Virgin Islands Ecotours - St. Thomas

My husband and I had the best time at our tour! Our main guide, Alonso, was very knowledgeable and had such a great energy about him. He made the tour so much fun. Jezi and the guy taking the photos were also very sweet!! I would highly recommend taking this tour. A great value for everything we did in 4 hours.

Excellent experience with our guides Brooke and Francis. Went on an excursion booked through cruise ship. Kayaking through mangroves was fun. Hike included lesson on the hermit crabs/ pirate history, manchineel (poisonous) trees, and a blowhole photo op. Snorkling around the small coral reef was amazing. Recommend only if you are fit and up for a adventurous outing. Brooke's energetic delivery and Francis' motivating encouragement made our day.

Great experience. We booked the self-guided paddle board and kayaks which is very reasonably priced. You have free reign to go where you'd like and explore some of the islands along the way. Definitely pack sunscreen and shoes although the base camp store has all those items if you do forget.

Had the pleasure of doing the excursion with Alonso. He was very informative and an excellent guide. We started off kayaking, made our way to Cas Cay, hiked the island, and then went snorkeling where we saw a wide variety of fish. Learned a lot about the plants, wildlife, and the area. Highly recommend Virgin Islands Eco Tours.

Amazing tours, super knowledgeable staff, and the best time. We did the Cas Cay kayak tour with 2 kids under 5 and it was incredible. Kairell was incredible. He knew the island, about the wild life, and made us feel safe and comfortable the entire time. The mangroves are fascinating and there is so much peace around them. We loved every second of our tour and will be back for more.

What a wonderful kayak and snorkel tour!!! I travelled with my 2 teenage girls and we all loved it.. A great tour in the fact of doing a variety of activities, kayaking, short hike on land and tidal pools and snorkeling...kept everyone interested and engaged for the whole trip! We loved our guide...and learning all the fascinating facts about Mangroves and sea life and interesting history of the area. We feel inspired and educated! Thank you so much!!

Rented Kayaks for a half day. Beautiful mangroves and and staff gave us great info yo find great spot on Cass Cay to have a picnic with the Hermit Crabs. Kelly was super helpful and very accommodating definitely great way to spend your island time, and the kayaking isn’t difficult

We did the full moon kayak and our guides were fun but at the end we lost a few in our group. They were way back and struggling a little. It took quite a while for the guide to notice.

We went swimming with sea turtles in mangens bay, what an amazing day! They were prompt, helpful and even had chocolate to help with the salt in our mouths after we got done. We saw over 10 turtles!

If you're heading to St. Thomas, DO NOT MISS Eco Tours and pray you get Kas as your guide! he's funny, insanely knowledgeable, and somehow manages to make learning about fish, mangroves, and island history feel like you're at the best comedy show on the water. Kas will test your island knowledge, and if you don't know your sea grapes from your seagrass, prepare to get lovingly roasted (I learned the hard way, still recovering lol!). Highly recommend if you want an unforgettable, fun, slightly humbling experience in St. Thomas!

Our goal was to see some sea turtles and it was Mission Accomplished. We had 10 in our party and 5 couldn't swim if our lives depended on it. Our guide DJ was patient and he literally had to drag one of us on a buoy the entire time. The water at Brewers Bay was clear and teeming with wildlife. DJ is a marine biologist and spoke to us at length about what we were seeing . We had a great time. Brewers Bay Beach is just 10 minutes from the airport and Crown Bay cruise terminal. If you have only a 3 hour port call, this is one that you can fit in. You can see the planes coming in to land but the area around the bay is well-preserved by the University of Virgin Islands. Our guide had all the snorkeling equipment, water and chocolate bars for when we finished the tour. Bring a towel and change clothes. Thank You DJ

Swish is the man!!! He's hilarious and has so many fun facts to share. Love his sense of humor and passion for what he does. There were some inexperienced kayakers in a group that went with us, and he was super patient and direct with his instructions. He has to have insane upper body strength too, because he was able to paddle his own boat, as well as 2 adults in a boat tied to his own. The visibility wasn't the best because of a storm (totally not their fault of course), but Swish still did everything he could to point out cool fish. I saw a school of hundreds!!!! And a lion fish! He also gave us a great recommendation for Brooke's Bar! If you can, go with Swish! The manager was also super pleasant, I wish I got her name. We got our photos from her almost immediately. It never felt like we were a bother at all--very accommodating experience. Would absolutely go again!

