Best Of St. John: Kayak, Snorkel With Sea Turtles & Picnic

Strongly recommend the full day trip. Great day out on the water. The guide knew her local history and was able to find wonderful fish and turtles despite the waves that day. We got to do some good paddling and snorkeling. (If you are not into a little exercise, take the half day.) The lunch was ok but nothing to write home about. Overall, a fun day.

What a great experience! Water and weather were perfect! We saw lots of sea life! Easy location right at Cruz Bay. Kenny and Anna were great! Highly recommend!

We booked the Henley Cay hike, snorkel, and kayak. When we arrived the guide said that there was a rip current so we couldn't go to Henley Cay, and we would only be doing 1 snorkel stop. He said we could get a refund or they could give us free lunch, drinks, and all-day rental passes. I thought that was fair. The trip was really fun. We had a great time and the guide swam with us in the bay and pointed out different things while we were snorkeling. One person got swept away in a current and the guide didn't notice -- other snorkelers told him and then the guide went to rescue that guy. I would say this tour was great if you are a strong swimmer, but maybe not if you are more tentative in the water.

Matt and Shane were great! We weren’t able to make it out to Henley cay due to a rip tide and that’s ok. Matt made up for it with good jokes and a great attitude. To be honest with you, it only made me more grateful to have booked through them. Had I not, I wouldn’t have known about the local conditions and could have potentially put my family at risk. Given that I made the investment with ecotours, we all had fun, we all stayed safe, and we still snorkeled with sea turtles, sturgeon fish, and every amazing island creature in between. It just happened in a slightly different place.

This was a great kayak and snorkeling combo. We started at Honeymoon Beach, kayaked in slightly rough surf out to Henley Cay to snorkel. We found better coral here than on our boating tour around St. John or in a few of the beaches. Lots of schools of fish, colorful coral. We then kayaked to the beach on the back side of Caneel Bay, where we saw 5 sea turtles and a few stingray. Nice pristine beach with only our tour group and one other group. Kayaked back to Honeymoon from there. You should have a moderate athleticism to do this tour. Note it is OCEAN kayaking not placid lake water. Depending on the day there are currents! Our tour guide was great, enjoyed his company and insights about St. John.

This is definitely worth it. It was amazing and our tour guide for super nice. If you enjoy kayaking this is highly recommended. Parking is limited, so its best to get there early and walk around.

We did the three hour Henley Cay Kayak and Snorkel Tour. We did not use transportation as we knew how to do the hike on Lind Point Trail to get to honeymoon beach. Checkin was easy! Everyone with Virgin Island Eco Tours are so friendly and helpful! They love what they do and were very helpful to all guests regardless of experience level. With two guides they were able to address all skill levels. We saw turtles and sting Ray and so many beautiful fish! Thank you!!

Ernie was a great guide and we had a wonderful time kayaking from Honeymoon Beach to Henley Cat. He gave us some history lessons and explained lots of cool facts about the islands. The snorkeling was excellent! Great way to spend a few hours!

Ben was great! Small kayak group today, so lots of personal attention. Helped me take a picture of a sleeping nurse shark at Henley cay. Then on to a quiet beach with small turtles. Perfect water and weather. Very enjoyable trip. Awesome trip! Thanks Ben!

NOTE: If you’re staying on another island plan to spend at least another $30-60+ depending how many are in your party for all the hidden traveling fees. If you’re already on the island you’ll at least spend $20+ to get to honeymoon beach, it’s such a money grab and started my whole day off on a sour note. I didn’t know I would need $65 to pay for parking, the ferry, taxis, and a useless 2 second bus drive to the beach. I dont know why they don’t mention this anywhere, or they can’t just put it in the pricing. Bummed me out a ton I thought I had gotten a good deal. The actual tour isn’t run by any of those people or the beach, the tour guide, Ephriam, was super cool! The kayaking was amazing, the snorkeling was some of the best snorkeling I’ve ever seen before. It was absolutely stunning, wish I had pictures, definitely try to bring a camera if you can, we saw turtles and tons of fish!!! After the tour they were going to let us use the other equipment and use the beach longer which was awesome, we had to leave but that was super nice!

