Menu Close

Author: Jenn Manes

So Much Sahara Dust

Jenn Manes
The view from The Windmill Bar normally and with the dust.

If you are currently visiting the US Virgin Islands or if you’ve been checking out one of St. John’s many webcams, you may have noticed a pretty thick haze in the skies over the past several days. It’s not actually haze in the skies, but rather dust, dust that is traveling into the region from the Sahara Desert in Africa. It happens every year, and it’s been extremely thick recently.

Each year, typically during spring and summer months, dust and sand from the Sahara Desert float up from Africa and travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean via the trade winds. When the dust arrives in the territory, our typically bright blue skies are replaced by a grey haze. Visibility is reduced, and our air quality becomes poor. The dust can last for a day, a few days, or even a week in some cases.

You can see in the top image how the dust affects our skies. Those pictures were taken from the same spot at The Windmill Bar. The left was taken a few months ago on a regularly clear day, and the second was taken last week during a dusty period.

You can actually track the Saharan Dust on radar just like you can track any weather system. I like to use myfoxhurricane.com to track it. Here is the image I pulled up this morning that shows the current cloud of dust affecting the region.

The Saharan dust can cause people to have a runny nose and dry throat. You may be sneezing more and have itchy eyes. It can also affect people who have asthma. So if you are here now and you are sniffling and sneezing, it’s likely that the dust is getting to you.

Want to see what’s currently happening around St. John? Check out nearly two dozen webcams located around the island at www.explorestj.com/webcams.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now. 

New Vacation Rental: Views, Pool & Close to Cruz Bay!

Jenn Manes
The view from the shared pool at On Island.

I am extremely excited to tell you about a brand new vacation rental here on St. John. It’s a spacious, two-bedroom, two bathroom condo that is close to Cruz Bay. It has nice views from every room, balconies galore and a large, shared pool with spectacular views. And the best part? I was lucky enough to represent the buyers when they purchased this home last month! Curious? Want to know more? Then please read on!

On Island is a brand-new St. John vacation rental located in Sunset Quarters, which is located right beside the Sunset Ridge Villas. The condo was recently purchased by Breanne and Blair Walsh, who are longtime St. John visitors, along with their 13-year-old daughter Kendall.

The Walshes are the new owners of On Island, a new two-bedroom condo near Cruz Bay.

I was thrilled when the Walshes contacted me last summer to help them locate the perfect vacation rental property for their family. It took some time to find the right match, but good things do come to those who wait!

On Island has two large bedrooms. One is an ensuite, while the second has a bathroom located beside it. Both bedrooms have private decks and brand new furniture throughout.

The living space is generous and includes two additional decks located off of the dining and sitting areas. On Island also has a nice, well-appointed kitchen for those of you who plan to dine in while on vacation. On Island is fully air conditioned. It has a washer and dryer inside of the unit, and there is onsite parking.

One of the balconies located off of the secondary bedroom.

Sunset Quarters shares a pool with Sunset Ridge Villas (the timeshare side of the property). The pool has one of the nicest views on St. John, including amazing sunset views. See for yourself!

On Island is located in the Bethany neighborhood, which is located above Cruz Bay. You can access On Island from Centerline Road (Route 10 on the map) or from Southside Road (Route 104 on the map). It is a less than 10-minute drive from Cruz Bay. Check out the map below:

On Island rents for only $420 a night, which is a great price for a two-bedroom condo near Cruz Bay with all of these great amenities!

If you are planning a vacation to St. John, please check out On Island. You can learn more about the property, see additional pictures and book your next stay by visiting www.onislandstj.com.

Are you looking to purchase a home, condo, land or a business here in St. John? I would love to help you! Looking to list your property? I can help you with that too! I am a licensed real estate agent with 340 Real Estate Co., and I would love to help you with your buying and selling needs in the US Virgin Islands. Please contact me at 203-376-3786 or jenn@explorestj.com to explore the possibilities.

