CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)Snorkel· Thatch Cay· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Thatch Cay
18° 21.8′ N · 64° 52.1′ W · approximate
A steep, uninhabited, privately owned 230-acre cay off St. Thomas's northeast coast, a 482 ft ridge of thatch palms with stone ruins of an old fishing village and copper mine; its north side has day moorings and some of the best rock-and-tunnel diving on the island.
Practical
Position approximate: off the northwest side between Lee Point and Mother East Point, where the Coast Pilot reports mooring buoys; checked to be in the water. Island coordinates 18.359 N, 64.856 W (Wikipedia). Coast Pilot: Thatch Cay is 1.6 miles long; Leeward Passage (0.4 mile wide, 60 ft or more) separates it from St. Thomas, and Middle Passage separates it from Grass Cay to the east, with currents to 4 knots reported in Middle Passage. North-side sites face the Atlantic and can be undiveable in winter swell (Red Hook Dive Center). Day stop only; private island, so do not land without permission. Known historically for its spiny lobster (Wikipedia).
Best for
Calm-day snorkeling and diving on the north side