If you want to snorkel with sea turtles on St. John without working for it, Maho Bay is the place. The shallow, calm water and the seagrass beds that fill the middle of the bay make this one of the most reliable spots in Virgin Islands National Park to share the water with green and hawksbill turtles. Compared to the busier Trunk Bay, Maho has a more laid-back feel, and you can wade in straight from the sand.
White sand, palms, clear turquoise water, and turtles grazing a few feet offshore. It is an easy beach to love, and an easy one to plan around. Here is everything you need to know.
Where Maho Bay Sits, and How to Reach It
Maho Bay is on the north shore of St. John, right off North Shore Road. Getting there starts with the ferry from St. Thomas. Fly into Cyril E. King Airport (STT), then take the Red Hook to Cruz Bay passenger ferry, which runs about hourly and costs roughly $13 per adult each way as of 2026. The crossing takes about 20 minutes.
From Cruz Bay, Maho is about a 15-minute drive. This is one of the easiest beaches in the park to reach, since the parking is roadside and the beach is just a few steps from the car on a short paved path. The catch is parking: the lot across from the beach is free but fills up fast in high season, so come early. A rental vehicle is the practical way to get here.
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Snorkeling and the Sea Turtles
The water at Maho is very calm because the bay is well protected on both sides, which makes it good for kids and beginner snorkelers. The bottom is mostly sand with seagrass beds through the middle stretch, and those beds are the draw. Green and hawksbill turtles come to graze the seagrass, and you are most likely to see them feeding in the early morning or late afternoon. Rays cruise the sandy bottom too.
One rule that is not optional: green sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act, and touching one is a federal crime. The turtles here are used to snorkelers, and they will keep grazing if you hold back and float quietly. Give them room, do not chase them, and never reach out. Watching a turtle surface for a breath a few feet away is plenty.
Because the bottom is mostly sand rather than coral, Maho is not the spot for dense reef. For that, swim out at Waterlemon Cay or paddle to Whistling Cay. Maho is about the turtles and the calm water.
Kayaking from Maho
An outfitter called Reef2Peak rents kayaks, paddleboards, and gear directly on the beach, and it is worth taking one out. The view from the water is a different experience, and we watched turtles, fish, and rays pass beneath the kayak as we paddled across the bay. If you are up for a longer paddle, you can continue out to Whistling Cay and snorkel the reefs around it. Watch the wind, since the trade winds build in the afternoon and make the return harder.
Best Time to Visit
Morning is best, both for thinner crowds and for the parking situation, and because turtles tend to feed in the cooler early hours. Late afternoon is the other good window for turtle sightings. Midday is fine for relaxing on the sand and cooling off, just expect more company and a fuller lot.
Photographing Maho Bay
The best vantage of Maho is from above. The view down onto the bay from the America Hill Ruins takes in the whole crescent of sand and water, with Francis Bay alongside it. If you would rather not hike, the beach itself gives you plenty, especially in the soft light of early morning.
Know Before You Go
- Getting there: Ferry from St. Thomas (Red Hook to Cruz Bay, about $13 per adult each way in 2026), then a 15-minute drive on North Shore Road.
- Parking: Free roadside lot across from the beach, but it fills early in high season.
- Access: A few steps from the lot on a short paved path.
- Fees: No general park entrance fee and no amenity fee at Maho.
- Water: Calm, shallow, and protected. Good for kids and beginner snorkelers.
- Wildlife: Green and hawksbill turtles in the seagrass. Keep your distance and never touch them.
- Bring: Strapped sandals for the walk, your own snorkel gear, water, and reef-safe sunscreen.
Plan the Rest of Your St. John Trip
Maho sits in the middle of the north shore, which makes it a natural base for a day of beach-hopping with Francis Bay and Trunk Bay nearby. For the full park, with maps and history, start at our Virgin Islands National Park guide, then browse our list of things to do in the park.
