, there are pine trees, bushes and sand dunes (like at the French Atlantic Ocean). The sand is very fine and soft and has a pinkish white color. There are salt ponds that host a growing flock of pink flamingoes. The water is very clear and due to the low depth, the colors are just amazing. Check out the photos from Anegada Trips on Facebook below. The food is amazing too, conch and lobster are the best and freshest you can find.
Both accommodation and car rentals on Anegada are reasonably priced. You can rent a car or a scooter to explore the island for about 50$ a day including fuel. Driving is easy, there is basically only one (sand) road going around in a circle and the road is better than many of the St. John roads. You will see cows and flamingos on the the side of the road.
Day Trips to Anegada from St. John
A day trip to Anegada is 1350$ incl. captain and fuel. On a calm day it takes us a little over an hour to get there with our twin Yamaha 250s. We will leave from National Park Dock at 8 AM and head to Tortola West End to check into the BVI’s and from there ride along the North Shore and then cut straight over to Anegada and moor the boat at Anegada Reef Hotel. Depending on the ocean and conditions, we have to head back no later than 3pm, maybe earlier.
To truly enjoy and explore Anegada, we recommend an overnight trip (2 days) which is 1950$ incl. captain and fuel. Each extra day you would like to spend on Anegada is 600$. More information and accommodation on Anegada is here: www.anegada-bvi.com. Our list of the top 3 places to visit while on Anegada is here.
Overnight Trip to Anegada
The overnight trip is much more relaxed and gives you time to truly explore the island. It is 1950$ incl. captain and fuel. The crew will sleep on the boat or stay at Anegada Reef Hotel at their own expense. For a cost-efficient option you can stay at Anegada Reef Hotel, basic but clean and newly renovated with A/C or for a truly magical stay check out Anegada Beach Club.
We will leave from National Park Dock at 8 AM and head to Tortola West End to check into the BVI’s and from there ride along the North Shore and then cut straight over to Anegada and moor the boat at Anegada Reef Hotel. Depending on ocean conditions we should be there well before noon. You now have all afternoon and evening to explore Anegada (by scooter, taxi or rental car – rental car or scooter is about 50$ per day) and you can have the infamous lobster dinner. The must-see stops are Cow Wreck Beach, Flash of Beauty, Big Bamboo and the Flamingo Pond.
The next day we will leave around lunch time (again depending on ocean conditions) and if you want we can stop at Great Harbour, Jost van Dyke for a great lunch at Corsairs or Foxy’s.
St. John – Anegada Trip, Rockhoppin’ Charters Photogallery
The trip will start out of Cruz Bay, we will normally meet you at National Park Dock at 8:00 AM for BVI trips, 9:00 for full day USVI trips and 10:00 AM for half day and 3/4 day trips.
Our dark blue 32 FS Regulator Boat will pick you up at National Park Dock across from Mongoose Junction. We can’t park the boat there for longer than 15mins so the captain usually circles the harbor, so signal him when you get there and he will pull in. We usually also end the trip there. For BVI trips you can also disembark the boat at the customs dock, after clearing customs. You can reach Captain Steve on 340-626-2859
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?
The prices are for a private charter for 6 people. Different from most charters, our prices include captain and fuel – there are no hidden extra charges! Please check with us if you have a group of more than 6.
They do not include BVI customs and mooring fees (currently about 80$ per person) & gratuity for captain.
We provide water and ice, you are welcome to bring you own food and drink (adult beverages welcome). For beer please bring cans (instead of glass) if possible, for liquor glass bottles are fine. In an effort to reduce plastic waste (all trash from St. John goes to St. Thomas on the barge, they do not burn the trash and their landfill is almost full) we have switched from the small plastic bottles to gallon size jugs and provide cups & pen to write down name or you can bring your own cup/water bottle if you have)
The prices are based on a start in Cruz Bay, St. John. Other starting points (e.g. Red Hook, St. Thomas, Westend Tortola, Road Town) are available upon request and may incur additional fees.
You are welcome to use our Easybreath Snorkeling Masks for free (or traditional masks) and fins.
HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN YOU TAKE?
pricing is for 6 we can take additional passengers for 100$ extra pp
Jost van Dyke and USVI half day or 3/4 day: max 10
Willy T./Norman or full day USVI: 8
Virgin Gorda: 6
Sunset Cruise: 10 (extra charge 50$ per extra person)
WILL WE HAVE THE BOAT TO OURSELVES?