We had an amazing 5h tour with our very knowledgeable guides, Ben and Matt, today! They arrived to the visitor center before 9am, found us, then took us on a cool hiking trail - the view at the top of the mountain was spectacular and it was interesting to learn about different species. Once we arrived to Honeymoon Bay, they took us on their kayaks as I wasn't confident in my kayaking skills, but thanks to our guides we were able to make it safely to Henley Cay. I've snorkeled in 8 different countries in the past, but oh my!!! The underwater scene at Henley Cay was one of the best - aside from the amazing reefs that's still in tact, we was not only many different types of fish, but also a spotted eagle ray (twice)!! That was truly the highlight of this trip! Then they kayaked us to another bay to snorkel with sea turtles and stingrays - The water was much calmer on this bay and we took our time to enjoy the sea turtles and stingrays :) Lunch (Fish Tacos!) was very good too. A+++ for underwater photos taken by Ben as well! Overall an amazing experience I'd recommend to anyone visiting St John!

We had a beautiful adventure with our guide, D’Hayden! He is knowledgeable, kind, patient, and joyful! My husband and I did the Lind Point hike, kayak to Henley Cay, and kayak to Scott Beach. The snorkeling at both stops was diverse and fascinating. We saw a variety of coral, tropical fish, sea turtles, and a stingray. You should absolutely request D’Hayden when adventuring with Ecotours!

The kayak and snorkle tour deserve a solid 5 stars. Their website can be misleading. I signed up for a 10am - 1pm tour. When I arrived at 10am at Honeymoon Beach, I was told the tour guide was meeting people at 10am in Cruz Bay and wouldn't arrive until 10:45am. When I asked at the 9:30 am tour, I was told by 2 different people that there isn't a 9:30 tour. If you check the Eco-Tour website, they list a 9:30 am tour and a 10:00 am tour. Make sure that you call and talk to a real person to understand the details.

My boyfriend and I booked the 3-hour tour and let me say it was worth every penny!! Our tour guide Matt was so nice and knowledgeable about the water, swimming, animals, etc. He took us kayaking and snorkeling at two different beaches which were beautiful. We saw tons of beautiful fish, a nurse shark, crab, moon jellies, an octopus (although he was shy), sea star, sting rays, and a bunch of sea turtles which was a huge surprise!! I would 100% come back and do this. Coolest experience ever for us.

Took the Henley Cay tour and cas cay tour. Both guides were VERY knowledgeable above the other tour companies that I took. The coral and nature were much better at these locations too. The Henley Cay spot had coral that was relatively much healthier than the other snorkel spots at Maho Bay and similar beach snorkels.

Initially, our reception put us off. However, we then got Grant as our guide and he couldn’t have been a nicer or more friendly a person. He was a delight. He gets 5 stars but the overall rating has to reflect the whole experience.

My family enjoyed the 3-hr guided kayak tour to Henley Cay, with bonus stop at Scott Beach! As it was our first time out to Henley, we felt more comfortable going with a guide who understood the currents. Both locations were great for snorkeling - 2 really different environments. After our tour, we stayed to enjoy Honeymoon beach.

Grant was a great guide for our hike and kayak trip! Henley Cay was also the best snorkeling we did the entire week in St John! I would highly recommend this trip!

Grant is Great! Two adults and 3 teens completely enjoyed our combination kayak and snorkeling tour with Grant. He did a great job guiding us across the bay and then showing us the awesome reefs at Henley. He found us countless types of fish, multiple sting rays, and best of all sea turtles! We also saw lobster and a nurse shark—Grant swam down and pointed them out to us—we would have missed them if not for Grant.

Zack was a great tour guide. There were 7 of us and he was on top of everyone kayaking and snorkeling safely. Henley Cay does have by far the best snorkeling experience on the east end. I have been to STJ maybe 8 times now and it easily the best off beach snorkeling I know of. Very diverse. The kayak trip was good too. Should be fine for most,, unless you really lack any arm strength.

Our tour guide Lance was great, request him! He was very knowledgeable of the sea life and plants during our hike. Henley Cay is breathtaking, most of St, John’s is but this was definitely worth the kayak over!