Excellent tour, the tour guides were friendly and respectful. My husband and I did the mangrove kayak with snorkeling adventure. We went to a cool plants and animal sanctuary by the reef, which is otherwise inaccessible to tourists. We met lots of cute hermit crabs in the sanctuary and one of the most deadliest trees on earth! Exertion level - moderate

Had such a great experience!! Staff was so sweet and understanding when we ran into some traffic (it's a relatively small island with a lot of two-lane roads), our tour guide Kevin was knowledgeable, funny and friendly and it was such a fun experience!! Quick warning though, try and book with them with something other than GetYourGuide - for some reason the app got the times wrong for every activity we booked. Great experience in itself though and we loved our kayaking experience!!

We did the Cas Cay Kayak, Hike & Snorkel Ecotour with Kevin as our guide. There were only 7 in our group so we were looking forward to an informative tour about the mangroves, sea, bird and plant life. In this kind of tours, the guide plays a key role in making the tour interesting and engaging. That really wasn't the case with Kevin as our guide. To start with, he was late to join the tour. The woman who was at the desk helped us get in our kayaks and we were all on the water waiting for Kevin. He finally joined us. At one of the first stops, he was talking on the phone on a personal call, which actually took minutes...something about taking a while to get a refund. He did show us a jellyfish, though I don't think its very eco friendly to pass around something like that for everyone to touch. Then we paddled on to the hiking spot. We stopped to see a lot of hermit crabs all piled up together. As it turns out, to get them to be there, they give them chocolate...again, not sure this is very eco friendly. We stopped at the poisonous tree. Kevin did take time here to talk about it and how the explorers figured out it was poisonous. We then snorkeled for about 20 minutes. Then back in our kayaks to paddle back. When we got back to the dock area, Kevin got out first and everyone else was still on the water in their kayaks. That was pretty much the last I saw of Kevin. He didn't provide any wrap up to the trip. No one told us where to put the paddles or life jackets so we just tossed them on the ground as others had done. During the trip, Kevin took pictures of us and everyone else. I guess there is a picture package that you can purchase, but he didn't say anything about that and it was taking too long to ask the woman at the desk, so we just left.

We went on the kayak tour with Zack, and it was awesome. It was the perfect day, sun was shining but not too hot. We rode in tandem kayaks, which was nice, we're usually indifferent on singles vs. tandems. He mangrove was beautiful, and Zack was FULL of information. He kept us entertained throughout the whole trip, taught us so much, and helped us to see and touch some of the wildlife! He also did a PHENOMENAL job of taking a million photos, which was an added bonus. The snorkeling wasn't anything special, but very calm and gave us the chance to see some wildlife we wouldn't usually see. Lunch was easy and good (local sandwiches), and the island where we ate was SO COOL. Seriously. I won't give it away because everyone should experience it for themselves. Overall, definitely worth the money. It was one of the better tours I've been on. Very informative, pretty, and fun. Highly recommend!

We rented a stand up paddle board and kayak. We had a great time on our own and staff were friendly. Great option for renting, they had tours as well but we did not do one. The are you float though is pretty shallow. Love that they have us each a free bottle of water.

We really enjoyed our kayak and snorkel trip, we saw some really beautiful areas that were not accessible any other way. The guide was a little strange - like a weird sense of humor. He was knowledgable, but just a little odd. We took lots of different tours while we were in the USVI for a month. This tour would be for someone who perhaps is not comfortable with large open-water snorkeling, but wants to get in see a few things. We liked the hike the best.

Swish, our tour guide was so professional, nice and patient with us newbies! We even had some honeymooners on our tour that was super nice and towed us along with them. Although the young lady at the front desk was about to let us go out on a self guided tour without any question was so not cool, but some of the employees over heard us saying we had no kayaking experience and them along with God jumped in to save the day lol. We had a blast though. Please check them out when you're in St. Thomas and make sure you ask for "Swish" to be your tour guide! Happy snorkeling and kayaking!

