Is there any REALLY good snorkeling in the Caribbean?

[Lsimon]

...Also, I'm not familiar with catamarans - would a 2 year old feel safe/comfortable on one?...

 

That is a tough question. There is decent size cabin area, but the nicest area to sit on is the pontoon and canvas area in front which I do not believe would at all be safe for a 2 year old. I think most 2 year old's I've been with would get bored and fussy in the cabin area for 4 or 5 hours and would want to run around and explore a bit too much. If we were traveling with our 2 year old grandson I think we might pass on this one and look for other activities that were a bit more open, like beach, or search for an area with a playground.

[StaceyCT]

That is a tough question. There is decent size cabin area, but the nicest area to sit on is the pontoon and canvas area in front which I do not believe would at all be safe for a 2 year old. I think most 2 year old's I've been with would get bored and fussy in the cabin area for 4 or 5 hours and would want to run around and explore a bit too much. If we were traveling with our 2 year old grandson I think we might pass on this one and look for other activities that were a bit more open, like beach, or search for an area with a playground.

 

Thanks for the honest and helpful feedback! I think we'll stick to a beach. My son is very tentative in new situations and might even be scared of a catamaran. I think we'll go to Accra Beach and/or Paynes Bay to see the turtles instead.

 

Btw, from your picture you hardly look old enough to have a grandson! :)

[Lsimon]

Thanks for the honest and helpful feedback! I think we'll stick to a beach. My son is very tentative in new situations and might even be scared of a catamaran. I think we'll go to Accra Beach and/or Paynes Bay to see the turtles instead.

 

Btw, from your picture you hardly look old enough to have a grandson! :)

 

I'm not sure what beaches there are on Paynes bay. We once went to a beach called "Folkstone" for snorkeling there, and I think (but I'm not sure of this) that it is in that area. The beach there was very narrow and not much of a beach - conditions might have changed as this was in 1998 and the sand does shift. If this is the beach at that bay then there are nicer beaches in Barbados. So you might either try to find photos ahead of time, or double check with the taxi driver before you go there - I'm sure the driver will have some ideas, maybe even a beach that has a playground if such a thing exists.

[peter_krynicki]

FWIW snorkeling out of Key West can be hit-or-miss. I've had some very good days and a few days were visibility is poor or the fish are someplace else. The reef is nothing to write home about but there are places where half the fun is to snorkel between fingers of coral and see how far you can get without getting stuck. (Sand Key at the reef) And there is another place in the Sanctuary, Cottrell Key, where you might snorkel with a small school of sting rays.

 

But helf the fun is the sail out and back, and I always go out with Danger Charters. They use three small sailboats, limit their trips to 20 people, do a snorkel stop, serve lunch, then do a guided kayak trip around a mangrove island. It's a nice day our from about a 9:30 boarding to a 4:30 - 5:30 return, based on how much fun everyone, including the crew, is having. This is one of the boats...

 

 

(There are 10 kayaks hidden away in the hold) Danger Charters is the company to check out in Key West. It's about $100.00 pp.

 

Pjk

[Dgonza]

I'm not sure what beaches there are on Paynes bay. We once went to a beach called "Folkstone" for snorkeling there, and I think (but I'm not sure of this) that it is in that area. The beach there was very narrow and not much of a beach - conditions might have changed as this was in 1998 and the sand does shift. If this is the beach at that bay then there are nicer beaches in Barbados. So you might either try to find photos ahead of time, or double check with the taxi driver before you go there - I'm sure the driver will have some ideas, maybe even a beach that has a playground if such a thing exists.

 

Folkstone is further up. I dont have any complaints about Paynes bay. Also I dont recommend taking a taxi......as I mentioned before I would suggest taking the bus for 75 cents usd. I do have some pictures of Paynes and Accra. If you go to accra I highly recommend the flying fish sandwich....MMMMMMM it was soooo yummy. Also at Accra the sand has a pinkish tint.

[tk4211]

So I will be in Roatan in a week, and from what I'm reading there is good snorkling there. Is it worth it to book a tour from the ship, or could someone point out where would be a good snorkling site? Here's a map that I found of the locations, but I have no idea where they are in relation to the cruise docks. Any help would be greatly appreciated! We're leaving in 2 days!!!

 

http://www.roatanisland.net/roatandiveguide.htm

[Dgonza]

sorry never been to Roatan :(

[Dgonza]

I just ran across this quote on another thread...you may or may not have read it.

