he Virgin Islands hosts some of the finest marine life in the Caribbean. Acres of coral reefs make up an ecosystem that supports a large variety of sea creatures and under water plants. Snorkelers can enjoy a leisurely swim in the crystal clear waters, diving through fantastic reefs to witness tropical marine life. St. Thomas and St John host a variety of snorkeling locations and famous underwater trails. Both novice and expert snorkelers will enjoy the passages through and over the reefs.

Some Good Advice
If you want to identify the different coral and fish species you can purchase one of the plastic underwater guide cards. They come with a band so you can attach it to your wrist. And if you want to take a photo underwater then get yourself an inexpensive underwater camera or a more expensive plastic underwater housing for your digital camera (available at Royal Caribbean in Havensight and Main Street, 776-4110).

Lather yourself up from head to toe with sunscreen (don't forget bald heads!). Wear a tee shirt to protect your back from the sun and a cap to protect your scalp. It is amazing how fast the tropical sun can burn you and wreck your vacation. Snorkel with a buddy - never alone. Please try not to stand on the coral as it is very fragile and some has already been stressed by a coral bleaching disease which has been invading our waters. Keep an eye out for sea urchins. If you step on one and it will hurt but they aren't poisonous.

Rocky coast lines and coral reefs near shore offer great opportunities to snorkel from beaches. Snorkeling from shore can be done without a guide.

Snorkeling from St. Thomas Beaches:
Coki Point Beach - On the north shore of St. Thomas right next to Coral World, Coki Point offers fantastic year-round snorkeling. Tons of fish hang around the coral areas adjacent to Coral World. You can rent snorkel equipment right on the beach as many of the dive/snorkel companies are located there.

Sapphire Beach - located on the East End of St. Thomas has shallow reef viewing along both sides of the beach.

Secret Harbor - Rent your equipment from the Aqua Adventure Dive Shop and have a nice protected snorkel and then enjoy lunch at the Secret Harbor Hotel's beach restaurant and bar.

From St. John Beaches:
Leinster Bay - Easily accessible Leinster Bay, on the northern shore of St. John, offers calm, clear, un-crowded waters teeming with sea life.

Haulover Bay - A favorite with locals, this small bay is rougher than Leinster and is often deserted. The snorkeling, however, is dramatic, with ledges, walls, nooks, and sandy areas set close together.

Trunk Bay - The self-guided, 675-foot-long snorkeling trail has large underwater signs that identify species of coral and other marine life. Above water, the beach facilities offer freshwater showers, changing rooms, equipment rentals, and lifeguards making snorkeling downright convenient. Very crowded on cruise ship days.

By Boat Charter and Day Sail
Charters for half or full day trips can take you out to some of the less accessible and unique snorkeling areas. These tours will sail or motor to protected marine areas in the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John. Day charters often include lunch, drinks, and snorkeling gear.

Breathing Observation Bubble
This is an underwater scooter complete with a breathing and observation bubble attached to an air supply. Ride along while observing the beautiful of marine life. Available to anyone from ten years and up and doesn't require experience. (See B.O.S.S. ad.)

The slowly, the real stars will appear, the brightest ones first. To the west of Saturn will be the bright reddish star Regulus, the heart of Leo, the Lion. To the east of Saturn will be Arcturus and Spica. Arcturus is higher in the sky and Spica more toward the south.

As the Earth continues to turn, the planets and stars will set in the west and new objects will rise in the east. Around 12:30 a.m. the largest of all planets, Jupiter, will rise. Wait an hour or so for Jupiter to climb higher in the sky and you will easily spot this bright planet. Even though Jupiter is the largest of all the planets, it still looks star-like. On May 17th and June 13th you will find that the Moon has joined Jupiter.

At night, all the stars you can see are placed in groups called constellations. The first thing you need to do is to forget trying to see the figures suggested by the constellation names. Most of constellations look nothing at all like they should. Perhaps one of the easiest sign posts to find is the Big Dipper. Face north and look for seven fairly bright stars which form a dipper or a cooking pot -- three stars mark the handle and four more the bowl. Some people know that if you draw a line through the two stars at the end of the bowl and extend the line away from the bowl, you come to the North Star. Now, remember, the North Star is NOT the brightest star in the sky. In fact, it really isn't bright at all. It happens to be at a point in the heavens almost directly over the North Pole of the Earth.

Go back to the Big Dipper. Draw the line through the same two stars at the end of the bowl, but in the opposite direction. You will come to the bright star Regulus. Leo is made of a backwards question mark, with Regulus as the dot at the base of the question mark, which form the lion's head and the front part of its body and a small triangle of faint stars which form his hind quarters and tail.