Absolutely wonderful experience The staff was so professional and helpful and understanding very generous. I definitely enjoyed my experience it was the highlight of my vacation we did the three hours with kayaking and hiking and snorkeling I would definitely go again and definitely recommend then afterwards we had two painkiller drinks that were absolutely fabulous and after having those great drinks we decided that that was the drink that we were going to drink the entire vacation. The guys were very informative and made the experience worthwhile and you definitely get a bang for your buck. I would totally recommend and I would come back again if I visit the island

We booked the Kayak, Hike and Snorkel excursion through our NCL cruise. I would absolutely do it all over again! We were picked up by Mel Brooks, not the celeb Mel Brooks, at port to start bring us to the excursion location. He kept us entertained for the ride before arriving at VI EcoTours. From there Brett & Katelyn were amazing guides for the day. You go through a short intro with safety and route we would take. We started off in the kayaks for 2. It's a great paddle and pretty easy. Brett made a few stops along the way with interesting facts about the area we were seeing. Once you beach your kayak, there is a short 'hike'. It's not really even a hike so there isn't any need for hiking boots. Sandals or water shoes will be just fine. It's a short jaunt to a scenic part of the island that is perfect for photo ops. Katelyn brings along the professional camera for photos you can purchase after the fact. Once you are done with the round trip hike, it's time to snorkel! The water is warm, clear and tropical. They give you plenty of time to explore the waters before the kayak ride back. Brett & Katelyn also bring plenty of water for everyone. Don't worry about bringing extra bottles for your group. The tour is a great combination of activities. I would highly recommend this team for a memorable day!

We did the 1.5 hour sunset kayaking tour in the mangrove lagoon. It was really nice to have taxi transportation to and from the location. We were given the option of tandem or single kayak and I got brave and did the single. That's where I went wrong. I couldn't keep up with everyone! Thankfully the second guide, Edward, hung back with my slow self and didn't make me feel bad at all. Close to the end he hooked me to his kayak. I still had a great time and great workout. We were provided with water bottles at no cost and offered bug spray. We also got some chocolate when we got to the the island and got out to rest and check out the crabs. You can purchase a locker rental ($5) or if you have a vehicle can give your keys to the front desk to hold onto. There was a shop with other essentials and souvenirs for sale as well. D, our main tour guide was very knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. We saw a bunch of birds, a jellyfish that he let us hold, and other wildlife. We went pretty far and they didn't hold it to the specified time, which was nice. They took their time with us and it was really enjoyable. You can tip the guides in cash or Venmo/PayPal. I would definitely do it again (tandem next time though!). Thanks for everything guys!

Enjoyable, affordable tour. The guide takes us for a nice tour on the water with amazing views. He was also knowledgeable about good areas to spot specific fish and vegetation during the snorkeling. Round trip transportation to and from the site is provided at no cost. All equipment is provided at no cost. Great sanitary practices.

Slim is awesome 10/10 recommend Got to see so much wild life and learn about trees and eat some good plants

I recently enjoyed two different tours with VI Eco and WOW! Both tours were absolutely amazing, I can't thank the team enough for making my trip so wonderful. My first tour came on my 2nd day of vacation, a Kayak+Eco-Hike+Snorkel trip was on the menu! I ventured over to a spot almost hidden in the brush and met the amazing team of Vi Eco Tours. Again, I signed up for a group tour so I could enjoy the fun of socializing while adventuring and not be floating up the river. Another great choice as I was paired with another fit woman a few years older than I, with the energy I needed to get through the 5 mile+ roundtrip kayak excursion to and from the specially protected island that we visited. Once we docked our kayaks on shore, we set off onto a 20 minute or so eco-hike around the secluded islands which was SO much fun! We saw Hermit Crabs, poisonous trees, and so much more! After a fun little hike, we got on our snorkeling gear and took a dip! This was my first official snorkeling trip in the ocean and it was something! I won't lie, it truly took me some time to get used to the salt water periodically getting through my mask/mouthpiece as a beginner, but it was so amazing to see what I saw! Among the Stingrays, fish and other living creatures that we saw, we also got to see a boat that was still embedded into the ocean floor from Hurricane Irma! This activity was definitely a treat. For my last adventure, Snorkeling with Sea Turtles, I stuck with VI Eco Tours and was NOT disappointed. This package included my snorkeling trip AND all-day at the private Honeymoon Beach which included kayaks, beach chair rentals and a Café/Bar steps away in the sand. I truly wish I could do this activity all over again! Before I sat down to enjoy Honeymoon Beach, I prepped for my snorkeling trip with my amazing guide Mark, as it seemed that I was the ONLY guest going! (Can you say private tour?!) We hopped back on the boat driven by the awesome Captain, and headed over to the private island where we were to be snorkeling. Here on this private beach which only had about 8 guests relaxing when we arrived, my instructor and I slipped on our fins and our masks and set out for adventure. I had never swum with fins and honestly, they made me a little anxious to start. Well, it all made me anxious lol. Although I love taking a risk, please always understand that I get scared too. I just choose not to alarm others with my fear, or even discuss it out loud; I just tackle it. Although I'm a great swimmer, I feared drowning, my fins being too heavy, being unable to see underwater for whatever reason, any fears you can think of - I had them. My instructor was absolutely amazing and eased me through the snorkeling better than I even thought possible. He even grabbed my action camera and got a shot or two that I couldn't initially get (It's so much harder to push yourself to the bottom of the ocean floor than you can imagine!) I encountered about 4 sea turtles, plenty of fish, and so much more in the beautiful, cooling water along the VI National Park shore. This tour was by far, my favorite part of my vacation! I can't recommend VI Eco Tours enough!!! The expertise and patience shown by the Tour Guides, the beautiful destinations and the amazing prices can't be beat! :)

