CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The beach closest to one of the most popular hotels on St. Thomas has failed water quality testing this week, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources said today.
Bluebeard’s Beach, which is located in Turquoise Bay on the east end of St. Thomas, next to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at GPS coordinates (18.32245, -64.8432) has high levels of bacteria in the water and should be avoided, according to DPNR.
DPNR’s Beach Water Quality Monitoring Program evaluates weekly water quality at popular swimming beaches throughout the territory by sampling for Enterococci, Bacteria and Turbidity, which is a measure of water clarity, advises the public of the following:
DPNR performed water quality analysis at 29 designated beaches throughout the territory during the week of June 21, – June 25, 2021. The following beaches meet water quality standards and are considered safe for swimming and fishing:
ST. CROIX
| Stony Ground | Pelican Cove | Buccaneer |
| Dorsch Beach | Cane Bay | Shoy’s Beach |
| Halfpenny Beach | Princess (Condo Row) | Frederiksted Public Beach |
| Cramer’s Park | New Fort (Ft. Louise Augusta) | Rainbow Beach |
| Chenay Bay | Protestant Cay | Sprat Hall |
ST, THOMAS
| St. Thomas | ||
| Water Bay | Sapphire Beach | Lindqvist Beach |
| Bolongo Bay | Vessup Bay | Coki Point |
| Frenchman’s Bay | Secret Harbor | |
| Magen’s Bay | Lindbergh Bay | |
| Brewer’s Bay | Hull Bay |
WATER ISLAND
| Water Island |
| Honeymoon Beach |
The following beach does not meet water quality standards because it exceeds the established Enterococci Bacteria threshold and therefore is not considered safe for swimming or fishing:
- Bluebeard’s Beach on St. Thomas
Please note: Samples were not collected at the following beaches:
- Cruz Bay, Oppenheimer, Great Cruz Bay, Frank Bay and Johnson Bay on St. John
Therefore, the water quality at these beaches is unknown.
All persons should be aware that storm water runoff may also contain contaminants or pollutants harmful to human health, and therefore, should avoid areas of storm water runoff (i.e. guts, puddles, and drainage basins) or any area that appears discolored or has foul odors. DPNR will continue to monitor impacted areas and waters.
For additional information regarding water quality call the Division of Environmental Protection at 773-1082 in St. Croix or 774-3320 in St. Thomas.