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! read more

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. read more

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! read more

Virgin Islands Ecotours - Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

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. read more

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. read more

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! read more

I booked the Extreme Adventure (5 hour kayak, hike, and snorkel). Our private tour guide was Gray (British dude actually raised on the island) and he was great. Super friendly, informative on the nature aspect, very chill/mellow... you'd actually want to hang with this guy at the bar afterwards. The entire tour was 5 hrs, but went about at a leisurely pace. We kayaked thru the mangroves; stopped off at the coastline/walked for a little bit. Also stopped off at Cas Cas Island and tumbled over beautiful iron rock formations (waves crashing in the background). Very stunning for photos. Then we had lunch on the beach. Nothing fancy: turkey sandwiches, chips, banana, water, chocolates. Finally you go snorkeling in the lagoon/bay. I loved every second of this tour and highly recommend it. I booked it through ShoreTrips of Kenosha, WI and paid $237 for 2ppl (before tips). There is not much else going on in this little island except for shopping, so definitely splurge for this tour. read more

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. read more

Virgin Islands Ecotours - Our guide Lee talking about the sacrificial leave on the mangroves. - Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

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!!!!!! read more

Virgin Islands Ecotours - Kayaking with Virgin Islands Ecotours - Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

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

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! read more

My husband and I booked the snorkel, hike, and kayak. The entire trip was awesome, and we purposefully did not bring a camera since the tour guide had an underwater camera with photos available for $30. We bought the package and only once we got the email did we realize you can't even see the pictures. A bit disappointing. HOWEVER, what makes them a great company is that we had to reschedule our tour due to an unforeseen circumstance (literally 40 minutes before our tour began) and they very kindly rescheduled us with zero hesitation! We love good companies who take care of their customers! read more

This tour was a highlight of our trip on St. Thomas. Our tour guides Travis and Josh were both fun and knowledgeable about the vegetation and sea life of the area. Had a blast with my mom and our friends, enjoyed meeting the other tourists and of course the kayak and snorkeling. Would recommend it to anyone! Also, I am shocked about the negative reviews about the tip jars. Tipping is a common practice! I for one gladly tipped my tour guides for the fantastic time and going above and beyond to make sure everyone was safe and had a great time! read more

Virgin Islands Ecotours - Awesome tour guides! - Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

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I took the 11am tour and it was perfect! Csherri was an amazing host. Very friendly and knowledgable. You can tell she really love being out on the water and showing you the best of what st. thomas has to offer. She make sure you are always ok and checking on your safety. Csherri even have conch trail she been working on the little hiking island. 1st spot for snorkel was awesome. we saw many marina life like starfish, conch, many different type of fish. We did a little hiking on a small island which has a great spot for photos. All in all it was a nice kayak tour and one of the best excursion so far. FYI Taxi from Crown Bay Cruise Dock is $10 per person. Also make sure u wear sunscreen and water shoes are recommended rather than sandals. The company provided a nice snack and water during the tour. read more

We had a great time kayaking with our tour guide Sheri! We loved the beautiful mangrove and ocean views. Sheri was very knowledgeable about the area and fun to talk to. We did not have great snorkeling, but that one is on Mother Nature :) Make sure to bring your sunscreen if you go! read more

We had the best day of our vacation on this tour of the mangroves and snorkelling to Happy Island! Our guide Anthony was awesome with my eight year old son! He is so friendly and knowledgeable about the plants and animals of the area and he answered every single question my son asked (there were a lot of questions). We will definitely do another ecotour when we visit again! read more

Virgin Islands Ecotours - Here is a pic of my son Ace with our awesome guide Anthony. We had the best day of our vacation! - Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

My husband and I enjoyed the VI Eco Tours experience. Due to the recent hurricane, our snorkel + kayak tour became a kayak + hike tour, which I don't believe is something regularly offered (normally all tours include the snorkel). The tour lasted about 2.5 hours. Overall, I felt that the tour was a good value for our money. We were lucky enough to be in a small group of only two kayaks + the guide. Our guide, Ian, was incredibly knowledable, providing plenty of information about the local plants, animals, and ecosystem along the course of our tour. The only downfall was that it was sometimes difficult to hear him speaking. The tour started with kayaking to Red Rock, which probably took about 30 minutes. Upon arriving at Red Rock, we hiked around Red Rock, looking at the fish and the sea urchins, and then kayaked back. Advice: Wear waterproof shoes (though they are available for $10/pair at the shop), bring a waterproof camera (even with the dry bag, you'll be in areas where you might just prefer a waterproof camera) and make sure to use bug spray due to the swampy conditions. read more