We did the hike, kayak and snorkel with Lance. He had a wealth of knowledge along the hike and throughout the snorkeling. He did a great job keeping the group together and safe. I’d definitely recommend asking for Lance!

This is my 2nd tour with Viator. And just like the first this did not disappoint. We had beautiful weather with knowledgeable tour guides during our time in the water. Amazing experience with Amazing tour guides.

Guide was funny and knowledgeable. The coordination leading up to the tour can be improved - an e-mail with details or call prior would be great. Suggestions as to where to park and what gear to bring for the day would be helpful.

Great day with our guide Brian with an “i”!! He was informative and fun and made all on our group feel comfortable and safe. The snorkeling was great and we saw lots of turtles and fish. We did the five hour option but found that in the end all that was different between the two options was that the guide hikes down to Honeymoon Beach with you, which you can easily do on your own, and our lunch was provided. Save yourself $ and pay for your lunch yourself.

Our family of three, two adults and one teen, had an amazing day with Kayleigh during our hike, kayak and snorkel tour! She was so knowledgeable about the flora and fauna during our hike, she was outstanding with kayaking on a day that was quite choppy and we saw amazing sea life while snorkeling - turtles, rays and a nurse shark. Thank you Kayleigh and VI Ecotours for a day to remember!

Brain was our guide and our tour was amazing. We saw all kinds of coral and swan with sea turtles and even saw two spotted eagle rays. We ended up flipped our kayak and he was right there to help us get back in the groove. Will 100% do this again if we come back.

My husband and I have been to St. John before, however this was the first time we scheduled an adventure with Virgin Islands EcoTours. The experience was far greater than expected. Our guide, D(Hayden), was very informative. He educated us on the local foliage and wildlife. The kayak and snorkel tour was spectacular. We were able to see numerous coral and fish. We highly recommend the adventure with D!

I can't say enough great things about this company! They helped me arrange a private kayaking and snorkeling adventure at Henley Cay and Scott's Beach, and the day the before our trip they called me saying that they had a staffing challenge and might not be able to honor my reservation for a private guide. I explained that this was my gift to my husband for his 60th birthday, and they found me a guide and honored my reservation, and we had a fabulous time! Kaylee, our tour guide, was very enthusiastic, and she gave us a very memorable day. Thank you!

The kayak trip to Henley Cay is spectacular! Guides Kaylee and Eli were tons of fun, shared great info about the reef and all that is in it, and helped us spot an octopus and eagle rays (along with a multitude of gorgeous fish and coral). Absolutely couldn’t ask for a better day! And wow, what a paddle - I’ll sleep well tonight. Highly recommend for anyone looking for adventure on St. John!!

Tour operator never showed up. They called the Honeymoon Beach employees to say they would be late (about 30 minutes after they should have been there), then all of a sudden became “unavailable” about an hour after we were sitting there waiting. This was a 3-4 hour tour, so the person should have had time. They also gave some excuse about others canceling, that were not part of my party. (We also didn’t get our money back). I’m thankful that the Honeymoon Beach employees were accommodating and allowed us to use their amenities.

We had a blast! Brian from Eco-Tours was our guide. He was informative, encouraging and helpful. He showed us where to snorkel to see the best of the area. He was engaged with the whole party of 7, from age 3 to 69. We never felt rushed. It was a great way to see the island in a different way.

Lovely kayak and snorkel trip to Henley Cay and Scott Beach yesterday. Our guide, Sarah, made the trip worth it.

Sarah was our tour guide and she was amazing(: she is super educated, teaching us what all these plants, sea life, and a little history on the island. The hike is about a mile and can be rocky so wear good shoes. Kayaking was fun and got to swim with some turtles(:.. my boyfriend and I really enjoyed everything!

Sarah was totally awesome! Could not imagine a better tour guide. Friendly, easy going, totally accommodating, great knowledge and entertaining. Took hike from Visitor's Center, Kayak and Snorkeling tour, lunch, beach time, then hiked back on our own to St. Thomas Ferry. It was a totally awesome day. Tour began at 9 am and my fiance and I did not return to visitors center/ferry until after 6pm. We just did not want day to end, so we got dinner in St. Johns (do not try Longboard Restaurant) then took 9pm ferry back. What a long, wonderful day. Sarah started day perfect, made day even more perfect by finding a nurse shark on first snorkel trip and turtle/octopus on second snorkel trip besides the other great fish finds. She kept a great pace on hike and during kayaking. Sarah ate lunch with us and socialized. It was like a private tour! I would do the same tour again and totally worth the $149 fee. Thank you Sarah!!!!!!