We had a great time snorkeling and kayaking by the mangrove Lagoon at the southside of Saint Thomas. Snorkeling doesn't get old if you snorkel like this excursion does. This trip in particular was great in that we were told a story of origination of St. Thomas by our fantastic guide, J.B., who also told us stories about manroves and the Mangrove Lagoon. In the middle of the excursion we took about an hour to snorkel during which we saw many different types of fish, lobsters, stingrays, and octopus.

It's a workout for sure, but we'll worth it in the end. The male tour guide was great, kind of sounded like he could be narrator for a kids show on Discovery..haha Had a blast hiking and snorkeling, hermit crab races. He pointed out the carribean death apple, an interesting plant. We went in the 5 hour tour, it was a blast!

I did a night tour and enjoyed it. The tour guide was great. The only downfall was I didn't see as much wildlife as I wished too. So I wish I would've went during the day.

The best day in St. Thomas... Being able to spend the day kayaking in St. Thomas is a calm, relaxing afternoon except when you have an anxious 18-year-old daughter at your side. As we arrived at base camp for our excursion my daughter was quite concerned about kayaking as well as the hike and snorkeling. Elvin could sense her apprehension and made sure to check up on her frequently and engage her in a way that eased her concerns and had her laughing and smiling while also holding starfish and sea urchins. The Kayaking was ideal with Elvin stopping to tell us more about the Flora while Angi took photos of the group holding jellyfish. We docked along a small beachfront and hiked to a beautiful rock formation while also learning more about animal life after a crab race and the deadliest tree around. Snorkeling was vibrant and exciting as we watched barracudas swim beneath us, followed by a sweet treat we kayaked back to base camp. Make sure to add this to any trip to the Virgin Islands and ask for Alvin and Angie they will make your adventure a magical one.

Extremely friendly staff! If you forget anything their shop is stocked with rash guards, sun screen, and water shoes. They also have lockers for personal items.

My 19 year old daughter and godchildren around the same age had a great time. They choose the kayak, hiking, snorkeling package with lunch. They added on the photo package which included 100 pictures including underwater shots for $30. They continued to talk about the experience for hours after it was over and they loved the guide Kaley. I would highly recommend this excursion company

Excellent for our family of four, (twin daughters) we loved the exercise and experience. Pernell was our guide and he was extremely knowledgeable and we were able to really enjoy what the Virgin Islands is really all about! Thanks again Pernell!!

Such a special experience. Our guide Jelani had many wonderful stories about the places we explored on our kayak and hike, and took us right to where the fishes were playing on the snorkeling portion. He led a great tour with support from Shimoi. I was in a group of five and everyone loved it, it was both comfortable and an exciting adventure. Make sure to bring a water bottle, you'll want to stay hydrated.

This was by far the highlight of our trip to the Virgin Islands in 2017. We chose to do a tour at the last minute and are so glad that we did. The tour consisted of kayaking through the mangroves where we learned an in-depth history of these island staples. On the way, we were able to see a variety of island wildlife including starfish, conch, and many unique birds/fish. The tour led to a large, protected bay with beautiful sweeping views of the ocean. Absolutely breathtaking, one of the greatest parts of the island hands down. The tour requires a good amount of kayaking so make sure that you are physically fit and able to partake! Great for small groups, families. The tour guides were knowledgeable and helpful. I definitely recommend this option for anybody visiting St. Thomas!

