Butler Bay, located on the west end of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is a premier destination for wreck diving enthusiasts. This dive site features a collection of six sunken vessels, offering a unique opportunity to explore multiple wrecks in a single dive.

Dive Site Highlights

• Suffolk Maid: A 144-foot steel-hulled North Sea trawler that was intentionally sunk in 1985. Now resting upright at depths ranging from 60 to 80 feet, it’s home to Creole wrasses and occasionally visited by green moray eels. 
• Virgin Islander: This 300-foot oil barge, sunk in 1991, lies at depths between 50 and 70 feet. It’s encrusted with sponges and coral, including pink Stylaster coral and golden cup corals, attracting schools of snapper, chub, and resident groupers. 
• Northwind: A 75-foot ocean tugboat, sunk in 1986, sits upright in 55 feet of water. Its shallow depth and intact structure make it ideal for photography, with frequent sightings of barracuda, angelfish, and hawksbill turtles. 
• Rosaomaira: A 177-foot freighter, the deepest wreck at Butler Bay, with its propeller resting at 108 feet. The superstructure is around 70 feet deep, and the wreck is adorned with colorful sponges and coral.  
• Coakley Bay: The newest addition, this tugboat lies perpendicular to the Rosaomaira, with a mooring at 60 feet. Divers often encounter schools of Atlantic spadefish around the bow. 
• Aegir Underwater Habitat: Originally intended to replace NOAA’s Hydrolab, this habitat now rests among the shallow wrecks, offering a glimpse into underwater research history.

Dive Conditions and Access

• Depth Range: 40 to 108 feet.
• Visibility: Typically 100 feet, with potential up to 200 feet.
• Access: Best reached by boat due to distance from shore and potential currents. 
• Marine Life: Expect to see a variety of species, including angelfish, wrasses, blennies, groupers, stingrays, and occasionally reef sharks.