This tour is absolutely amazing! Our guide Sarah, was extremely knowledgeable about everything and clearly loves what she does. She made sure we were safe and happy every step of the way. We highly recommend this activity for anyone wanting to get more out of their vacation.

Cris and Eli were great guides. Eli was very full of knowledge and you can tell he loves his job. They both were a pleasure! It was quite a workout kayaking across to Henley Cay. You must be covered in SPF plus some sort of hat that won't blow off. Great place to snorkel. Pass on the Painkillers here and get something else.

We booked this your on our first visit to St. John for our honeymoon. It was a great day except for the extremely rude security guy at the entrance to honeymoon beach. We were about 30 minutes late getting started on our tour and ended about an hour late, so I wouldn't plan anything directly afterward just in case. This trip was definitely exhausting, but it was so cool! Our guide really knew his stuff and filled us the info the whole time we were out there. While snorkeling, we saw several turtles, a nurse shark, octopus, barracuda, sting rays, crabs, and many many other things. We got extremely burnt, so make sure you bring lots of sunscreen with you! Overall, it was a great trip!

We had a terrific day on the water with Sydney touring Henley Cay and Scott Beach by kayak and snorkel. Sydney was a great guide. She was friendly, knowledgeable and laid back. Exactly what we wanted for a fun day on the water. Thanks!!

We went with Mardenshi(see review) in January 2020. Agree with all of it! Patrick was informative, flexible, and a pleasure. Would recommend plenty of sun block. the combination of the walk, Kayak, and snorkel was fun. Make sure you have some shoulder strength to do that kayaking! We were the slow-pokes, but he never lost sight of us. This is a real joy to participate in and we strongly advise it!

We had the opportunity to kayak and snorkel with Patrick! Him and his sweet girlfriend showed us the wonderful reef of Henley Cay and then to Scott’s Beach to see 4 turtles 3 sting ray, many beautiful fish and other sea life! We had a wonderful time!

We just completed a 7 night cruise in the Carribean, the Henley Cay Adventure Tour was by far our favorite excurison! Our guide, Patrick was awesome! He knew exactly where to find the best snorkeling areas and he was extremely knowledgeable about all the amazing marine life we encountered. He was able to help us find turtles, stingrays, an octopus, a huge lobster, a nurse shark, garden eels, baracuda, sea urchins and a huge variety of beautiful fish and coral. Patrick enlightened us with St. John and surrounding island history and provided an update on the recovery efforts on the islands after the devistating hurricane. Highly recommend this tour!!

The Henley Cay kayak and snorkel tour with Patrick was excellent! We were very fortunate to see so many things during our tour - dolphins, nurse shark, sea turtles, spotted eagle ray and tons of beautiful fish. We loved learning about the underwater wildlife, the island and the coral reefs. I appreciated Patrick’s focus on conservation and treating the wildlife with the respect it deserves. It was a wonderful experience!

My husband Keith and I had the most amazing time on this guided tour with D! We saw so many beautiful fish and D was so knowledgeable of all the names of fish and corals. We also saw sea turtles feeding and also saw stingrays! This is an experience you do not want to miss!

My husband and I did a tour last week with Patrick and it was the highlight of our trip!! He Is a very pleasant and informative guide and knew right where to take us to see the most colorful fish and coral. We even saw a nurse shark (or my husband did - I was too chicken!), barracuda and beautiful spotted rays. The pace was relaxed and comfortable, even for a couple of novice snorkelers in their 60s. We would highly recommend!

We had a great time kayaking to and snorkeling at Henley Cay and Caneel Bay with Patrick. We opted for the zodiac ride from Cruz Bay which was efficient and easy, and fun! Patrick is a great snorkel guide. Reliable, safe, and fun. He pointed out all the underwater all-stars we were hoping to see before leaving the island (including nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, octopus!, French angel, and of course some really chill green sea turtles). We had an easy paddle but our visit was on a very calm morning with no wind and little current. Patrick even took some GoPro video underwater to share with us. I highly recommend this tour with this experienced guide to see this very beautiful reef.