We rented a double kayak for the afternoon. It was easy. Staff was attentive and supportive. I would recommend getting they a little earlier than 1:00 so that you can get out before the taxis deliver a cruise ship group. We got on the water just as the groups arrived. We enjoyed the easy kayak. We went to the Cay and really enjoyed paddling near the reef and CRASHING WAVES. We did not take the little hike on the Cay , but we heard it was also fun. We enjoyed the maze of mangrove islands... we did not see any bugs.

Location is right on a curb so watch closely to not miss it! It has very limited parking so definitely carpool if you're coming with friends. They have SUP, kayaks, and provided complimentary snorkels (although we had our own). There's also a shop with clothes, souvineers, sunscreen, and limited food. They provided a map of the mangrove, and how to get to the small island. Great service and good pricing. They have full and half day pricing, but also allow for by the hour pricing (but ends up being cheaper to do half day if you do more than 2 hours). Be sure to watch your landmarks when you're out in the mangrove. At some point everything looks the same and it would be very easy to get lost. We had strong tailwind on our way back and we missed the turn and had to extend even more energy to get back to the shop once we realized where we were. Overall good experience.

My daughter and I recently had a wonderful 5-hour kayak, hike and snorkel tour. I would recommend the tour wholeheartedly. Our guide Kaliegh was a true expert on the area and pointed out many interesting sites for us along the way. The kayaking was challenging but fun and we felt like we were seeing parts of the island that most people wouldn't get to see. We also got to snorkel with hundreds of (harmless) jellyfish and to see dozens of beautiful fish in the mangroves. As someone who has snorkeled all over the world, this was a unique and memorable experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Great outdoor adventure for the entire family! Dennis and Shay were great guides! The kayaking was more of a workout than expected, but still very manageable. Enjoyed the walk to the blowhole and snorkeling as well.

Amazing day in St. Thomas! Buddy, Kelsey, and Haley were awesome guides. We loved how nicely the tour flowed and transitioned from kayak to hike to snorkel. They were so knowledgeable about the area and helped the group to spot an octopus. They kept things fun and interesting. My fiancé and I are so glad we booked this excursion, it's definitely going to be one of my favorite memories from this cruise.

This is a wonderful company! Cja went out of his way to make sure that I had a good experience! He gave me great snorkeling advice (just the day before on a different island - they gave up on me and told me to take of the snorkel and just use the mask). When I asked for help Cja gave me wonderful advise and put me in the hands of his very capable snorkeling expert Sam. She was also wonderful - kind and patient. Needless to say I was successful and wanted to continue snorkeling all day. I also received blisters the day before from kayaking (again not this location) and received blisters. I was looking for band-aids and they quickly found some for me so that I wouldn't have to go back to the cruise ship. Then William gave us good instructions on paddleboarding. He was able to help me out of the ocean easily even while the water was pushing me back into the ocean. I never want to be "That customer" and although I felt needy, they never made me feel like I was a bother. Kudos to Cja and his wonderful staff!

We had a stop in St Thomas during our cruise, and we decided to spend it kayaking, hiking and snorkeling with this amazing group of people. We had booked outside of our cruise line, so we were nervous about being back to the ship on time, but we needn't have worried. Everyone was professional and helpful, up to making sure we all had taxis back to our cruise ports. CJ and Kyle were excellent guides, and we made fast friends with CJ's therapy dog, Tristan. CJ's friendly, laid-back attitude was perfect for a day on the island, and she made us feel super comfortable. Kyle's sense of humor and photography skills were appreciated, too! This tour was worth every penny we paid for it, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone! Definitely ask for CJ and Kyle!

I rented a kayak from VI Ecotours on 9/9/18 and had an excellent experience! The staff was very helpful and friendly. I kayaked to Cas Cay, hiked across the island and back, then snorkeled at the coral beach. It was an amazing adventure and was one of the highlights of my vacation. I highly recommend VI Ecotours.

Kind of hard to give a good rating to a business that doesn't include in the price the cost of one of the main things it sells -- the guides for the guided tours. After you sign up, you're told to bring swimwear, clothing that can get wet, shoes that can get wet ... and money for tips. When you get there, and there's a plaque in the wall telling you that "tips are appreciated". And in case you missed the hint, at the end of the tour they hit you, BAM, with a church-style charity basket with an 8.5 x 11" laminated sign reading "tips are appreciated". Are these guys paying their guides a living wage? Would be much better if they added a 10% service charge to the price and paid its people properly!