 

"Believe it or not, snorkeling at Roatan is even better than Coz, and that's saying a lot.

I recommend a boat snorkel, but even beach snorkeling is superb. Anthony's Key Resort is a first rate dive and snorkel operator"

[BeachChica]

sorry never been to Roatan :(

 

Dgonza - Roatan is some of the best snorkeling we've seen anywhere in the Caribbean. We've been several times to Tabyana Beach (West End) and snorkeled right from shore. We've taken a cab there on our own once but it's pretty far from the port and we were honestly a little worried about the cab driver coming back for us so since then we just book through the ship which is basically just the bus ride over there and includes use of the chairs etc. Its slightly more that going on your own but worth the peace of mind. The structure and marine life is really amazing there!

 

StaceyCT - we booked through Thriller in Barbados and had a great time. We made 3 snorkel stops including the turtles at Paynes Bay and another stop to 2 wrecks which were pretty good. It's quite a swim out from the beach at Paynes Bay to where the turtles are.

[BeachChica]

Okay - I have my own Caribbean snorkeling question for all of the experienced snorkelers...

We have snorkeled all over the Caribbean. This year we will be going to Belize in March. This will be our 4th time there. We have done cave tubing twice, zip lined once and Shark Ray Alley once.

This time we just want to go some really great snorkeling. We are experienced snorkelers. Does anyone have any recommendations on this port. I have read that there is some decent snorkeling at Goff's Cay but not sure if we should just book a tour over there or find someone that will take us out to a few spots including the reef.

 

Thank you! :)

Jessie

[4748]

We were snorkeling last week at Kleine Bonaire Is, about 1 mi west of Bonaire. I do lots of snorkeling and it was the best I have seen for some years. I was told that the reefs along the shore of the main Is have been pretty badly damaged by a storm.

We went with Woodwind (info@woodwindbonaire.com) based at the Divi Flamingo Beach Resort. They have you swim with a guide who pointed out and told us the names of fish, coral, sponges and turtles I would have missed or been unable to identify.

The hotel is a short walk from the cruise boat dock ( turn right when you get to the road at the end of the dock). If you get off the boat in good time they will be signing people up at the end of the dock.

It was relatively expensive at $45 but worth it. It goes fairly early.

If you don't want a guide, turn left and you will come to a water taxi in about 100 yds. He does runs to the island for $20 pp.

[dukemha]

We just returned from a cruise to St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados, Dominica and St. Maarten. We took the 12 passenger Silver Moon excursion in Barbados and loved it. Swimming with turtles was a wonderful experience, and though we snorkeled over a so-called shipwreck, the snorkeling was only so-so. We took a day sail on the Winifred out of St. Thomas and found it extremely relaxing and enjoyable, though not great for snorkeling. In Domica we took the Bumpiing Tour "Wet Tour", Roseau Valley Treasures I think it's called. We were fortunate to have Levi Baron as the guide. He has an impish, infectious personality and makes the tour a delight. Dominica is a gorgeous, lush island with lots of incredible terrain and vistas. All sorts of incredible vegetation growing wild: bananas, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon grass, poinsettia, coffee beans, cacao, and on and on. We swam in the mountain stream that flows through a cave into a grotto beneath a mountain waterfall - very invigorating and fun, though you need to be watchful of scratchy rock surfaces. Levi also took us to hot springs which were very relaxing - like being in a hot tub - then ended our excursion snorkeling at Champagne Reef. An amazing place, with bubbles rising from vents in the ocean floor. The reef beyond offered the best snorkeling of the entire 10 days, with lots of varied coral, sponges, interesting sea life (different anenomes and sea worms among them) and both small and medium sized fish of great color and variety - we even spotted a sea turtle near where the reef drops off. Champagne Reef was the most abundant and varied of all the places we snorkeled on our trip and the Bumpiing Tour was the best land tour that we took.

[cruisingforsix]

Thanks for the input, beemerider. And thanks for the reminder about not feeding the fish, islandbear. I like the part about not being their mother :).

I've contacted Jolly Mon to take a sailboat out to Buck Island. If either of you have any feedback about them (all I've read on the boards is good), let me know please!

Idon't know when you are going to st. thomas but we went to secret harbor with aqua action (THEY ARE FROM CLEVELAND). VERY NICE AND WE WERE THE ONLY TWO SNORKELERS THERE WERE 4 OTHER PEOPLE DIVING SO IT MADE FOR A NOT CROWDED TRIP. WE WERE OUT FOR 2 -. 45 MIN TIMES . IT STARTED TO RAIN SO WE MADE IT JUST IN TIME.