Flamingo Frenzy at Francis Bay!

Jenn Manes

I counted 23 flamingoes on Friday. I saw at least 14 on Saturday and another dozen or so on Sunday. Yesterday, I counted 30. I can officially say that there is a flamingo frenzy at Francis Bay!

I’ve been writing about flamingo sightings every then and again since February 2023. That’s when the first flamboyance of flamingos paid a visit to the island. The flamingoes have dipped in and out ever since, visiting in relatively small groups and spending time most of their time out near Salt Pond, in Grootpan Bay and over near Miss Lucy’s. Well, that’s until now…

The flamingos made their debut at the salt pond behind Francis Bay beach about two weeks ago, and they have remained there ever since. It’s amazing, and it’s causing quite the frenzy here on St. John.

I think the reason everyone is so excited is twofold. One, the flamingos are so accessible. You can easily see them from a viewing platform just off of the boardwalk near the salt pond. And two, because there are so many of them to see!

Francis Bay is usually one of the quieter beaches, especially in late May, which is typically a quieter time of the year. The parking at Francis over the past week has been quite crazy. So many people are walking down the boardwalk to catch a glimpse of these beautiful birds. It’s quite magical. Check out this quick video I took last week:

You really need your own vehicle to get to Francis. The taxis may drop you off there, but they do not regularly go there to pick up passengers. I saw two separate couples hitchhiking home from Francis last week, so something to think about. Francis Bay is located about 25 minutes from Cruz Bay and less than 15 minutes from Coral Bay. If you are on St. John this week or possibly in the upcoming weeks, you should plan a quick visit to Francis Bay. The flamingos are truly a sight to see.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now. 

 

 

Caneel Bay Will Remain National Park; Appeal Denied

Jenn Manes

A judge ruled earlier this week that Caneel Bay will remain part of the National Park. This ruling will hopefully end the years-long battle over land ownership rights of the 150-acre parcel.

Chief Judge Theadore A. McKee issued a relatively quick opinion affirming the lower court’s decision to award the Caneel Bay parcel to the National Park Service. Here is the opinion in its entirety:

EHI Acquisitions,LLC appeals the District Court’s grant of Defendant’s motion for summary judgment.

In her well-reasoned and thorough opinion, Judge Krause explained why EHI is not entitled to relief and why the Defendant was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. As Judge Krause detailed, even if the relevant indenture is ambiguous, extrinsic evidence makes the result clear. We can add little to Judge Krause’s analysis and discussion, and we will therefore affirm the District Court’s order substantially for the reasons set forth in that opinion.

The area formerly occupied by the posh Caneel Bay Resort is set to be redeveloped by the National Park. Bids by interested parties were placed in March. The National Park has yet to announce who has bid to redevelop the property, nor have they announced the winning bid or if one has even been chosen.

The National Park plans to bring back the 166-room resort while expansion public access throughout the property. As of May 2025, guests can park at Caneel Bay and walk to Caneel Beach. They can also park at Caneel Bay and take a paid shuttle to Honeymoon Beach. Hikers can access Honeymoon and Salomon beaches via the Lind Point Trail. Caneel’s other beaches are accessible from water only at this time.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now. 

Sargassum Seaweed is Here But Not Affecting Main Beaches

Jenn Manes
Sargassum in Fish Bay Wednesday morning

We are definitely seeing a large amount of sargassum seaweed around the island, but thankfully it is not affecting any of the most popular beaches here on St. John.

Sargassum is a type of seaweed that floats in large masses in the ocean. It’s a brownish, copper-like color, and it has air-filled bladders which helps it stay afloat on the water’s surface. Sargassum affects St. John every year, and we typically see more of it as the water starts to warm up prior to the summer months.

