Sapphire Beach Snorkeling

We went to Sapphire Beach to go snorkeling because so far on the island it is our favorite place for it because every time we have been there we are so lucky to see so much marine life. This time didn't fail us which was great because we brought the new underwater camera and it worked so well! I want to just spend all day taking pictures with it. On this day we saw five or more turtles! They are Hawksbill turtles and are actually an endangered species. They are so beautiful. We also saw a big porcupine fish, a small spotted eagle ray, a couple of sting rays, and a bunch of reef fish! We swam around to the other side and found another reef that was just in great condition with a lot of healthy Elkhorn Coral, a bright orange branching coral that is also endangered here in the Virgin Islands. It lives in shallow, high intensity (lots of wave action) waters, so it is prone to a lot of damage from storms, especially hurricanes. The pictures turned out great! I can't wait to get back and take more.

Sucker fish catching a ride and cleaning the shell.

Southern Stingray.

Spotted Eagle Ray.

Hawksbill Turtle on reef.

Vanessa reaching out to a friend.

Aren't these guys just beautiful, gentle creatures? Yes indeed.