[PinkJellyFish06]

I snorkeled at a place in Roatan last summer called Fins & Flippers. I think that they have changed their name since then, but we LOVED snorkeling there. There was lots of coral & fish. Also, it is right off a beach. You chould either swim out from the beach or go down a pier & get in that way. The only thing is, in certain parts the water is really shallow. I accidently got into a shallow part & got a little scraped up by the coral. Other than that, I would def go back there.

[caribnsnrklr]

Okay - I have my own Caribbean snorkeling question for all of the experienced snorkelers...

We have snorkeled all over the Caribbean. This year we will be going to Belize in March. This will be our 4th time there. We have done cave tubing twice, zip lined once and Shark Ray Alley once.

This time we just want to go some really great snorkeling. We are experienced snorkelers. Does anyone have any recommendations on this port. I have read that there is some decent snorkeling at Goff's Cay but not sure if we should just book a tour over there or find someone that will take us out to a few spots including the reef.

 

Thank you! :)

Jessie

I know this is late since your are leaving this week but we did a tour with Coral Breeze Tours 2 years ago in Belize. We snorkeled off Caye Caulker in what they call Coral Gardens along the Barrier Reef. Amazing coral and snorkeling. They pick you up at port in their boat and when we went there were only 3 other people on the boat with us. I too have snorkeled all over the Caribbean and Hawaii and to me Belize and Roatan Honduras has some pretty impressive coral and fish.

[mistergq]

Imho, the best snorkeling in the caribbean is western itineraries. I know there are those that will disagree with me, but I would say the best ports are as follows:

Roatan
Grand Cayman
Belize
Cozumel

I wish RCCL would have an itinerary that includes Grand Cayman and Roatan in the same sailing. Unfortunately, I have to do one or the other.

[tgwabd]

I found the snorkeling at Churches Bay in Bermuda to be fantastic, plenty of fish and a great variety, great coral and rock formations

[BeachChica]

[quote name='mistergq']Imho, the best snorkeling in the caribbean is western itineraries. I know there are those that will disagree with me, but I would say the best ports are as follows:

Roatan
Grand Cayman
Belize
Cozumel

I wish RCCL would have an itinerary that includes Grand Cayman and Roatan in the same sailing. Unfortunately, I have to do one or the other.[/quote]

mistergq - Where did you snorkel in Belize. This will be our 4th time there (leaving Sunday), we snorkeling once with Coral Breeze and did cave tubing twice. This year we wanted to do some great snorkeling again but I have yet to find anyone really say they've been anywhere amazing. We ended up booking a snorkeling excursion through the ship but I don't have high expectations. Just wondering where you had snorkeled.

Thank you! :)

[WB9DQU]

[quote name='BeachChica']mistergq - Where did you snorkel in Belize. This will be our 4th time there (leaving Sunday), we snorkeling once with Coral Breeze and did cave tubing twice. This year we wanted to do some great snorkeling again but I have yet to find anyone really say they've been anywhere amazing. We ended up booking a snorkeling excursion through the ship but I don't have high expectations. Just wondering where you had snorkeled.

Thank you! :)[/quote]
Get to shore ASAP. Walk to the left to the 2 Water Taxi companies.
Take the boat to Caye Caulker (about 35 min) for $25 round trip.
There are boats you can take to Marine Park or simply to the Reef. Similiar to your Coral Breeze Tour, but on your own. We hired a local in his small fishing boat to take us out to the reef for very little ($70)
Caye Caulker is really neat! You just walk down the main street and find someone. You can find a place to to eat a 3 LB Lobster lunch in season for $10. We loved it so much last September we went San Padro for a week in November

[WB9DQU]

[quote name='PinkJellyFish06']I snorkeled at a place in Roatan last summer called Fins & Flippers. I think that they have changed their name since then, but we LOVED snorkeling there. There was lots of coral & fish. Also, it is right off a beach. You chould either swim out from the beach or go down a pier & get in that way. The only thing is, in certain parts the water is really shallow. I accidently got into a shallow part & got a little scraped up by the coral. Other than that, I would def go back there.[/quote]
Totally agree. I think it is Maya Key now. Cindy Carter was the Mgr. Email them for a discount. We oonly paid $20pp last September. You will love the Monkey