St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER)
Parks and historic sitesSt. ThomasLast verified October 31, 2026
Around St. Thomas
The St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER) is a marine protected area of about 9.6 square kilometers at the southeastern end of St. Thomas, managed by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR). It joins three marine reserves and wildlife sanctuaries: Cas Cay and the Mangrove Lagoon, Great St. James, and the Compass Point Salt Pond. DPNR counts its mangroves, seagrass, salt ponds, reefs and cays among the most valuable remaining nurseries for fish and wildlife on the island. Virgin Islands Ecotours runs three-hour guided kayak, hike and snorkel trips from its Mangrove Lagoon launch site to Cas Cay, with its tidal pools, volcanic cliffs and blowhole, and DPNR sponsors free tours for residents on set dates. In July 2025 DPNR won a grant to remove abandoned and derelict vessels from the reserves. Ask DPNR about the rules before you fish or anchor here.
Services
- Marine reserves and wildlife sanctuaries managed by DPNR
- Includes Cas Cay and the Mangrove Lagoon, Great St. James and the Compass Point Salt Pond
- Three-hour guided kayak, hike and snorkel tours to Cas Cay by Virgin Islands Ecotours
- Free resident kayak tours sponsored by DPNR's Division of Fish and Wildlife on set Saturdays (late 2026)
How we checked
Last verified on October 31, 2026. We checked it against the sources below.
Source: DPNR, Marine Protected Areas, https://dpnr.vi.gov/coastal-zone-management/what-we-do/marine-protected-areas/ (multi-use marine protected area; three marine reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, Cas Cay/Mangrove Lagoon, Great St. James and the Compass Point Salt Pond; 9.6 square kilometers; mangroves, salt ponds, lagoons, reefs and cays; Area of Particular Concern since 1979; one of the most valuable remaining nurseries for fish and wildlife on the island); DPNR Division of Territorial Parks and Protected Areas, https://dpnr.vi.gov/parks/ (grant awarded in July 2025 to remove abandoned and derelict vessels from STEER and hire a STEER marine park coordinator) and https://dpnr.vi.gov/parks/properties/ (STEER among the division's properties; Tutu Park Mall office phone 340-774-3320); Virgin Islands Ecotours, https://www.viecotours.com/st-thomas/kayak-hike-and-snorkel-at-cas-cay (three-hour kayak, hike and snorkel tour in the Cas Cay Mangrove Lagoon Marine Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, volcanic cliffs, tidal blowhole, launch site near the Mangrove Lagoon at 6526 Estate Nadir); St. Thomas Source, October 30, 2026, https://stthomassource.com/content/2026/10/30/dpnr-vi-ecotours-partner-to-offer-400-free-kayak-tours-for-st-thomas-residents/ and May 26, 2026, https://stthomassource.com/content/2026/05/26/join-free-dpnr-kayak-tours/ (free three-hour resident tours coordinated by DPNR's Division of Fish and Wildlife with Virgin Islands Ecotours on set Saturdays, through mangrove waterways to Cas Cay with tidal pools, volcanic cliffs and a blowhole, returning to the Mangrove Lagoon Marina); none of these pages sets out fishing or anchoring rules; all accessed 2026-10-31. Map point: the center (centroid) of DPNR's STEER boundary polygon as returned by its map service, not a landing or access point, https://services3.arcgis.com/VlblJrJklerBHiW0/arcgis/rest/services/STEER_Boundary/FeatureServer/3, accessed 2026-10-31.
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