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Map of Buck Island Reef
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Boat entry

Buck Island Reef

U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Croix, United States
Open Water suggested1–12 m depthBoat entryRash guard or 2mm shorty typical

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Buck Island Reef at a glance

Buck Island Reef is a boat dive site in U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Croix, United States with depths of 1–12.2 m (3–40 ft). Typically most favorable Sep · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see elkhorn coral, green sea turtle, and hawksbill sea turtle. Recent reports put the water around 29°C (84°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 3h ago
1.5 mwaves — about a meter and a half expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 29°C · seasonal avg 29°C

Site hazards: Fragile elkhorn coral, protected no-take rules, boat traffic, sun/heat exposure, shallow reef surge, sharp coral/urchins, and limited facilities away from the boat. Snorkel trail is closed from sunset to sunrise.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Mon
Sun6:00–19:00
Mon6:00–19:00
Tue6:00–19:00
Wed6:00–19:00
Thu6:00–19:00
Fri6:00–19:00
Sat6:00–19:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:32 · Sunrise 5:55 · Sunset 18:54

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 0.6 km from site · graded 3h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: elkhorn coral, tropical reef fish
Best time: Best on settled trade-wind days with good visibility and low swell; check NPS alerts and operator conditions before departure.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. Jan32%27°C1.6 m
  2. Feb38%27°C1.6 m
  3. Mar63%27°C1.4 m
  4. Apr59%27°C1.4 m
  5. May77%28°C1.2 m
  6. Jun43%29°C1.4 m
  7. Jul38%29°C1.6 m
  8. Aug53%30°C1.4 m
  9. Sep83%30°C1.2 m
  10. Oct74%30°C1.3 m
  11. Nov53%29°C1.4 m
  12. Dec39%28°C1.6 m

September hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life recorded at this site, by month

Recorded observations — evidence of past sightings, not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

  • elkhorn coralCommonly seen
  • green sea turtleOccasionally seen
  • hawksbill sea turtleOccasionally seen
  • spotted eagle rayOccasionally seen
  • tropical reef fishCommonly seen

  • Epinephelus marginatus recorded here Jun (1 record)

    most recent 1995

Counts are occurrence records near this site from public biodiversity datasets (GBIF), grouped by calendar month across all sampled years. Sightings vary — past records are context, not a prediction.

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km. Know one? Add it to the map.

Site details

Buck Island Reef is an NPS marine protected area off St. Croix with a marked underwater snorkel trail, elkhorn coral formations, and two designated shallow scuba moorings. Most visitors access it by permitted tour boat or private boat rather than by shore. Treat it as a protected reef experience first: no collecting, no coral contact, and use only legal anchoring/mooring areas.

boatreef

Fragile elkhorn coral, protected no-take rules, boat traffic, sun/heat exposure, shallow reef surge, sharp coral/urchins, and limited facilities away from the boat. Snorkel trail is closed from sunset to sunrise.

Reviews

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