Jane Shahmanesh was in a quandary. The single mom didn't want to miss one of the Caribbean's most famous snorkeling reefs, but she didn't want to spring for an expensive excursion her 7-year-old would hate, either.
She took a chance -- that's what vacations are for, after all -- and signed herself and her daughter Allison up for an all-day boat trip to Buck Island National Reef Monument. The mostly underwater national park is six miles off St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and is famous for its marine gardens.
Shahmanesh's gamble paid off big time. Allison, who had never snorkeled, was mesmerized by the fish, her mother reported. "She didn't want to get out of the water!"
Shahmanesh had arranged to join another family on the excursion so Allison wouldn't be the only young snorkeler. Wearing life vests and hanging on to a rubber ring, the three could comfortably explore the underwater world, watching colorful fish dart in and out of the coral formations.
"I thought I'd be throwing out my money, that Allison would complain, but she just loved it," said Shahmanesh, who already is thinking of what tropical island they might explore next.
Of course, it's not always that easy -- even for the experts.
My 6-year-old, Melanie, decked out in pink snorkel with matching fins, refused to jump off the boat to join us in the water the day we visited Buck Island. I was frustrated because the fish were amazing -- blue angelfish, striped Sergeant major, red checkered parrotfish. But no amount of coaxing would get Melanie to snorkel the established underwater trail. She didn't like the waves: The water was admittedly choppy that day. She didn't like being so far from shore. She took a nap on the boat while we snorkeled, not at all concerned about what she might be missing.
"Kids worry that the fish will come after them and nibble at their toes," national park ranger Pat Dinisio said with a laugh when I told her my tale of woe.
Tips from lifeguard
Dinisio is the head lifeguard at Trunk Bay beach on St. John, which is part of the Virgin Islands National Park and popular with beginner snorkelers. Much is visible within a few strokes of shore, and the National Park Service has established a buoy-to-buoy trail 25 yards from the beach, complete with underwater signs to help them identify what they're seeing. One sample: "Parrot fish eat dead coral, turning it into white sand."
