Caribbean snorkelling

[Jenny AB]

My husband and I would like to visit the caribbean (again!), but want to know where the best and most accessible snorkelling is.

We have heard that the Caymen Islands are very good for this, but have found it a bit expensive.

We have been considering Grenada, Antigua, Barbados (again, expensive), Bermuda and the Bahamas (yes, I know, not strictly speaking the Caribbean!).

I know none of these are cheap, but reasonable will suffice. And what we really want is a hotel on or very near the beach with a very good house reef, which can be reached by a short swim (as my hubby is not a very confident swimmer) straight off the beach.

Can anyone help?

And, by the way, who said snorkelling is boring? We tried scuba diving (we took a PADI course) and much prefer the freedom of snorkelling!

[Keith Lawrence]

Hi Jenny

For about the same cost as the Caribbean have you considered the Maldives? That has got to be about the best snorkelling going, get away from the local Male islands and the house reefs are brilliant. Straight off the beech and it's just teaming, we saw octopus, rays, sharks and just about everything else whilst snorkelling.

The Caribbean is a bit more difficult, the big sandy bays much loved by the hotels do not make good snorkelling, head for the edges and the rocky outcrops. From your list we've been to Grenada and Antigua. Of the two I'd put Antigua (where we stayed) for the best beech snorkelling, personally though I prefer Grenada as a nicer island with better diving/snorkelling if you get on a boat.

On Antigua we stayed up on Deep Bay (North West), that is excellent beech snorkelling when the vis is OK! You can tour the entire bay with a snorkel, we say numerous lobsters, rays, even a nurse shark about 20m off the beech. In the mouth of the bay is a wreck in about 10m that is a damn good snorkel.

I'd still say go to the Maldives for the best snorkelling though :)

HTH

Keith L

[Lookup]

Dear Jenny,
you should come to Eleuthera, Bahamas
If you go snorkeling on the Caribbean side everything is small and manageable. The water is shallow and you can snorkel right out to the reef where you will see a green moray eel, grunts, snapper, yellow- tails, small grouper, barracuda, houndfish, rays, hogfish, mutton fish, blue angel fish, small king angel fish. If you are lucky you will see a turtle. It is very unlikely a shark will pass by. Particularly in August the dolphins come right in close and play in the bay. BA do good deals off-season to Nassau, you take Bahamasair to RSD Rock Sound. I know some great houses on the beach which are self-catering.

If you go on the Altantic side (only 3 km across the island) it will blow your mind. Everything is much bigger and the water is more powerfull. Dont be surprised if a 4 to 5 ft barracuda accompanies you! They dont do anything except hope youre going to spear something for them! Be out of the water before 16:30 hrs because you will see sharks, grey reef or mako cruising along the shore after 17.00hrs. The best time is 10.00hrs to 15.00hrs and reefs are right up close to the beach so you can easily go back in!http://www.bahamasbay.com/Activities/Snorkeling/snorkeling.html

[sharkhunter]

Dear Jenny,
you should come to Eleuthera, Bahamas
If you go snorkeling on the Caribbean side everything is small and manageable. The water is shallow and you can snorkel right out to the reef where you will see a green moray eel, grunts, snapper, yellow- tails, small grouper, barracuda, houndfish, rays, hogfish, mutton fish, blue angel fish, small king angel fish. If you are lucky you will see a turtle. It is very unlikely a shark will pass by. Particularly in August the dolphins come right in close and play in the bay. BA do good deals off-season to Nassau, you take Bahamasair to RSD Rock Sound. I know some great houses on the beach which are self-catering.

If you go on the Altantic side (only 3 km across the island) it will blow your mind. Everything is much bigger and the water is more powerfull. Dont be surprised if a 4 to 5 ft barracuda accompanies you! They dont do anything except hope youre going to spear something for them! Be out of the water before 16:30 hrs because you will see sharks, grey reef or mako cruising along the shore after 17.00hrs. The best time is 10.00hrs to 15.00hrs and reefs are right up close to the beach so you can easily go back in!http://www.bahamasbay.com/Activities/Snorkeling/snorkeling.html

Snorkeling sounds AMAZING!!!! :cool: Me, I'd still be in the water at 17:00hrs camera in hand waiting for the sharks to turn up.......Mako to, WOW, that's on my list to see...... :eek: Do you get Tiger sharks as well??? (another top shark on my list of must see/dive with)

We have not long got back form a shark diving trip in Nassau with Stuart Cove, it was EXCELLENT!!!! My favourite place used to be Vilamenhdoo in the Maldives, but the Bahamas is just something else, sharks everywhere and up close and personal....just so cool!!. :cool: Put it this way we are going back later this year, a week in Nassau and a week on Grand Bahamas.......shark diving naturally, oh and dolphin diving. I'm just missing those guy's in the grey suits to much, life is just got to dull without them!! Can't wait!! :D

I looked on the website, but no mention of diving, is it available there? Hope so, Eleuthera sounds a cool place to me. More info please. :confused:

Here are some pictures from my Bahamas trip
http://www.creativestudio.net/bsac_photos/sharks_1.jpg

[bn wade]

Bonaire has huge variety of sites with lots of fish right of the beach or road.
West Bay Beach on Roatan has phenomenal beachfront snorkelling - great coral walls and gardens - look into Bananarama Resort. St. John, US Virgin Islands has some very good snorkelling but not off of hotel fronted beaches. YOu can't go wrong with any of those three. Also, look into Akumal, Mexico and vicinity as well as Curacao.
Hope this helps,
Neil

[sallie]

Snorkeling sounds AMAZING!!!! :cool: Me, I'd still be in the water at 17:00hrs camera in hand waiting for the sharks to turn up.......Mako to, WOW, that's on my list to see...... :eek: Do you get Tiger sharks as well??? (another top shark on my list of must see/dive with)

Here are some pictures from my Bahamas trip
http://www.creativestudio.net/bsac_photos/sharks_1.jpg

My god they are great pictures how lucky are you. :) I hope one day to go diving in the Bahamas. Been to South Africa but that was in aquarium ( me new diver)