Caribbean Wildlife Learning Experiences (USVI)
Enjoy seeing wildlife? Marine animals? Touching them? We all know kids do, too! But many times we must also teach them to stand back – lifelong safety lessons of learning in the real world as you make the MostPerMile out of your vacation incorporating making memories with learning in this amazing classroom called our world.
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US Virgin Islands Featured In this Post:
While this donkey looks to be coming to politely ask for food along the beach in St John, he might let you know if he is upset you don’t have any food to give him. Yes, they have teeth and can kick, so it is best to stay clear. Same thing as you are driving through at the maximum 20 mph speed limit with your window down, but it is a great opportunity to tell your children how they were imported to St John in the 16th century to work on the sugar plantations long before cars were there. They can usually be found on the east end of St John near Coral Bay. Please, don’t feed them! And also wait for them to cross the road – they were there first anyway.
Children are never too young to visit the Virgin Islands and learn. A quick ferry between St Thomas and St John after landing at STT is super easy, and a passport and $60 Customs fee can get you over to the British Virgin Islands as well! But as you are enjoying exploring the different Virgin Islands, visiting the Virgin Islands National Park visitor center on St John, and hiking the many trails, keep an eye out where you step so you don’t step on one of these:
Back on St Thomas, Coral World may be an older establishment at the end of Coki Beach and not as swanky as those in the States, but the people who work there share a love of the animals with those who visit. In getting the MostPerMile out of a vacation, taking in these experiences with our children create lifelong memories and an appreciation of life they may not see back home! Besides… you never know if the first person who ever let your oldest child touch a shark may just be the one teaching you the PADI Scuba Diving signs for shark or whale as she helps you, the parent, overcome your fears of getting that Open Water SCUBA certification when you come back several years later in your personal quest to get the MostPerMile out of life. (Thank you, Michelle!!!)
As one who has visited the US Virgin Islands many times either through cruising or land vacations (flying into St Thomas or St Croix), I can attest this is a very family friendly destination. Watch for future posts about more locations around the Caribbean to learn more about Caribbean wildlife!