The prices are for a private charter for up to 6 people, this means you and your friends/family will have the boat to yourselves. Options and pricing for larger parties are available upon requests.
We do occasionally match singles and couples with other parties who are interested in sharing but only if you request so (we will never put any strangers on your charter!)
IS TIPPING EXPECTED?
A tip for great service is appreciated by our captains who work hard to keep you safe & comfortable and make sure you have a great day on the water.
HOW MUCH ARE THE BVI Customs fees?
About 45$ per person (subject to change), depends on # of people on boat, day of the week and mood of customs officer. You pay them directly in cash on the day.
DO I NEED A PASSPORT?
A valid passport is required for BVI trips. The BVI customs officer can also accept a birth certificate and a picture ID but if you have a passport it is safer to bring that along.
WHERE CAN WE PARK?
There is free parking at the gravel lot in between tennis courts and car barge exit. It is about 10 minutes walk to National Park Dock. There is paid parking at Beach Bar and Slim Mans across from Wharfside complex (Strand Street) and another paid lot at the corner where the bank used to be (across from Woody’s). Some car rental companies (e.g. Sunshine Jeep Rentals) also offer free parking in town.
DOES THE BOAT HAVE A BATHROOM?
Our boat has a small emergency bathroom. Boat toilets are fickle, please don’t put toilet paper or sanitary towels etc. into the bowl it will back it up or destroy the pump. Please let the captain know if you need to use the bathroom, he might be able to stop at a restaurant for you which will be more convenient.
CAN I BRING A PADDLEBOARD?
We are paddleboard/SUP friendly and you can take your paddleboard on the trip. If you don’t have one with you, you can rent 2 boards for the day for 100$ instead of $130 for stand alone board rental. We get them and load them onto the boat for you!
WHAT SHALL I BRING?
Reef safe Sunscreen, longsleeve (lycra), snorkeling gear, waterproof bag for camera/phone, towel, change of clothes (dry shirt/shorts), camera, sunglasses, bugspray, cash (for customs), credit card.
For BVI trips you will have to walk through US customs when we check back into St. John, they will require you to wear a shirt and shoes (flip flops are fine)
WHAT KIND OF MERCHANDISE IS AVAILABE?
We have a variety of hats and T-Shirts for sale. You can see all models here. We do not have all styles and sizes on the boat, send us a text or email if you want a certain model and we will have it ready for you
We also sell reef safe sunscreen and Aloe Vera Gel
Are you considering going on a day trip to the Baths on Virgin Gorda from St. John or St. Thomas but wondering if it is worth the ride over? Check out our photogallery below.
Day trip to the Baths on Virgin Gorda
Those pictures are taken at the Baths, which is Virgin Gorda’s key attraction. Encompassing the beaches and rocky shoreline at the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda, The Baths are a collection of massive granite boulders as large as 40 feet in diameter, with white sand beaches and secret rock pools – a truly amazing experience. Of course when you book a day trip to the Baths with us, we can do multiple other stops on the way back, all included in the price (e.g. Snorkeling, Norman Island, Jost van Dyke). More on Information on the Virgin Gorda Day Trip is here.
Exploring the Baths on Virgin Gorda
There are multiple ways to explore the Baths on Virgin Gorda.
We can moor the boat at Spanish Town, then you can take a 5 minute taxi ride right to the top of the baths, exploring them without getting your hair wet. This is a favorite for seniors or families with smaller children or groups that are less comfortable swimming.
If you are sporty, we can also drop you off close to the shore, for you to swim in. You can then do the hike/climb around the Boulders and the Captain will wait at then end to pick you up. This will also make for a nice photo opportunity to see the boulders from the water. If you do this option, make sure you bring a dry bag or waterproof camera.
The third way is is to explore the boulders of the Baths via paddleboard like Lucy does on some of the photos. This is for people who have paddled before or taken a lesson, if you are a novice paddler you should start at one of the calm St. John beaches first. We are happy to bring a paddleboard for you along but the captain is busy keeping the boat safe and cannot do a double act as a SUP Instructor. If you need instruction you can of course book Lucy from SUP-Stjohn.com to come along on the trip
UPDATE: Pizza Pi has just re-opened for the season. They will now be there 7 days a week 11am – 6pm. Rain or shine
Day Trips, Half Day Trips and Sunset Cruises in St. John waters are great because you save the time, money and hassle of checking into BVI customs (they have just increased the fees once more). However, the downside so far has been that there are not really any restaurants or bars with docks in the St. John waters.
