Greetings!

There are few moments more magical than observing life in the wild. As one of our Power Swim participants noted when sharing the ocean with marine life, there is a special sense of camaraderie that can emerge with the knowledge that we are literally in it to win it together! 

"About 20 feet from shore, a stingray was swimming around like it was greeting everyone coming into the finish line, saying, “Swim well done.” I went right over the top of it and rolled onto my back to take my fins off before standing up for the finish." --Team River Runner swimmer, Shaun E.

Curiosity for the world beneath the waves was very much a part of the Tektite Project that took place in the late 1960s in Great Lameshur Bay. Overseen by NASA, the Navy and the Department of Interior, the project’s mission was to place marine scientists and others 49 feet below the surface of the bay for extended periods in underwater living quarters. This was ahead of the Apollo Mission, and the deep sea was as unfamiliar to human life as outer space.

Friends is thrilled to be working with filmmakers Steve Simonsen and William Stelzer to tell this extraordinary story in a documentary. Even more exciting, Friends has a limited number of VIP passes to a special screening of footage from the Tektite Project, including interviews with Dr. Sylvia Earle then and now, on National Space Exploration Day at EPCOT on July 20! We would love for you to be our guest! Details below! 

To our members, donors, sponsors, volunteers and everyone who so generously supports our work and does what they can to help protect our beautiful planet, we thank you.

Warmly,

Tonia Lovejoy

Executive Director

Tektite Documentary

The Tektite program that took place in Virgin Islands National Park in 1969 and 1970 was a private public partnership between the likes of GE, NASA, US Navy, Department of the Interior and others, and the first scientists-in-the-sea program sponsored nationally. In an effort to capture this exciting element of St. John history and inspire our youth to become the next generation of explorers and marine scientists, Friends is working with Steve Simonsen and William Stelzer to produce a documentary. The story will be told in honor of the late Randy Brown and the late Bruce Schoonover whose research work on the history of Tektite was the genesis for this documentary.

VIP Deep Sea Deep Space Event At EPCOT

Join us for a special event celebrating the deep sea, deep space connection of Project Tektite on National Space Exploration Day at EPCOT’s SPACE220 Centauri Station on Monday, July 20.

Through film and conversation with marine scientists and astronauts — including a preview of the Tektite documentary and a video message from world-renowned marine biologist, oceanographer and Tektite aquanaut, Dr. Sylvia Earle — we will explore how ocean and space innovation intersect and what it will take to keep the spirit of Tektite alive for future generations.

Plan Your Snorkel

Whether you're a seasoned snorkeler or a newbie, you can plan your snorkeling adventures within the Virgin Islands National Park using Friends Plan Your Snorkel guide and app.

Explore the underwater beauty of St. John safely with the help of maps, descriptions of all the best spots, and a fish, coral and creature identifier.

Beach To Beach Power Swim

What a wonderful day! The 23rd Annual Joe Kessler's Beach To Beach Power Swim that took place on Sunday, May 24, 2026 was a celebration of community, family and friends. Thank you to the swimmers, the supporters, the volunteers on land and in the water, and all our sponsors for working together to create so much joy.

Congratulations to Reagan Uszenski who became the second woman to win overall and at just 14 years old, the second youngest winner. All the results and lots of great photos are on our site. Take a look!

May Membership Raffle

Our member community is important. Thank you to everyone who became a member last month.

The winners of the raffle are Jennifer P. who won the beautiful turtle pendant and earrings generously donated by Vibe Jewelry and Richard L. who won a cool goodie bag valued at $250 from the Friends store. Congratulations!

Introducing Our New Trails Truck

We're excited to share some wonderful news made possible by the generosity of donors at the Gala paddle raise, we purchased a new truck! It's a 2024 Toyota Tacoma with under 7,000 miles.

Thanks to this generosity our teams can now safely carry volunteers, tools, native plants, and sea turtle response equipment across the island, all in fewer trips and with far greater efficiency. This one vehicle is helping three major programs move faster, safer, and farther!

Business Spotlight

POWER SWIM SPONSORS

Every Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of swimmers take to the beautiful waters of Virgin Islands National Park to raise funds for kids swim programs, marine conservation, education outreach and more! Joe Kessler's Beach To Beach Power Swim is made possible thanks to the support of these amazing sponsors!

Community engagement is key to our ability to protect and preserve our park today and tomorrow. We would not be able to do the important work that keeps our Virgin Islands National Park thriving for visitors and residents alike without the generous support of local businesses. Local businesses interested in becoming an Affinity Partner or sponsoring our events and programs, should please contact Jennifer Stone at jstone@friendsvinp.org.

Shop online or stop by the National Park Visitor Center & Park Store in Cruz Bay which is open Monday to Thursday from 8:15am to 4pm and on Friday from 8:15am to 1:30pm. Proceeds support natural and cultural resource protection and preservation.

Tyre Palm Tee

Turtle Sweat Pants

Mineral Sunscreen

Junior Ranger Tote

Badge Tee

Passport Stickers

Useful Numbers