Non-Carnival Snorkelling WIHTOUT Stingray City???

Going to be in Grand Cayman Feb 8th, 2017.

Looking for a good snorkeling tour WITHOUT Stingray City ... my friend hates stingrays (Yes we know they are "friendly") ---

I've been searching for a snorkeling excursion that's AT LEAST 2.5 hours and DOES NOT stop at Stingray City.

Anyone have any experience or can point me in the right direction? I've already checked Viator, ShoreTrips, and a couple other vendors.

So far the only one I can find is (Believe it or not) thru Carnival ... and I just hate booking thru the cruise line as I know they are overpriced ...

Any advise would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Funny. We've been looking for the same thing. Just don't want to do the stingrays. I have found a mangrove kayaking and snorkeling tour we may do.

Do you definitely want to take an excursion? You can do some great snorkeling right from shore in a Grand Cayman on your own.

Take public bus $2pp to Cemetery Beach, great spot. Then come back to port and snorkel Eden rock, right near the tender docks.

I have this same question. We just want to snorkel from a boat. No sting rays please.

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I researched this in the past and it is basically non-existent on pre-made tours. If you can get enough people together you can charter one of the boats and do a custom tour though. (and skip the stingrays) It was still very affordable if you could get a group of 12-16 together.

humbug

here's one option is took one quick google search to find

This trip will take you to a stunning ship wreck of the USS Kittiwake. She sits up right and intact in the shallow, calm water on the West Side of Grand Cayman. We also visit the world famous Eden Rock where the reef is so close you can almost touch the fish and coral as we guide you over the reef and show you some of the creatures that have made this reef their home. We provide cold refreshments and snacks. The west side offers year round calm conditions and is perfect for Cayman Islands Snorkeling.

https://www.livingthedreamdivers.com/private-snorkel-tours

maybe the diff' is I know the island so I know what certain terms mean ... any tour that stays on the west side is not going to stingray city. Anything that mentions Kittiwake is on the west side ...

https://www.viator.com/tours/Cayman-Islands/Grand-Cayman-Kittiwake-and-Reef-Sail/d31-2715P15

Wade in to the water and climb the few steps to the waiting catamaran, then sail down the coast of Seven Mile Beach. The boat is headed for two snorkel stops, the first at the USS Kittiwake, a submarine that sunk off the coast of Grand Cayman in 2011. Once the boat anchors nearby, get help with your provided snorkel gear and jump in. You can swim right over top the huge submarine, sunk in 60 feet (18 meters) of water, the top of which is just 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water. You'll see an unusual ecosystem of underwater plants and animals taking over the hulking ship. Stop next at a coral reef, where you'll dive in again for another spin in the clear, shallow water.

[[btw this description is just plain WRONG about Kittiwake ... it is a former USN submarine rescue vessel, intentionally sunk as an artificial reef]] USS Kittiwake (ASR-13) was a United States Navy Chanticleer-class submarine rescue vessel in commission from 1946 to 1994. Kittiwake was decommissioned on 30 September 1994 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the same day. Her title was transferred in November 2008 for an undisclosed amount to the government of the Cayman Islands for the purpose of using Kittiwake to form a new artificial reef.[2] Originally intended to be sunk in June 2009,[3] she was finally sunk off Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, on 5 January 2011 in Marine Park[4]

btw EDEN Rock is accessible from shore ... for free .....

humbug

 

here's one option is took one quick google search to find

 

 

 

This trip will take you to a stunning ship wreck of the USS Kittiwake. She sits up right and intact in the shallow, calm water on the West Side of Grand Cayman. We also visit the world famous Eden Rock where the reef is so close you can almost touch the fish and coral as we guide you over the reef and show you some of the creatures that have made this reef their home. We provide cold refreshments and snacks. The west side offers year round calm conditions and is perfect for Cayman Islands Snorkeling.

 

 

https://www.livingthedreamdivers.com/private-snorkel-tours

 

maybe the diff' is I know the island so I know what certain terms mean ... any tour that stays on the west side is not going to stingray city. Anything that mentions Kittiwake is on the west side ...

 

https://www.viator.com/tours/Cayman-Islands/Grand-Cayman-Kittiwake-and-Reef-Sail/d31-2715P15

Wade in to the water and climb the few steps to the waiting catamaran, then sail down the coast of Seven Mile Beach. The boat is headed for two snorkel stops, the first at the USS Kittiwake, a submarine that sunk off the coast of Grand Cayman in 2011. Once the boat anchors nearby, get help with your provided snorkel gear and jump in. You can swim right over top the huge submarine, sunk in 60 feet (18 meters) of water, the top of which is just 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water. You'll see an unusual ecosystem of underwater plants and animals taking over the hulking ship. Stop next at a coral reef, where you'll dive in again for another spin in the clear, shallow water.

 

[[btw this description is just plain WRONG about Kittiwake ... it is a former USN submarine rescue vessel, intentionally sunk as an artificial reef]] USS Kittiwake (ASR-13) was a United States Navy Chanticleer-class submarine rescue vessel in commission from 1946 to 1994. Kittiwake was decommissioned on 30 September 1994 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the same day. Her title was transferred in November 2008 for an undisclosed amount to the government of the Cayman Islands for the purpose of using Kittiwake to form a new artificial reef.[2] Originally intended to be sunk in June 2009,[3] she was finally sunk off Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, on 5 January 2011 in Marine Park[4]

 

 

btw EDEN Rock is accessible from shore ... for free .....

Isn't the first one a charter???

https://www.livingthedreamdivers.com/rates

and doesn't the second one depart at 1pm which makes it iffy for a lot of cruise itineraries??? (and also only operates on certain days of the week depending on the month)

Look for any of the companies that do a trip to the Kittiwake...you can always contact them about options that fit your in-port times...

http://www.dive365cayman.com/kittiwake-cayman

I never intended to do all the work for anyone

I'm saying there ARE plenty of companies that do snorkel trips on the west side and they don't go to Sting Ray City (in the north sound)

I've sat at Sunset and watched boat after boat dump folks at EDEN on a typical day and chucked as the same site is easily visited by a short walk from the tender docks .... and a short way down the road at Sunset there were maybe 4 or 6 snorkelers .... avoiding the crowds and having as good an experience or better ..... plus a post swim libation at My Bar.