World Art Utopia

Coral World Undersea Observatory

The white geodesic dome of Coral World’s Undersea Observatory Tower rising from blue water off St. Thomas, with a walkway to the left and green hills behind.
Artwork FileSt. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Coral World Undersea Observatory

SeenDec 2016

Coral World Ocean Park · Coki Point, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands · late 1970s

Photo: Gruepig / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), as also published on Street Art Utopia.

From Coki Point on St. Thomas, a walkway leads offshore to Coral World’s Undersea Observatory, where visitors walk down 15 feet below the waves and watch the wild marine life of Coki Bay and Drake’s Passage through its windows. Source Checked

Seen Dec 2016: the newest dated photograph we found was taken on 31 December 2016 (the photo above). The park’s own page still lists the observatory, but it carries no date. Source Source Checked

More photos

Coral World’s Undersea Observatory in March 2009: the white dome stands over the water at the end of a railed walkway from the shore, with sea-grape bushes in front and wooded hills behind.
2009 The dome and its walkway, March 2009Photo: Derek Hatfield from Peterborough, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

đź’ˇ 4 things to know

  1. Where Coral World beganHarvard Magazine reported in 2001 that the park’s original focus in the late 1970s was this observatory, housed under a Buckminster Fuller dome and sunk into a living coral reef a hundred feet offshore. Source Reported
  2. Smashed, then keptAccording to the same report, Hurricane Marilyn smashed through the fish tanks and the observatory in 1995; the new owners tore down everything but the observatory and the domes, and the park reopened in August 1998. Source Reported
  3. Fifteen feet downCoral World says visitors descend 15 feet below the waves without getting wet. Source Checked
  4. A tower that grows a reefThe tower’s submerged outer walls act as an artificial reef for sponges, corals and grazing fish, and coral trees for reef restoration stand in view of the windows. Source Checked

đź“Ť Where it is

Off Coki Point (6450 Coki Point), St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, about a hundred feet from shore, reached by a walkway. Source Source Checked

Open in Maps

Opens Google Maps at the position recorded with the 2016 photo, next to the tower; we did not check Street View.

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 1995

    Hurricane Marilyn damage · Harvard Magazine

  2. 1998Aug

    Park reopened · Harvard Magazine

  3. 2001Jan

    Report on the rebuilt park · Harvard Magazine

  4. 200929 Mar

    The dome and its walkway · Wikimedia Commons

  5. 201631 Dec

    Photographed from the water · Wikimedia Commons

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark dated records and reports. Publication dates are not camera dates.

🗞️ In the sources

Harvard Magazine1 Jan 2001

“Its original focus in the late 1970s was an underwater observatory (housed under a Buckminster Fuller dome) sunk into the middle of a living coral reef a hundred feet off shore.”

Read the source →

Coral World Ocean ParkExhibit page

“Stay dry while you walk down into the ocean to view the natural, unconfined marine life of Coki Bay and Drake’s Passage through viewing windows.”

Read the source →

âś… The facts

Operator
Coral World Ocean Park Source Source Checked
Depth
15 feet below the waves Source Checked
Built
Late 1970s, as the park’s original attraction Source Reported
Dome
A Buckminster Fuller dome Source Reported
Offshore
About a hundred feet from shore, reached by a bridge Source Reported
Storm
Damaged by Hurricane Marilyn in 1995; kept when the park was rebuilt, reopened August 1998 Source Reported
Claim
The park calls it the only undersea observatory in the Caribbean Source Reported
Address
6450 Coki Point, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Source Checked
Status today
Not known; newest dated photo December 2016 Source Unconfirmed

đź”— Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 4 November 2026. How we verify art