St John, USVI, Part 2

My second day on St John was devoted to a full day sea kayaking expedition with two snorkel stops. We went to the east end of St John (Coral Bay) which is more remote, less developed, and the sea offered something different from just white sandy beaches. We paddled and snorkeled among mangroves in water as clear as glass. The boring green and brown mangroves were a paradise of color under the surface of the water.

As soon as we pulled into the tiny strip of sand for snorkeling, we were greeted by this guy.

 Gear on, toes in. Took a while for the lens to defog. The sea bed was teeming with fish and sponges. And the nasty black sea urchin lurking in the front. You can see the dark mangrove roots in the background, forming an underwater forest.

 Most fish weren't shy, and swam by just outside of arm's length.

 The amazing thing is the contrast in view above and below the surface. Mangrove on top:

 Mangrove right underneath. The root system, covered with sponges and corals, made up a whole new marine world.

This brush-like guy would completely close up if you took your hand near it. Wish I knew its name.

 This looked like a giant bear trying to attack the urchin. I was just glad my buoyancy kept me from crashing into said urchin.

 Silver needlefish (I think). Impossible to autofocus since they are pretty much the same color as the water.

 Paddling off to the next stop.

 We had lunch and then walked the shore for a bit. This stone (coral?) looked like it had been etched. Another image needing species ID.

 View during walk

 And final paddle back to where we started

If anyone plans on paddling in St John, I highly recommend Arawak Expeditions. They get the gear, they pack lunch. You just need to use your body to paddle and snorkel. Good deal.

[See Part 1 of St John trip here]