We had booked the mangrove eco kayak tour through our cruise ship. Once we arrived our tour guide explained our tour with so much enthusiasm we were definitely excited. They have lockers for belongings. They give you a bottle of water & recommend to just wear your swimsuit, sunscreen & sunglasses. It rained a little bit but we managed. Our first stop was so amazing with all the hermit crabs we even did a fun race. Did a short hike & held some slimy creatures from the ocean. We then had a guided snorkel & saw an octopus & a lot of fishes. After the kayak we were given chocolate. They take pictures & offer a package. We brought our own GoPro. Would highly recommend if you're in St. Thomas. We had a wonderful time!

We ran across ecotours through Yelp and we were not disappointed. Our tour guide Jen was very knowledgeable and seemed to love what she does! When you come I would recommend wearing a something you don't mind getting wet in and a bathing suit underneath with some water shoes.

We had a great experience with Pat. He was a great guide that showed us all the different things in the mangroves from jellyfish to stingrays and barracuda. The hike was short - what we needed on a hot humid day and the snorkeling after the hike was a perfect way to cool off prior to kayaking back. Highly recommend this activity!

Very fun night kayaking experience. Our guide, Devon, was great! Only issue we're the other guests who were 20 minutes late and drunk when they arrived.

Did the 5 hour St. John tour with D'haden. He texted us on his personal phone the day before to introduce himself and answer any questions we had which was greatly appreciated. He catered the tour to our interests. Great tour if you are looking for an active excursion, you will get a workout.

We were visiting USVI within a week of the COVID-19 travel bans being lifted, so the island was fairly quiet and we were able to book a night kayak tour last minute that ended up being private with just my husband and I, guided by Lance with VI Ecotours. It was such an amazing experience! Lance is incredibly knowledgable about the local marine life, flora, and fauna, and my husband and I are both in the sciences and loved getting to "nerd out" with him about the island ecosystem. They didn't have the glass-bottomed kayaks because they were on loan to a nearby hotel, but it didn't take away from the evening at all. We got to learn about the Mangrove trees and their biology, and Lance even stopped to show us a jellyfish and teach us about its anatomy and the origin of its name, as well as an adorable conch snail in his shell! We kayaked to a "false opening" that was absolutely stunning, and Lance taught us about how the local pirates would overtake ships and what it meant to be a pirate back in the day. On our way back to the dock, we were able to witness the incredibly rare mating of Bermuda glow worms and watched as the water lit up with the bioluminescent worms swimming circles as they mated. Lance said he had never seen anything like it during his time as a guide, which made us appreciate it even more! Overall, we had such a memorable experience with this company and really enjoyed our guide Lance and the night tour; I would highly recommend it to anyone!

We did the 3 hour tour. We had a ton of fun kayaking, hiking and snorkeling. Our tour guide Lars was fun and very knowledgable of the area and local wild life. Be sure to wear sun screen and some flip flops or water shoes as you can go walk out during low tide and check out the what's on the beach. There were plenty of wild colored fish and corals and anemones. Be sure to pick a quick hermit crab for the race!

The tour through the mangrove was fun & informative. Snorkeling in the Mangrove Lagoon---just amazing! Tons of fish in crystal clear water. I would ask for the same guide--Soren was great. He shared a lot of information throughout the trip and was a lot of fun. This trip completely changed my trip for the better and I can't wait to go back!

We did the 3 hour hike/kayak/snorkel excursion and my girlfriend and I had a wonderful time with our guides Lee and Laney. They were very engaging and educated on the mangrove ecosystem. We were part of a small group with two other small families, so it was quite the intimate tour. They were great with the kids as well, so There was only one other group out on the lagoon, but it definitely wasn't crowded. The snorkeling was amazing as well. the water wasn't crystal clear, but still a lot clearer than I thought it'd be for a lagoon. When the water was just 4-5 feet deep, you could clearly see the bottom. We saw a huge stingray, barracuda, lobsters and lots of different fish. Lee even found a Brittle Starfish for us to hold. Once we landed on hermit crab island (yes, there were THOUSANDS of hermit crabs), the hike began and again, it was amazing. Stunning views, rock formations and a photo op at a blowhole. Then, it was back to the kayaks to head back. It was so much fun, the 3 hours seemed like 3 minutes. We couldn't believe it was over already. Even if you're a beginner at kayaking and/or snorkeling, you're in good hands. The guides were very patient and once we got our bearings, they let us do our thing. My only complaint was that I didn't do the 5 hour excursion. :) Next time.... I highly recommend Virgin Island Ecotours, so you should definitely check them out while you are in St. Thomas.