We did the kayak, hike, and snorkel (and kayak again) with the Virgin Islands Ecotours team. It was a fantastic experience! The hike was an easy walk on a flat, rocky trail. I was initially nervous I wasn't a good enough hiker, but it was fine for someone in average shape. Madeline was our guide and she was knowledgable and friendly! She was passionate about the area. Thanks! read more

Virgin Islands Ecotours - Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

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Great activity in VI. In fact this is my second time. You get to do kayaking, snorkeling and hiking. Our head of tour guide Hailey was knowledgeable and helpful and learning about our sea world from her made the trip more special. If you love ocean and nature and you want to do something unique, this is the one! Just one tip, wear a hat and t-shirt during kayaking, it's so hot and you will burn yourself without them. sun screen is not enough. read more

An absolute great experience today! Quick jaunt from Cruz to Honeymoon Beach & all of the staff was immediately accommodating & friendly. Destin rocked with helping us out & got the beginning of our day going off to the perfect start! read more

Had a great time. I signed up for kayaking, & was pleasantly surprised when I found out that hiking & snorkeling was included. Beautiful lagoon & area with very knowledgeable, friendly guides. I would definitely recommend them. read more

My wife and I were on St Thomas for our honeymoon, and found this gem on the island. We went with the 2.5 hour tour with kayaking through mangroves and snorkeling. Our guide Diyani was very knowledgeable and was good at pacing the kayaking for me and my wife (who have been many times) and a couple who was new to kayaking. Diyani gave us some great information on the local flora and fauna of the mangroves, as well as some of the local landscape and some of the politics and history behind the preservation of these lands. Diyani took us to a spectacular snorkeling spot and found some brittle starfish for us to observe and a tiny sea urchin moving along the ocean floor. I ran into the barracuda we had been told sometimes ventures out (and close!) to those visiting his feeding territory. Amazing angel fish, jelly fish, and sting rays were seen as well. It's an amazing deal for such a fun excursion, and I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better one. read more

My husband and I took the 3 hour hike, kayak, and snorkel tour, that we booked through our Celebrity Cruise, in March 2014. The tour was incredible and Lauralee, Victoria, and Julie were awesome. They were extremely knowledgeable and made a wonderful tour fabulous. Lauralee made everyone feel comfortable and has a passion for the mangrove. Victoria took pictures for the optional CD. She took any picture we requested of the area and of us. Julie was there for those who had difficulty kayaking. The mangrove, beach, rocks, and mangrove are breathtaking. Thanks for making our final tour of the cruise so memorable. Mike and Tammy read more

We had the best day of our vacation on this tour! We did the 5 hour tour. We had a ton of fun kayaking, hiking and snorkeling. Our tour guide Ronny was fun and very knowledgeable of the area and local wild life. Be sure to wear lots of sun screen and some 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. read more

Very disappointed in the St. John Eco Tour. It got off to a rocky start. We had to wait a long time for the entire group to assemble. Then we were shown the restroom area, and it seemed like everyone in the group needed to use it (another time bandit). Unfortunately, we took this tour after the island had rain. The path on the way to the beach was really muddy, so muddy we had to cling onto trees for dear life to maneuver around the severe muddy areas. Some sort of natural, biodegradable materials (such as broad leaves) should have been placed on the ground of the areas so we would be able to pass without ruining our shoes. Our guide was sweet and knowledgeable, but with the crowd size of 30+, I couldn't hear most of what she said about the flora and fauna so I missed the "eco" part of the tour. The time at the beach flew by and wondered if we would have wasted less time gathering the group and waiting for bathroom people if I would have had a better perception of the tour. Clearly, one person shouldn't be in charge of a group of this size. Two-three would be ideal for organization and crowd control... one at the front of the pack and one the rear. At least then we would all be able to hear the narration of the tour. Or headsets, many guided tours include the use of wireless headsets so that we would all experience the same things. HIGHLIGHTS: The ferry ride to/from St. Thomas to St. John (stunning islands), the beach, the sugar plantation ruins and the open-air safari cab ride back to the ferry. read more