Once more go back to the Big Dipper. This time use the Dipper's handle. Follow the arc of the handle away from the Dipper to the bright star Arcturus and then speed on to Spica. Arcturus is the brightest star in Booetes, the Herdsman. Spica is a grain of wheat being held in the hand of Virgo, the goddess of the Harvest. Once you have found Spice, look even lower near the southern horizon and you may find the Southern Cross. It is rather small, but is it does look like a cross and it is one of the star groups people like to see. From the islands you can see the Southern Cross and the Big Dipper in the sky at the same time.

The St. Thomas Carnival is rated one of the top ten carnival celebrations in the world. It is truly a cacophony of sites, sounds, smells and tastes that rival any event anywhere. An experience not to be missed, it is a unique cultural icon of the Virgin Islands, featuring its people, music, history and cuisine. Carnival as we know it today was started in 1942 and has been going strong ever since.

Carnival is a unique showcase of Virgin Islands culture celebrated throughout the month. A Culture Fair, a night of traditional games, a toddler's derby and Carnival Village are festivities of fun for all ages. Carnival Village, features local bands.

Carnival festivities culminate with the Children's Parade and the grand finale, Adult Parade. See complete schedule below. For information, call 776-3112.

The St. Thomas Yacht Club is looking forward to hosting the 36th annual International Rolex Regatta where it will welcome close to 100 boats. This three-day racing event starting March 27th is one of the premier race events in the Caribbean for everything from beach catamarans to 80-footers. This year has attracted a growing number of boats as well as support from new sponsors including Mount Gay, Yacht Haven Grande and Bellows International.

As well as being an exciting event for the participants, the International Rolex Regatta is also a great event for the casual spectator. Sailboats will be racing off the downtown waterfront providing observers with some great opportunities to watch some world-class sailing.

For more information about this great sailing event, contact the St. Thomas Yacht Club at (340) 775-6320 or visit the regatta website at www.rolexcupregatta.com

No flowering plant has captured the attention of mankind, or stirred their passions, in quite the same way as orchids. They have been used in film, television and have appeared in countless advertisements and have graced numerous magazine covers. Today millions of people from all over the world remain devoted to this unique plant and its exotically beautiful "faces."

Species Abound
According to Dr. Rob Griesbach, genetic researcher of floral plants for the U.S. National Arboretum and past president of the American Orchid Society, orchids are the largest group of flowering plants in nature. There are more than 25,000 identified species, with the total number probably reaching 30,000 with new species being discovered each year.

A variety of orchids can be purchased from local island garden centers, there are more than 50 different varieties of orchids that grow and bloom here in the Virgin Islands. The four most popular genus of tropical orchids are Cattleya, Dendrobiums, Orcidiums and Phalaenopsis. What makes these four popular is their frequency of bloom. They are also very showy both in number of flowers and colors.

Orion is not alone in his celestial hunt. By Orion's feet are his two hunting dogs. Canis Major the Big Dog is easy to find. Look for the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, and you have found the Big Dog. Between Sirius and Orion is a somewhat fainter star, this is Procyon and Canis Minor, the Little Dog.

Above Procyon in the Little Dog and Betelgeuse in Orion, look for two bright stars nearby each other and of about the same brightness. They almost look like twin stars, and in fact these two stars, Castor and Pollux, mark the heads of the Gemini Twins. The Twins accompanied Jason and the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece. Pollux was famous for his achievements in arms whereas Castor was a superior equestrian. The Twins also were said to have power over the seas and ships often paid homage to them by placing effigies of the Twins on the prows of vessels.

If you look high in the eastern sky you will find a bright red star, Regulus, in Leo, the lion. Regulus is supposed to mark the Lion's heart. Regulus is also the dot at the base of a backwards question mark formed of fainter stars. The curved part of that backwards question mark forms the Lion's head. Three fainter stars to the east of Regulus form the Lion's hind quarters and tail. Now, with a little imagination, or perhaps a lot of imagination, you might be able to kind of see a lion formed by these stars. But, it is certainly not all that obvious, so why would anyone think to see a lion there. Perhaps no one really did.

Long ago in Egypt, in the summertime, the water in the out-lying areas would dry up and the animals would be forced to come down to the Nile to drink. Since their prey was by the river, naturally, the lions followed the animals down to the river. While, the people lived by the river and they too needed its water. And, as you might expect, the people and the lions did not get along too well. People did not have a calendar to mark with "look out for the lions", but they did have the sky to keep track of time. Long ago the Sun was in that part of the sky during the summertime when the lions were a problem. So people watched the sky and the Sun. When the Sun got to that certain part of the sky, look out for lions. Thus, perhaps this is why this part of the sky became know as a lion.

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