St. John’s winds typically blow from east to west. Most of St. John’s most popular beaches – Caneel, Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon and Maho – face either north or west. This means that the sargassum usually blows right by these beaches. It rarely piles up on any of them. St. Thomas, however, has more of a problem with the sargassum clogging up its beaches, as the Ritz Carlton, Margaritaville and Sapphire all face east. The sargassum floats right onto those beaches, and when it dries up, it can get quite stinky.

All of this being said, I have seen a large amount of sargassum around St. John over the past several days. Coral Bay is filled with it at the moment. Fish Bay has a large amount of it too. I haven’t been out to John’s Folly in over a week, but it usually pools up there too. I’ve seen smaller pockets of it just off of the north shore beaches, in Rendezvous Bay, which faces south, and other spots around St. John.

Sargassum in Coral Bay Wednesday afternoon. Image taken from Calichi’s webcam.

So why are we seeing more sargassum lately, and why it is forecasted to get even worse this year? Well that can all be blamed on climate change. The higher temperatures in the Caribbean have the ability to impact sargassum levels, according to scientists at the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab. Click here to learn more about their research. 

Sargassum typically comes and goes throughout the summer months. As I mentioned, it is not currently affecting any of the island’s most popular beaches. If it starts to, I will definitely let you know.

Click here to view St. John’s webcams. 

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now. 

How to Get Through the St. Thomas Airport Faster

Jenn Manes
You have to fly into St. Thomas (STT) when traveling to St. John, US Virgin Islands.

The summer travel season is right around the corner, so today I would like to share some tips about how you can get through the St. Thomas (STT) airport fast when you are traveling back home.

Leaving through the St. Thomas airport is a multi-step process. You have to go through Customs, Agriculture and TSA. If you are checking a bag, you also have to stop at the counter. On busier days, the lines can be out the door and down toward the taxi stand. Nothing is more stressful than the thought of potentially missing a flight on departure day, so here are a few quick tips on how to get through the St. Thomas airport faster.

Most people are surprised that they have to clear through US Customs when leaving through the St. Thomas airport. The reason is because the US Virgin Islands is outside of “customs territory” per the United States government. It can be a relatively quick process that typically includes quick questioning by the Customs agent. These lines during busier times, however, can be quite long, but there are two ways to advance to the front of the line – Global Entry and porters.

Global Entry 

Global Entry is a program of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to receive expedited clearance upon arrival into the United States. There is a lane inside the customs area specifically for passengers with Global Entry. You must have your Global Entry card with you – physically, not a picture on your phone – and everyone with you must have that card. You cannot bring a child, spouse, etc. with you in the Global Entry line if they do not have a physical Global Entry card when traveling from the St. Thomas airport, for example. Travelers with Global Entry are able to skip Agriculture when traveling out of St. Thomas, so that’s another time-saver.

Global Entry costs $120. You will have to do a quick interview and submit fingerprints before approval. Some travel credit cards will reimburse you for the cost to obtain Global Entry. If you travel often out of St. Thomas, Global Entry can be very beneficial.

Porters

If you do not have global entry, you can pay a porter to bring you to the front of the Customs line. Porters charge between $3 and $5 per bag, and will help transport your luggage. During the busier months, you may still have to wait when using a porter, but your wait time will be significantly shorter. You can easily identify porters by their red shirts. If you are checking a bag, grab a porter before heading to the airline counter.

Steps to Leave the St. Thomas Airport 

  1. If you are checking a bag you stop at the airline counter first. They do not take your bag. They simply tag it at the counter. If you are not checking a bag, you will skip this step.
  2. Go through Customs. If you have Global Entry, skip number 3.
  3. Go through Agriculture. Absolutely everything goes through this machine, including luggage, purses, pillows, basically anything you are carrying will go through this machine.
  4. Drop off your checked bag. If you are not checking a bag, go straight to TSA.
  5. Go through TSA (security). There is a separate line for travelers with pre-check.

Want to know more about what can and what cannot go through Agriculture? Check out the following story.

St. Thomas Airport Update: New Step Requires Extra Time

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now.