I went on the Mangrove Lagoon Kayak and Snorkel Tour today. Cooper was my tour and he was awesome! He gave lots of give info about the birds, fish and mangrove. We kayaked from their office to Cas Caye and then snorkeled for awhile before heading back. We saw all kinds of fish, including Barry the Barracuda that seems to follow Cooper around like a puppy with gigantic teeth. It made for an awesome afternoon! I definitely recommend this tour! read more

So this is a little place in the middle of St. Thomas that offers 3-part tours that are great for adults and kids both, but involve a lot of time in the sun (so bring sunscreen). You begin by kayaking over to a lagoon/protected area. Your guide will tell you about mangroves and why they should be protected (the eco part). Then you disembark on an island, get to see thousands of soldier crabs (residing in that grey zone between super cool and super creepy), and hike around the island; see coral, lava, plant life, get more lectures. All very fun and very doable, entertaining enough to keep even the pickiest of kids motivated to keep walking. Then you snorkel about for a while along a gorgeous sandy beach, check out lots of neat fish, maybe a harmless little shark. Then you kayak back to the base. They also sell t-shirts and sunglasses and little souvenirs. The only fault I could find with this is that the guide kayaks fast, and if you're two adults, that's fine cause you can kayak fast, too, but if you're one adult with 2 little kids (= deadweight after 5 minutes when they get tired), and you can't keep up, she won't slow down for you, and you miss all the maritime lectures and feel a bit like a loser. Not saying that this happened to me, or anything, just theoretically it could happen to someone Just Like Me. read more

We opted to rent Kayaks on our own for the day. Eco Tours is very easy to get to with a taxi. The staff is very friendly. We made the mistake of not taking a guided tour or snorkel gear. Without either, it was just a couple hours of paddling. It was beautiful, but we saw no animals. I would suggest using a guide and snorkel gear. They did recommend a great beach afterwards. The beach was very quiet. Considering there were 3 cruise ships in port, I was amazed. It was the Secret Harbour Beach Resort. Chairs were available to rent and wait staff came out to the beach. read more

My hubby and I did the 3 hour kayak, snorkel and hike of Cas Cay and the mangrove lagoon. It was just us and the guide Jen- awesome! It was a blast and one of the best things we did all week. The pictures she took were great and we bought the CD. This is a must if you come to St Thomas! read more

One of the best things I did while on the island. Our guide, heather, was awesome! Very knowledgable and took time to really make sure we had a great experience! Highly recommend this tour read more

We took the hike, snorkel and kayak trip to Cas Cay, and had a great time. The scenery was beautiful,and our guides were knowledgable and fun. We learned about the environment of the area, while seeing the sights and getting a little exercise. The guides took the time to point out so many interesting things, while keeping things moving along at a good pace. Bring along a pair of water shoes that can also be worn for a hike. (They sell them there, but for a much higher price than one would find at a drug store.) The hike is an easy one, so there is no need for serious hiking boots. You may also want a towel and dry clothes for the ride back. The only concern was situation with tips and many items for sale. One could just skip the items for sale, but the guides do a good job and deserve to be paid. A customer that already paid for the tour may not be prepared to leave a big tip. I would prefer that a gratuity was just included as an upfront cost of the trip. This is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the island, while having fun and learning things, too. read more

OMG can I give this more than 5 stars!!?? My family and I did the 3 hour Hassle Island tour and it couldn't have been more amazing! To start off, request Jai. Seriously, the best guide we had the entire week we were on St. Thomas. He was extremely knowledgable about the island and is part of the historical/environmental community restoring parts of the island ruins. We kayaked from the Hook, Line, and Sinker restaurant over to Hassle Island, took a tour of some old British fort ruins, then kayaked to a secluded beach to swim in the water. The only thing I would like to mention is there wasn't any snorkeling gear for the group. But Jai mentioned that he gears the tours towards what the group is more capable of (more kayaking, more hiking, or more water time, depending on the group), and we DEFINITELY did more kayaking. Whoo! Jai even bought water and snacks for our group! Afterwards, Jai recommended a great local restaurant to eat at (Cuzzins), and we couldn't have been more pleased with that recommendation, either!!! Awesome tour!!! Seriously, book this tour!!!! ASK FOR JAI!!!! read more

