Sea Cow vs. Samur?

Hello- I'm hoping to hear from people who have done one or the other, but preferably both of these tours. Woodwind tours are sold out on the day we'll be in port, and both of these other options look appealing. My concern is we'll have a diverse group - three generations on this trip, from a 75 year old with bad knees to an 11 year-old who had a prior snorkeling experience that didn't go well at all.

From what I've read, the Samur looks to be lots of fun - but possibly very difficult to get up on to for my Mother -in-Law. The Sea Cow, on the other hand, appears to be more bare-bones- easier to get on to, but maybe not as much fun. It's very likely that the 75 y/o and 11y/o will stay onboard while the rest of us snorkel - will this be ok on the Samur or the Sea Cow? Is it more comfortable or shady on the one vs. the other? Are the crew more patient on the one vs. the other? Thoughts?

We snorkeled with Sea Cow in February, 2016. We had a great day with Henk and Gea, the owners and Guides on the Sea Cow. They were totally focused on ensuring that we had a safe, fun, great day with them. Our safety and happiness was their concern.

They also had a professional photographer on board, who was in the water with us at all times. She took tons of photos, and offered (not pushed) a photo CD for sale for $20-$25, which I thought was very reasonable.

In terms of value, service, and a great snorkeling experience, I don't think you could go wrong with Sea Cow.

Enjoy!

I took the Samur excursion this past winter from the Glory. It sailed to a nearby uninhabited isle called Klein Bonaire (little Bonaire). It anchored a short distance from the shore and we swam to the beach.

We had to walk a good distance, maybe 3/8 of a mile, done the "beach" , which was really crushed sea shells and very hard on bare feet. Once the guide located a cut in the reef just off the beach, we put our equipment on, swam through the cut and had a leisurely snorkel float with the tide along the outer edge of the reef.

If you chose to stay near the guides, they were pointing stuff out that an amateur like me wouldn't notice. Corals were very much alive and colorful, and lots of fish and sea creatures were visible. Once we reached the spot where the ship had anchored, we swam to shore and had some free time on the beach.

I saw the water taxi pull up to the spot where we swam through the cut and discharge its passengers there. I didn't see them get picked up by a later taxi, as we were already under way back to the ship taking a "scenic" coastal sail.

The crew and Captain were informative, helpful and available. I am returning to Bonaire in November and will probably choose a different snorkel trip, but only for the idea of seeing something new.

We snorkeled with Sea Cow in February, 2016. We had a great day with Henk and Gea, the owners and Guides on the Sea Cow. They were totally focused on ensuring that we had a safe, fun, great day with them. Our safety and happiness was their concern.

 

They also had a professional photographer on board, who was in the water with us at all times. She took tons of photos, and offered (not pushed) a photo CD for sale for $20-$25, which I thought was very reasonable.

 

In terms of value, service, and a great snorkeling experience, I don't think you could go wrong with Sea Cow.

 

Enjoy!

Oh thank you! This is reassuring to hear. I appreciate your response!

Another vote for Sea Cow. I too have a young daughter that didn't enjoy her last snorkel (in St. Thomas a few years ago). Now that my husband and I experienced Hank and Gea's excursion and their excellent instructions and tips, we are planning on booking Sea Cow again for our April trip to include our daughter.

I wanted to follow up and say that we did Sea Cow, and it was phenomenal. Henk and Gea were so kind and patient with my son and mother-in/law. My son ended up snorkeling and having a wonderful time. The boat was easy to get on to for my MIL, and I'm so glad we chose this excursion.

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