Seasonal· St John· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)

Humpback whale & winter swell season

18° 22.5′ N · 64° 45.1′ W · approximate

Winter is the season of the strongest trades and of north ground swells that roll into St John's north-shore bays, and it is also when North Atlantic humpbacks migrate south to the West Indies to calve and mate.

British Virgin IslandsUS Virgin IslandsSpanish Virgins

Practical

Reference position is the GNIS point for The Narrows. Winds: the trades blow almost always from between north-northeast and south-southeast, with the highest mean maximum speeds from late December to the end of January; wind builds from daybreak to a late-morning/early-afternoon peak and eases from about 4 pm (Coast Pilot 5). Swell: north swells make Maho and Francis bays murky and roll the north-shore moorings; Hawksnest sees more wave action than most beaches; Brown Bay is wind-swept in northerly winds (NPS, island guide). Then the south-shore bays (Salt Pond, Lameshur) and Coral Bay are usually the comfortable choice. Whales: NOAA Fisheries says North Atlantic humpbacks migrate south in winter to calve and mate in the West Indies; no St John-specific sighting season was verified, but keep a lookout on passages in winter and follow NOAA's guideline to stay at least 100 yards from large whales.

Best for

Choosing anchorages in winter

Season

Dec–Apr (strongest trades late Dec–Jan)

Nearby

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