Tide pooling in U.S. Virgin Islands: best low tides
The best tide pool days are low tides that are among a spot's lowest of the year and fall in daylight. In U.S. Virgin Islands they come mostly in April to June. The next stretch of tide pool lows across the state is Feb 23–25. Dates, times and heights below come from NOAA predictions for 13 spots, worked out for the next 12 months.
Tide pools in every state · U.S. Virgin Islands king tides
Tide pool season in U.S. Virgin Islands
Average number of good tide pool days per spot, month by month:
Best tide pool days statewide
| Dates | Best day | Spots with a good low that day |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 23–25 | Thu Feb 25 | 5 of 13 spots |
| Mar 12–14 | Sat Mar 13 | 10 of 13 spots |
| Mar 24–26 | Thu Mar 25 | 5 of 13 spots |
| Apr 9–12 | Sat Apr 10 | 13 of 13 spots |
| Apr 21–23 | Thu Apr 22 | 6 of 13 spots |
| May 6–10 | Fri May 7 | 13 of 13 spots |
| May 18–22 | Fri May 21 | 9 of 13 spots |
| Jun 2–7 | Thu Jun 3 | 13 of 13 spots |
Tide pool lows for your spot
Showing all 13 spots
| Spot | Next tide pool lows | Lowest |
|---|---|---|
| Botany Bay, St. Thomas Island | Jan 23–27 afternoons then Feb 10–13, Feb 21–26 | -0.3 ft Mon Jan 25, 5:19 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Dorothea Bay, Saint Thomas Island | Jan 25 afternoon then Feb 21–25, Mar 11–13 | -0.2 ft Mon Jan 25, 5:34 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Leinster Point, Leinster Bay, St. Johns Island | Feb 23–25 afternoons then Mar 12–13, Mar 24–25 | -0.2 ft Thu Feb 25, 6:02 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Water Bay | Feb 23–25 afternoons then Mar 12–13, Mar 23–25 | -0.2 ft Wed Feb 24, 5:14 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Dog Island, St. Thomas | Feb 25 afternoon then Mar 12–14, Apr 9–12 | -0.2 ft Thu Feb 25, 6:05 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Fredericksted, St. Croix | Feb 26–27 afternoons then Mar 12–15, Mar 25–28 | -0.2 ft Fri Feb 26, 3:13 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Island | Mar 13–14 afternoons then Apr 9–12, May 6–10 | -0.3 ft Sun Mar 14, 6:02 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Christiansted Harbor, St Croix | Mar 13–15 afternoons then Mar 26–28, Apr 9–12 | -0.4 ft Sun Mar 14, 5:01 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Lime Tree Bay, St.Croix Island | Mar 13–15 afternoons then Mar 26–28, Apr 9–12 | -0.4 ft Sun Mar 14, 4:45 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Redhook Bay, St. Thomas Island | Mar 13 afternoon then Apr 10–12, May 6–10 | -0.4 ft Sat Mar 13, 5:50 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Coral Harbor, St. Johns | Mar 14 afternoon then Apr 10–11, May 7–9 | -0.3 ft Sun Mar 14, 6:24 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Lovango Cay, St. Johns Island | Apr 9–11 afternoons then Apr 22–23, May 6–9 | -0.1 ft Sat Apr 10, 4:30 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
| Lameshur Bay, St. Johns Island | Apr 10–12 afternoons then May 6–10, May 19–22 | -0.3 ft Sat Apr 10, 3:59 PM 0 good days in the next 3 months |
Tide pool tips
Arrive about an hour before low tide and head back as soon as the water turns.
Sneaker waves run far up rocky shores, especially on the Pacific. Never turn your back on the ocean.
Seaweed and barnacles are slippery and alive. Wear shoes with grip and step on bare rock or sand.
Touch gently with a wet finger, put rocks back as you found them, and leave animals and shells. Many tide pools are protected.
How these dates are worked out
For every spot we take NOAA's low tide predictions for the next 12 months. A low counts as a tide pool low when it's in that spot's lowest 10% and comes between an hour after sunrise and sunset, so there's light for the hour before it. Heights are feet above mean lower low water (MLLW), the zero on tide charts; below zero is a minus tide. Wind and swell can keep the water higher than predicted. Not for navigation.