We were unsure what to expect, but we loved our tour!! Michael was knowledgeable, kind and professional. We had a small group which was perfect for us. We loved every part of our experience. Kayaking was a great amount of activity. Snorkeling was fabulous with many cool things to see and interact with. The hike was more of a stroll. :-) which is works well for every ability level. Thank you!!!!!!

We took the five hour tour with Colin and he was great; very informative and fun! Two snorkel sites, lunch, kayak and hike!

My husband and I went to St. Thomas in 2007, so it's been a couple years. Things may be different now than it was back then, but I figured that my two cents were worth adding. We booked the kayak/hike/snorkel trip through the mangrove cove online. First off, the tour started an hour late due to the company's decision that the kayak/hike/snorkel and the kayak/snorkel tour were going to be combined, which was a little annoying. They said that we would get a free shirt for the wait. We were on island time. An hour was nothing. But what was six people, turned to twelve or possibly more? Yeah, the personal touch was probably lost on us. We asked our tour guide if we should bring our camera. He announced loudly to the entire group -emphasized- that we should not take our cameras because he would take a ton for us on his digital camera (with underwater apparatus). He was on camera duty; I left it up to him. Kayaking was fun. At times I could not hear him since the group was big and even bigger floating on the water in kayaks. He educated us on mangrove ecosystems and how important it was. Not a bad tour. We hiked and he told us some interesting facts about the plant life. Extra points for this part of the tour. Plant stories are cool. We snorkeled and I guess there was a storm that day or something because the water was pretty cloudy. I did appreciate the life vests that they required since it was my first time snorkeling and I didn't want some scary fish frightening me into a panic. We saw a lot of fish and some kind of rubble through the murky water. Well, it wasn't that murky, but compared to the other sites we went to on the Virgin Islands, it was. We kayak back, and I'm in a wonderful mood since I did have fun. Hubby and I are ready to jump back into the beach when we get back. But wait. Everyone is gathered back around the store where we began the tour. The importance of Mangroves is mentioned... once. The tip jar is brought up. Not only is the jar brought up, but they say things like "this is how we make a living" and "please tip us at least 15%." Doing the math, it cost us $150 to book the tour, that would be ~$135 if everyone tipped 15% (assuming that only 12 people were in our group). I tip servers at restaurants 20% because they don't make minimum wage. I paid $150 for the tour. What am I paying for if not the tour guide? I'm sure the money goes towards mangrove preservation, but seriously, even if the guide only get $10 a head, that's like $120 for three hours! I'm not tipping 15% on top of that. And to add insult to injury, the guide reminds everyone that he has our photos. And guess what, they cost $40 (from what I remember~my husband says it was more). For digital copies. That would have been nice to know before the tour. I figured they would charge something, and I'm sure the photos are fantastic, but I would have rather taken candid pictures with my husband using our own, thanks. We left in a hurry. I never got my t-shirt. I'm all for capitalism, but I'm also for transparency, which this place lacked. I would recommend Homer's night snorkel (or other day trips) for a better deal and none of that weird "give us your money" vibe.

VI Ecotours was friendly, helpful, and knowledgable about the Mangrove Lagoon area we rented kayaks to explore. Even though we weren't part of an official tour, one of the tour guides took the time to advise us of the best places to park our kayaks and get out and snorkel. The lagoon itself is absolutely stunning and the snorkeling is light but fun. We saw a slew of local fish, a barracuda, lobsters, and I got stung by a small jellyfish (which was more exciting than it was painful). The lagoon structure means very calm water and makes it easy to snorkel for hours without getting tired. Will definitely be coming back to VI Ecotours if we ever come back to St. Thomas, definitely recommend!

The tour itself is fantastic, but the prices I could honestly do without. I took the Mangrove Lagoon 3 hour ecotour. While the location is very out of the way, it's definitely a benefit; the water is calm and easy to paddle and snorkel in, especially if you or a friend are a bit green around the ears. It is definitely necessary to know how to kayak though; you can and will get left behind. The tour was informative and fun, and I did appreciate the guide taking photos for us with his water-protected camera. However, I am struck by how expensive both the tour and the photos were; perhaps if I were in a slightly higher earning bracket, I wouldn't have such an issue. It was definitely a fun tour and the guide definitely earned a hefty tip, but I still remain uncomfortable with the overall pricing structure.