Belize Snorkeling Excursion

[BEFdoc]

Hi CC Folks. I am interested in a Snorkeling excursion from Belize City. I heard here and other sites TA for example that Coral Breezes was good. So, I tried to email them a couple of times with no response. Anyone had any recent experience with them?

 

Thanks in advance for your answers and advice.

Edited June 23, 2015 by BEFdoc

[BEFdoc]

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[BEFdoc]

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[Armedaneian]

I never used Coral Breeze, because they made you wear a life vest... but, we have gone to the same island and reef they went to. You can simply take a ferryboat to Caye Caulker, where there are plenty of options to get out to the nearby reef. The 45 min. ferry can make for a tight schedule, depending on your port times, so do a quick internet search to find the ferryboat schedules and see whether or not this is feasible. It is a nice, fun trip... but, not nearly as relaxing as snorkeling off of Roatan. :cool:

[idlenote]

I've used Coral Breeze three times and always enjoyed it, the reef is wonderful, and then you have a stop at the rays and sharks on the way back to Cay Caulker for lunch, although I think they've dropped the lunch but you still get an hour on the island.

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Typically you leave at 10 and they have you back to the dock by three, the boat ride is about 45 minutes each way and you go through some of the outer islands and the mangroves. My only complaint would be that they have two boats, one is covered and the other is open, depending on the number of people on the trip you may get shade or you may not so take sunscreen.

 

If you don't want to wear a life jacket take an inflatable vest, I never snorkel without wearing one so it wasn't an issue, I believe it's a government requirement that you wear a flotation device since you're in a state park.

 

Normally when we go I snorkel and DW gets off at Cay Caulker and wanders around the island, then we link back up at lunchtime, she always has a great time. There are only a couple of vehicles on the island so it's walk or rent a golf cart.

Edited July 20, 2015 by idlenote
grammar

[Armedaneian]

I believe it's a government requirement that you wear a flotation device since you're in a state park.

 

I don't think there are any state parks near here... but, Hol Chan is a National park less than an hour away. That's not where Coral Breeze goes though. :confused:

 

In Belize, boats are required to have one flotation device for each person on board, but there's no law requiring swimmers to wear them. Although cruise lines and their vendors usually require them, that has more to do with lawyers and liability issues than laws or parks.

 

Reefs aren't just for tourists, they're for divers too. Whether its SCUBA Diving or Skin Diving, those who enjoy spending time underwater have to overcome buoyancy... and floatation devices are somewhat counter productive in that endeavor. ;)

[ABQrobin]

We are very experienced scuba divers (no diving this trip) so when my husband was told he had to wear the flotation device he almost blew a gasket. BUT the guy then told that you never have to inflate it. Problem solved. My husband was able to free-dive down whenever he wanted.

 

here he is...

 

vest was NEVER inflated... no problem.

 

 

So don't fret about having to wear the vest...

[Armedaneian]

So don't fret about having to wear the vest...

 

... unless you hate them! ;)

 

It's great that you don't mind them though.