Cas Cay

Cas Cay sits in the Mangrove Lagoon on the southeast side of St Thomas, inside a marine reserve and wildlife sanctuary, and it is reached by paddling through the mangrove channels from the mainland. The cay has a short trail across it to a rocky shore with a blowhole and tide pools on the windward side, and the lagoon behind is a nursery for reef fish, rays and juvenile sharks.

What you actually see

• The mangrove channels - the paddling route through the sanctuary.
• The blowhole - the surge hole on the windward rocky shore.
• The tide pools - the basins on the exposed side of the cay.
• The nursery lagoon - juvenile fish, rays and sharks in the sheltered water.

When to go

December to April is the dry season with the calmest paddling. Tide governs the channels. Trips run in the morning before the wind builds.

Honest expectations

Access is effectively by guided kayak tour rather than independently. The windward trail is over sharp rock and needs footwear. Mosquitoes in the mangroves are severe at dusk.

Nearby

Red Hook is northeast, and Charlotte Amalie is west.