Maho Underwater Pics

When visitors come to St John and they say they want to experience seeing turtles in the water, everyone directs them to Maho Bay.

Maho is one of the most tranquil bays on St. John with a large beach, shallow grassy water for the turtles to feed on and great snorkeling along the reefs on either side of the bay. The turtles are mainly in the open water feeding on the grasses so they are very easy to see and you can enjoy their beauty.

And as much as I love turtles and can watch them for hours, I especially love Maho for the various fish I will see each time I snorkel the reef.

When I immediately enter the water on the east side, I will encounter the tiny mackerel swimming about. It’s nice and shallow so I can get close-up shots.

I caught a picture of this large Serra Spanish mackerel. They can grow to be as large as 4 ft. !!

I almost always encounter this guy! It’s funny how some fish are the usual suspects when I snorkel this area😆

And then sometimes I’ve encountered some unusual fish…

Eels like to hide under rocks. They creep me out!🫢 Luckily, it’s rare when I see one and they have been small!

And this little guy was a rare find. I could not find it in any tropical fish guides so I’m guessing it’s a newborn🤔

Something more commonly seen are the sea urchins.

There are over 950 species of sea urchins living on the seabed of every ocean. The dried skeletons are beautiful but difficult to keep because they are quite fragile. Believe me, I’ve tried and so many times it would break apart during transport.

Another great find was this crab living in a large conch shell.

Crabs will move in and out of shells they find as they grow. The larger they get, the bigger house they need. This guy was in about the largest shell around!

On the west side of the bay, the reef is not as prolific but has its own beauty.

Bar Jack fish are nearly translucent and swim in schools with adolescents and adults all together. Most fish swim in schools according to size so this makes them an unusual group. They are not afraid of people and will come right up to you if you are standing or swimming in the water.

Also, it’s where you might have the unique experience of seeing starfish😍

My snorkeling buddy, Korena, is notorious for finding the unusual. She’s a mermaid, like me, as we would rather be snorkeling than doing anything else on island. She found this starfish and encouraged me to hold it but I was nervous about touching or hurting it.

She showed me she would replace it back where it was, unharmed😁

Daughter, Michelle, and Mr. Pelican say “good-bye” from Maho for now!

Come join us next week for some more underwater adventures!