The US Virgin Islands are located east of Puerto Rico and sit on top of the same shelf that the British Virgin Islands do. Being part of the US the official language is English and the official currency is US dollars. Also as part of the US the islands provide world class resorts, restaurants, shopping, nightlife as well as splendid sandy beaches and good year round weather.

There are three main islands of interest, St Croix, St Thomas and St Johns. For diving these islands can be considered as two seperate destinations, St Croix as one and St Thomas and St Johns (dive sites can be reached from either island) as the other.

St Thomas is renowned for night life and features calypso jazz and steel bands. Also on St Thomas is Coral World, a there floor underwater observation tower where you can get a 360 degree view of local coral reefs and marine life without getting wet. St Johns can only be reached by ferry from St Thomas, but this tranquel island has two thirds of its land area preserved as national park. Many bush and trail walks are available as shore time activities on St Johns. St Johns also offers fabulous snorkelling from many of its beaches.

St Thomas and St Johns provide diving for pinnacles, reefs, deep banks and wrecks. Wrecks include the Cartanser Senior and the 350 foot british steamer RMS Rhone sunk in 1867. The RMS Rhone is officially in British Virgin Island waters, but can be dived from the US virgin Islands. Typical marine life to be found includes manta rays, eagle rays, chromis, hamalets, creole wrasse and turtles in summer. Luminescent atlantic oval squid can be seen at Coki beach on St Thomas, while at Conga Bay orange tubastrea open at night to form a tangerine carpet.

St Croix is the largest of the islands and remains of some 100 sugar plantations dot the island. St Croix like St Thomas has world class restaurants, vibrant night life and great shopping. For diving, St Croix offers pinnacles, reefs, mini walls and wrecks. (Two noted wrecks include Suffolk Mae and the Rosaomaira) Typical marine life includes turtles, manta rays, eagle rays, goat fish, file fish and a forest of black coral trees.