Not any more, there is a Pizza Pi, a food boat (a 100% customized 37 ft. G.L. Watson design built in 1996 in Sheffield, England) that has taken the familiar food truck concept to the water where it prepares and serves delicious pizza at Christmas Cove, just off Great St. James Island, a short ride from St. John.
Sasha and Tara Bouis are serving fresh baked pizza served on delicious made-from-scratch slow-fermentation New York style crust. Each pizza is made to order with fresh local ingredients. They offer a gluten-free menu and they have even partnered with a local ice-creamery, Scoops and Brew, to serve the best ice cream in the islands! On top of that they provide Wifi Access.
You can check out their menu here. Stay tuned, we hear they will be announcing an exciting new menu next week. Read the full story of Pizza Pi here.
Pizza Pi USVI Hours of Operation:
7 days a week 11am – 6pm. Rain or shine
So, how about a day trip “Best of St. John” with a stop at Pizza Pi or a sunset cruise, eating delicious pizza while the sun goes down?
Pizza Pi Pizza Boat Photogallery
Check out our Pizza Pi Photogallery here and here.
Book your unforgettable boat trip to Pizza Pi here:
We can visit Pizza Pi on the day trips and half day trips St. John or on the way back from Jost van Dyke.
The first storms have passed, it is the end of a great season and time to thank our awesome captains, wonderful customers and fantastic friends for all the good times we had on www.rockhoppin.com. Thanks for booking with us and we hope to see you again in the upcoming 2015/2016 season! We will remain open in September and are hopeful that “Erika” and “Danny” were the only storms for the season but will tow the boat out of water again in case of another warning. Until then, here are some of our favorite memories from the past season.
We have quite a few repeat guest and returning St. John visitors who have been to Virgin Gorda and Jost van Dyke and are asking for something new. Cooper Island is a lesser known, small, isolated island and can only be accessed by private boat.
Where is Cooper Island, BVI?
It is on the South Side of Tortola and about half way between Norman Island and Virgin Gorda.
It hosts a small, eco-friendly (75% of their power is solar generated), beautiful resort which has just undergone major renovations. There is great fresh food (it is famous for the chicken roti), awesome cocktails, a beautiful beach and good snorkeling. There are even some tables in the water.
Day Trip St. John – Cooper Island
Here is a quick write up and a few pics and a video from a day trip from St. John to Cooper Island last Tuesday. We met our guests at High Tide at 9:00 AM, filled out the customs forms and checked into the BVI at Tortola Westend. From there we headed straight to Cooper Island.
We arrived there before the rush, beating the bigger boats and went for some snorkeling right off the beach where we saw Barracudas, squid and lots of colorful fish.
We spent some time wandering around the resort, checking out the shop and the coffee bar and then sat down in the comfortable loungers for lunch.
Lunch at Cooper Island Beach Club
We had some excellent Chicken Roti in the beautiful and relaxed setting and then left to snorkel some of the famous but also the lesser known snorkeling spots in the area.
After the snorkeling we went to famous Party Boat Willy T. for some cocktails and of course jumped of the deck. Our jumps were quite stylish compared to the lady after us, who landed flat on her belly.
From there we went along the South Shore of St. John, passing impressive Ram’s head and stopped for another snorkel at Tektike, which can only be accessed by boat.
Snorkeling Tektike
The Tektite snorkel is one of the absolute best snorkeling spots on the island of St. John. The name, Tektite, refers to a research project conducted at Beehive Bay a small cove on the southeastern tip of Great Lameshur Bay. The Tektite Project was conducted in 1969 in a cooperative effort by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Navy, NASA and the General Electric Co. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects on human beings of living and working underwater for prolonged periods of time. More information on the Tektite Project is here.
You will see a very wide variety of fish and amazing coral formations.
We saw some moving sand and after a bit of patience spotted the beautiful ray.