My husband and I don't often participate in tours. The Henley Cay tour caught our attention and we were so happy with the outcome. Our guide, "Tree", was the reason. Tree led us to Honeymoon beach along a mile-long rustic trail, regaling us with many fun and interesting historical tails and flora facts along the way. He pampered us at the beach, while he prepared for our water portion of the tour. We kayaked to a small island where we beached the boats and hopped in the water. My husband and I are experienced snorkelers who normally avoid tours, preferring to do things on our own. We have spent many hours in the water in many exotic locations. We weren't sure if we would enjoy this tour, but it brought us to a location that is difficult to reach on your own. Tree was a great kayaker and snorkeler who again taught us many wonderful things - about the ocean, the coral, and the creatures within. Thanks to Tree and his many stories and jokes, we thoroughly enjoyed our tour!

My husband and I had an amazing time with our guide Patrick! We kayaked from Honeymoon Beach on St. John to Henley Cay, where we snorkeled for about an hour. The water was crystal clear, the coral was beautiful, and there was an abundance of tropical fish. From there we kayaked over to Caneel Bay and snorkeled again in the beautiful Caribbean waters, but this time we swam with the turtles! It was a dream come true for me. We also saw a rather large school of tarpon underneath a nearby sailboat, and an octopus hiding amongst the rocks near the shore. After we nearly wore ourselves out snorkeling with the turtles and fish, we kayaked back to Honeymoon Beach. We appreciated the bottled water provided by the tour company, but I recommend that you also wear a hat and plenty of sunscreen (please use brands that are safe for the coral reefs). One tip for those not familiar with St. John: meet the water taxi to Honeymoon Beach on the beach near the ferry dock from St. Thomas. The Virgin Island Ecotours rep is sitting in the Adirondack chairs in front of the High Tides restaurant. We had to ask around to find out how to get to Honeymoon Beach.

My sisters and I booked this tour for our first day on St. John, and I am so glad we did! We took a short dinghy ride from Cruz Bay to Honeymoon Beach that gave us a chance to get out on the azure water in the morning before the crowds. Tree - one of the EcoTour guides (who is 6'7" tall!) - was there to meet us and brought us up to the main hut. He and Destin were immensely funny and friendly while we waited for others to gather for the tour. We were able to stash things in lockers and use changing rooms if needed. Snacks and drinks are also available. Patrick was our guide, and was the senior staff member there (and is very easy on the eyes :)). We kayaked over to Henley Cay and jumped in for some beautiful snorkeling - even seeing a moray eel! Lots of beautiful fish and marine life, and Patrick had many entertaining stories as well as bountiful information about the flora and fauna of the area. We were able to recognize many of the fish and coral on later solo snorkeling trips as a result. We then kayaked across to Caneel Bay, Scott's Beach, where we saw the remains of the high-end resort (much of it was destroyed from the hurricanes). I believe this tour is the only one allowed to access this beautiful and exclusive beach. White sand and turquoise water abound! We snorkeled again and saw several large sea turtles which Patrick attempted to make surface by diving down below. Lastly, we kayaked back to Honeymoon Beach where we were invited to stay for the rest of the day. It is extremely beautiful and relaxing, and you have the EcoTour staff (Tree, Destin and Patrick) at the hut for your entertainment needs :) as well as the food shack where you can buy sandwiches and delicious Painkillers, etc. For a fee, you can rent beach chairs, umbrellas, kayaks etc. We would have spent the day, but had already scheduled other activities on our trip agenda. The dinghy came and picked us up for a quick afternoon return ride to Cruz Bay. In case it's not obvious, I would highly recommend this excursion!! It is a great introduction to the area and the VI EcoTour staff made it fun and informative... Patrick was a veritable wealth of information on any island topic, and answered all of our questions with patience and interest. He even gave us recommendations of other places to snorkel and see during our stay. I hope he gets a raise as a result of this review...😁 Thank you SO much for the memories! Christine, Jen and Jonna (The 3 Sisters from New England)