17°45′N · St. Croix · US Virgin Islands
Below the Surface at 17° North: Island Stories from St. Croix
Turtles over the reef, seahorses under the Frederiksted Pier, the wall at Cane Bay — and the beaches, rum, history and food waiting back on shore. A Caribbean travel blog for diving into St. Croix, above the water and below it.
Latest stories
Field guide · St. Croix reefs
Who you might meet on a St. Croix dive
All photographed in the waters around St. Croix. Look closely — half of them are masters of disguise.
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Shallow · pier & seagrass
Seahorse
Tail wrapped around a sponge or a piling, perfectly still. The Frederiksted Pier is famous for them.
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Reef · all depths
Hawksbill turtle
Often seen grazing on sponges along the reef. Give them space and they’ll carry on as if you weren’t there.
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Sand & rubble · dusk
Octopus
Changes colour and texture in a second. Look for a den with a little pile of empty shells at the door.
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Sponges · pilings
Frogfish
Matches the sponge it sits on so well that it’s the best find of the dive — if you spot it.
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Ledges · crevices
Spotted moray
That open mouth is just how it breathes. Peek under ledges and you’ll often find one peeking back.
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Sand · under the pier
Porcupinefish
Big eyes, slow fins and spines kept flat — unless something gives it a fright.
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Sandy bottom
Flying gurnard
“Walks” across the sand on its fins, then fans out bright blue-edged wings when disturbed.
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Ledges · cleaning stations
Banded coral shrimp
Red-and-white cleaners that wave their long antennae to call in fish for a cleaning.
Car Rental STX · CarRentalSTX.com
The best dives start with a drive
Many of St. Croix’s favourite dive and snorkel spots — Cane Bay, the Frederiksted Pier, the beaches of the West End — are right off the road. Car Rental STX has your car waiting when you land, so you can head straight for the water.
- Your car ready at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX)
- The best car rental rates on the island
- Compacts and SUVs up to a Jeep Wrangler 4x4 or an 8-seat minivan — room for the dive gear
- U.S. citizens need no passport, just a driver’s license
From the Latitude 17 dive log
Latitude 17 Scuba was a St. Croix dive centre that specialised in personalised, private PADI instruction — from a first Discover Scuba Diving experience through to Divemaster — and guided dives around the island, in water from about 77°F in winter to 84°F in summer.
Latitude 17 Scuba no longer offers dives or courses. DiveIntoStCroix.com now publishes this Caribbean travel blog, so the stories — and the photos from those dives — carry on.