After a great day on the water, we arrived back in Cruz Bay, St. John right in time for a beautiful sunset. Here is what our guests had to say about the trip:
5* “Absolutely fabulous!! Had a fabulous time with Captain Steve!” M.H., April,2015
5* “Great day in the BVIs with Captain Steve and Lucy. They will totally customize your trip to what you would like to see and do for the day. We have chartered from other companies in the past and Rockhoppin Adventures is by far the most professional, well run of any that we have used in St. John”, E.H. April 2015
Day Trip St. John Cooper Island Video
Send Booking Enquiry Day Trip St. John – Cooper Island
Ready for a great time on the water? You can fill out the form below or send an email to info(at)rockhoppin.com or rockhoppinusvi@gmail.com. We will get back to you within 24 hours, usually faster. We get tons of emails with weird business proposals through the contact form and it does sometimes happen that a booking enquiry lands in the spam folder (or our response lands in your spam folder). You can also text us on 340-514-5527 to make sure it went through.
The Day trip to Jost van Dyke – Soggy Dollar Bar is still our most popular trip but there has not been much news lately, and there is no need to because why change something that is awesome 365 days per year?
Our comfortable 32 FS Regulator with twin Yamaha 250s can take you to the best snorkeling spots, some of which can only be accessed by boats. You will be on a private charter that means only you, your friends and/or family. Our experienced captains will choose the best route in line with what you want to do and wind, weather and crowds. You will avoid the crowds from the bigger boats, because how much fun is it to snorkel with 30 or 40 others in the water?
We have stepladder which will make it very easy to get in and out of the boat and our captains will give you guidance and help you in and out and watch over your safety. We also have fins and mask on board which you can use for free. Aside from normal masks, we have the new truly magic Easybreath Snorkeling Masks from France, they have a 180degree of vision, don’t fog and you can naturally breathe through nose and mouth. More about these masks is here.
You might see Angel Fish, Parrot Fish, Seargent Majors, Yellow Tail Snapper, Puffer Fish, Rays, Squid to name a few and of course Sea Turtles.
Snorkeling Trip Options
Half Day Snorkeling Trip St. John/USVI waters 10.00 – 14:00: 400$ incl. captain and fuel
Full Day Snorkeling Trip St. John/USVI waters (both North and South Side including famous Tektike and Booby Rocks): 600$ incl. captain and fuel
Full Day BVI Snorkeling Trip. Visit the famous BVI Snorkeling Spots like Indians, Caves, Aquarium and then do more snorkeling at St. John South Shore (Tektike and Booby Rock), you can stop for lunch and drinks at Pirates Bight or Willy T. on Norman Island: 800$ incl. captain and fuel (850$ if you want to go to Cooper Island as well)
Half Day Snorkeling and Half Day Fishing/USVI waters: 700$ incl. captain and fuel
Food and Drink
We will provide you with water and ice and will have plenty of space in our cooler should you wish to bring your own food and drink.
For the St. John/USVI trips we can stop at Pizza Pi, the Pizza Boat for food or we can pick up a delicious “Boater’s Lunch” from North Shore Deli (Sandwich, Salad and Desert) for 15$ per person. For the BVI trip we can stop at Cooper Island Beach Club, Pirate’s Bight or Willy T.
St. John Snorkeling Trip Reviews
“Unbelievable Great Day”
We had an unbelievable great day around St John on Thursday. The snorkeling was the best we have seen!
Reviewed July 2015, by Eric M. who has was on his 5th trip to St. John since 2007 with snorkeling as the main activity during all those trips
We chartered Rockhoppin’ Adventures for an all day snorkel trip around St. John. Our Captain, Steve, discussed the trip, helped to plan the day and assured that every detail was to our liking. Every snorkel spot we visited was different and enjoyable. With Steve’s help and guidance we were able to fully appreciate each stop on the trip. The trip was an outstanding value and truly enjoyable.
While on St. John my wife decided to try Stand Up Paddleboard. She started with a lesson from the very skilled and talented Lucy. The lesson was great and she had a wonderful experience for first time SUP.
We would definitely recommend Rockhoppin Adventures for any of activity you’re considering on St. John.
Visited April 2015
St. John Snorkeling Trip Online Booking
Select your date and pay a 150$ deposit. The rest is due on day of charter (after trip, cash, card or cheque). All prices include captain and fuel.
Virgin Islands Property and Yacht Magazine has just published in article with the top 4 beachfront heavens. And the winners happen to all be destinations we cater to with our 32 FS Regulator Powerboat. While the first 3 can be easily combined into a day trip, Saba Rock is a bit far out and we are not sure it is worth to go all the way to bitter end just for Saba Rock, if you want to go to Virgin Gorda you will surely want to also see the Baths and some of the other sights…. Read More