snorkeling Great stirrup cay

[saxcop]

Great stirrup cay is NCL's private island. They do not offer diving there. They will charge $29.95 for a snorkel excusion off their beach.

 

advice:

1) take your own snorkel equipment, to include a vest. Then its free

2) their snorkel area sucks and is overloaded with snorkelers on a dead reef. with poor visability

 

3) as you are headed into the island on the tender look to the right. You will see a group of 3-4 large rock outcropings(50 yards off shore). In front of the rocks is a sandy beach. walk to this area. Beware that there is no life guard and you are on your own.

 

The area between the beach and the rocks had great visablity 75-100' where as the designated area was 30.

there are some craters lined with some small live corals. There was an abundance of colorful tropicals.(not a lot of live coral on this cay)

Bigger fish and skools can be found by the rocks. There is a steep drop off on the open ocean side of the rocks.

Local NCL lifeguard told me that sharks can sometimes be seen on the ocean side of the rocks. Which was why I went out there. He did not advise me to go but did not discourage me either.

I suspect that a large group of snorlelers there might not be what NCL wants. I was a bit sneeky.

This is shallow snorkeling 5-9' depth unless you go onto the ocean side. But you will be fairly far from land.

Dont go alone unless you are comfortable with that sort of thing. I am a master scuba diver.

[Denise&Paul STL]

I've been searching all day for just this kind of information. Thanks saxcop. Does anyone else out there have any updated info on snorkeling? Has diving been introduced there? I am going in a couple weeks (so long as the weather allows). Thanks!

[excalwop]

Thanks SAXCOP was hopping someone would post this info we will be there in 137 days:eek: . Was there any other sites up the shore line?

Paul