CARIBBEAN CONNECTION ALEXANDER BRITELL AND GUY BRITTON
Kayaking the Mangrove Lagoon on St. Thomas
“YOU ALWAYS HAVE THAT FEELING OF JOY,” SYBILLE SORRENTINO SAYS, GAZING AT THE WALL OF GREEN JUST ACROSS THE WATER. “IT’S A THREE-BY-TWO-MILE SANCTUARY.”
W
e’re at Virgin Islands Eco Tours, set on the southeastern coast of the island of St Thomas, an operation that has been running kayak tours for 25 years. And from the moment you turn off Route 32, you feel it, too. Paddle a minute or two off the dock and you’ve entered the frontier; you’re no longer in St Thomas — or so it seems. This is the Mangrove Lagoon, and it’s one of the most spectacular settings in the Virgin Islands, a breathtaking natural gallery of mangroves and tiny cays 20 | June 2021
abutting the ocean’s edge. And what’s wonderful how accessible it is, equally enjoyable for the novice just off Highway 32 and the advanced kayaker. And the choices are vast: you can explore the mangroves on your own and then discover the underwater habitat snorkeling; you can take the full journey to nearby Cas Cay, where you’ll find volcanic cliffs — and even join a hermit crab race. “You have that sound of the ocean and the waves, you have tidal pools, you can reach in the water and pick up starfish and octopus,” Sorrentino says.
Bikinis on the Beach
CARRIBEAN CONNECTION PAGE 21
Old Town Crier
