Gallows Bay, St. Croix By Seaplane
It’s a view I haven’t enjoyed since high school. Back then the seaplane that connected St. Croix, St. Thomas, AND St. John was of the classic Mallard “Goose” variety. Think a smaller version of the Pan Am Clipper from the iconic flight map sequence in Indiana Jones. The fuselage sagged low in the water. The further back your seat, the more underwater you’d be at takeoff and landing. Oh, and speaking of the landing, the sensation that came from feeling the under carriage of the plane hitting the water’s surface always took my breath away. No flight experience has ever come close to equalling those thrills for me. These days Seaborne Airlines continues the long-cherished tradition of seaplane service in the U.S. Virgin Islands, albeit solely connecting St. Croix and St. Thomas now. Their Twin Otter Seaplane sits well atop the water on floats, so the submarine effect is gone too. What remains, though, is the unique opportunity to take off from one downtown paradise and land in another. Enjoying views like this of Gallows Bay, St. Croix by seaplane is also still plenty sweet.