We had a great time today! We were a group of 7 ranging in age from 7 to 85 and we all had a blast. Jake was a fun tour guide! Thanks VI Eco-Tours! read more

Did a night kayak tour tonight and had a blast. Michael was our guide and he had a lot of great details about the island. This is fun for any skill level, but it helps if you've kayaked before. Michael did a great job of taking us through the mangroves. I will definitely go back. read more

They tell u on their website that they provide a locker for your items, snacks, dry bag for items that could potentially get wet. Yet their was none of this. At the end of the tour we got 1 each fun size candy bar....we did get a bottle of water. The 3 hour tour to the mangroves is not for intermediate swimmers. It is a very strenuous kayak trip, hike and swim. Swimming with the life vest on is nearly impossible. It hindered me from actually swimming. I didn't get to really snorkel because I spent the entire time struggling up stream with a extra large life vest. I did have fun with the guide. He was funny and showed us some cool things. No one told us about photos or being able to buy a cd. The guide told us we had to pay for it up front and he would have taken photos of us. If this had been communicated I would have paid the 45$ for the cd. The hike up the rocks into the blow hole is dangerous. I was surprised the guide walked ahead for most of it. I almost fell several times. :( I have rheumatoid arthritis and this whole ecotour was extremely difficult and painful. I can tough it out with the best of them but this was just too strenuous. I did see some cool things per the guide. Held a sea urchin, played with hermit crabs and ate some termites. Oh, on the snorkel I saw a handful of fish. There isn't any coral or a lot to see. I recommend taking your own snorkel gear or renting at Coki beach. ITS AMAZING by the reefs (right next to coral world). read more

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The tours were really fun. We did both the 3 hour tour on Hassel Island and the mangrove lagoon, both were great. Our guide, Lee, was awesome. Hassel would probably be a smaller group size and has more hiking. read more

I did the 3 hour kayak, hike and snorkel with my family of 4 and my husband's parents and sister's family. There were 11 of us ranging in age from 6 to 75 plus the rest of the group. The outing was great for everyone. I'm in pretty good shape, but never kayak. I was in a kayak with my mother-in-law and 6 year old daughter. The pace was perfect and the guide was pretty informative about the area and mangroves. It was a bit overcast on the day we went so the colors in our snorkel were not as vibrant as they could have been, but we did see a lot of fish, a horseshoe crab and a lobster! The hike was pretty easy and fun for all. We learned about hermit crabs and pirates and saw a pretty cool blow hole. A great outing for all! read more

The best experience I have ever had! From the moment we showed up the entire staff were very welcoming and friendly. We met our guide, Zulu, and he was very easy going and laid back. I was a little nervous about getting in the kayak but once we got going it was very simple. On our hike Zulu pointed out so many plants and creatures in nature that I decided to look up a lot of the things he talked about on the hike. The hike was very fun but snorkeling was by far the most exciting part of the tour. I was very nervous but there are some things in life that you just have to do and snorkeling with Zulu is one of them. I was definitely outside of my comfort zone and that is what helped make it one of the best moments of my life. We saw octopus and nurse sharks and so many different sea animals that I want to learn how to scuba dive. Overall, this was the perfect experience and I was glad that Zulu was our tour guide. read more

Virgin Islands Ecotours - Tours Near Me - St Thomas, Virgin Islands

Excellent tour of kayaking, snorkeling and hiking. My dad and I had a semi private tour with Michael. He was very informative and you can tell he really enjoys being out on the water! Michael takes great pictures as well. You can purchase these pictures and you get the downloadable images to your email after your tour. Great tour, highly recommended for any nature lover! read more

Ok, so here's an update to my last blasting horrible review. I will give VI Ecotours credit because a couple of months after I got home, they did attempt to reach out to me and give me a refund. Sorry guys. Get more organized. I would have totally left you an awesome review had someone told me about the issue before I spent a very precious and rare vacation day trying to get to your location. Next time a heads up in advance is better. read more