If you’ve been to St. John before and haven’t heard of Beehive Cove don’t be surprised. The moderate level of difficulty involved in getting to Beehive Cove prevents many people from going and thereby has allowed the spot remain relatively unharmed from masses of boats, swimmers and snorkelers. Being on the south side of the island has also assisted in keeping Beehive Cove off of most tourist’s agendas.
Getting to Beehive Cove:
Follow the trail to Donkey Cove aka Donkey Bight
A rental car is a necessity to get to this area of the island. Head out to Coral Bay and proceed towards Great Lameshur Bay. You will pass Salt Pond and soon come across a few sections of paved then unpaved road before arriving at Great Lameshur Bay. There you will see a large Tamarind tree to your left. Park here.
From the car walk to the east end of the bay and you will see a trail that takes you around the edge of Great Lameshur out towards Beehive Cove. Although not particularly challenging, you will be navigating your way over and around large rocks for about 15-20 minutes.
Your entry point into the water will be at Donkey Cove. You will know you are at Donkey Cove when you come to a very small sand beach. This leaves a decent length snorkel to get out to the point but this is the last good entry point into the water. Beehive Cove is just around the rocky point that you will see ahead of you.
Between Donkey Bight and Beehive Cove, you will find only scattered coral heads and small reefs, but there is usually an abundance of other interesting sea life such as tarpon, small reef fish, squid and sea cucumbers in this area.
At Beehive Cove:
Excerpted from St. John Off The Beaten Track © 2006 Gerald Singer
As you approach Beehive Cove, the snorkeling becomes more exciting and more colorful. On the north side of the point, there is a small cave with an exit to the surface. The walls and ceiling of the cave are covered with beautiful cup corals and sponges. As you snorkel around the point, or headland, which defines Beehive Bay, you will see a line of large rocks, which seems to attract a good share of fish.
On the Beehive Cove side of the point, the water gets deeper. There are two rooms or chambers with rock walls on three sides. The second room is the most interesting, although both are beautiful. The eastern wall of the second room is encrusted with sponges and cup coral. Because there is low light within the room, some of the coral animals may have their tentacles extended as if it were night on the reef. The thin yellow tentacles protruding from the small bright orange cups make the corals look like flowers.
Further along, there is a narrow channel in the rocks. On the eastern side is a cave with an outlet to the other side. There is at least one large dog snapper that likes to frequent this cave, and he is quite an impressive fellow. At the far end of the narrow channel is an exit to the other side over shallow coral. It is possible to snorkel over it, but great care must be taken, as there is usually a surge, which complicates things. Depending on the roughness of the sea, it may be better to explore the channel and then turn around and go back the way you came.
Around the next set of rocks is a wall encrusted with fire coral, sponges, and cup corals that descends to a depth of about twenty feet. Many small colorful fish can be seen along this wall, so take the time to look closely. On top of this rock, above the surface of the water, are concrete footings, which are all that remains of the Tektite project.
Beehive Cove is fun to get to and easily one of the best snorkels on the island and is well worth the half a day it takes to snorkel it. If you have any additional questions don’t hesitate to comment or ask on our Facebook or Twitter page.
