Coral World Ocean Park

Coral World opened in 1978 at Coki Point and its central feature is unusual: an observatory tower built out in the bay and sunk into the reef, reached by a walkway, where you descend below the surface and look out through windows at the living reef rather than at an aquarium. Around it are tanks of local species, a shark pool, a sea turtle pool, a lorikeet aviary and a nature trail. A set of paid encounters allow visitors into the water with sea lions, sharks and turtles. The park was destroyed by hurricanes in 1989, 1995 and 2017 and rebuilt each time.

What you actually see

• The undersea observatory - a tower sunk into the living reef.
• The reef tanks - local Caribbean species close up.
• The turtle and shark pools - the park's larger residents.
• The lorikeet aviary - birds feeding from the hand.

When to go

Year-round. Cruise days bring crowds through the middle of the day. Mornings are calmer. The undersea observatory is best when the water is clear, which is usually early and in settled weather.

Honest expectations

The paid animal encounters, particularly the sea lion programme, draw welfare criticism and are worth considering before booking; the aquarium and observatory can be visited without them. Entry is expensive and the encounters cost considerably more on top. Visibility in the observatory depends entirely on the sea state.

Nearby

Coki Point beach is next door; Red Hook is ten minutes south.