My wife and I enjoy snorkeling. Our life quest is to find the best beach and snorkeling spot in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.
In the past I gave my top ten water adventures in the Caribbean and Florida. I have been lucky enough to visit the Caribbean Islands many times and at this time have built up a collection of favorite places to snorkel that I name pops Top Ten Snorkeling Sites in the Caribbean.
Here ya go. These are not in any specific order.
1. Barbados, Snorkeling Wrecks
Most recently my wife and I flew to Barbados, a new route on JetBlue Air. We read up a bit and found they did have some snorkeling there but wasn't noted for it. Fortunately they had the best wreck snorkeling I have been privy to see in the Caribbean.
We did that swim twice. We found out which beach the wrecks were near. It was quite close to the port town of Bridgetown. We parked, walked onto the clean white sands, put on our gear and after perhaps a hundred yard swim out found our first wreck.
It was a very cool experience. The wrecks are but a twenty foot swim down so my wife got some pictures of my free-diving below. Very cool!
We made our way around and discovered another wreck and by the time we arrived at the third one the seas were kicking up a little bit of bottom silt so the view wasn't perfect. In fact it kinda freaked out my wife thinking some of those ghostly figures from the Pirates of the Caribbean film were going to come out after us.
We did manage to make our way to all five wrecks. The next day however we decided to do them again but this time with a tour outfit that added another very cool stop. See #10 later.
If anyone wants more specifics on where the wrecks are and how to get to them feel free to email me.
2. Turks and Caicos, Grace Bay
My wife and I went to Turks & Caicos last year. We found some great snorkeling on this island and well run excursions. It's now in my top three destinations along with St John, USVI and Barbados.
What I liked about Turks and Caicos was swimming with rays, turtles and over beautiful flora by swimming right out from the beach. One was about a twenty minute walk from our hotel and the other was a car ride but still right off the beach of the famed and not over-rated Grace Bay. The other pleasure is that there were hardly any other people swimming in the areas. It was all ours!
3. Trunk Bay, St John US Virgin Islands
Trunk Bay is noted for it's underwater snorkeling trail. It's a good one for beginner snorkelers because its a short easy swim right from the beach. Getting in and out of the water is easy. Once acclimated a snorkeler can break away from the trail and make their way toward a small island just yards away.
Trunks Bay has facilities including a food concession, showers and toilets. This is one of the few beaches where there is an admission fee, not much though. I suggest this to anyone who is first visiting the island and for beginner snorkelers.
4. Water Lemon Key St John US Virgin Islands
Water Lemon Key is just a fifteen minute or so drive from town via a rental car or by taxis that run the shore all day long.
This is near the ruins of a Dutch mill. A mile or so walk along the shore takes a swimmer perhaps a hundred yards from Water Lemon Key. We swam the distance across to the island one time instead of taking the loop that brings one closer. Only stronger swimmers should go that way over deeper waters.
The seas all around the Key are full of different kinds of sea creatures. We saw many sea turtles and rays in the sea grasses on the northern side of the island over a period of days. More south and east were huge star fish on the sea bottom. We also saw many squid here too. Circumnavigating the island can be a bit rough for a novice if the trade winds are blowing hard. The unprotected waters get a bit more rough. The assortment of fish however, is worth a swim too, if not spooked by the darker areas and rocky outcrops. This is perhaps one of our favorite hikes and snorkel places to enjoy.
A few times we would be engulfed in schools of tiny fish that took a while to swim through as they were near one hundred feet of swimming little animals. At one point they all scattered in front of me, but from the other direction. I was suddenly face to face with a barracuda. Very cool! Scary too. This is my favorite place to snorkel that is right from a beach.
5. The Baths, British Virgin Islands
We read about the "Baths" and had to take a look. An excursion left from St Thomas, made a stop at St. John and continued it's way to the BVI. We did have to have passports.
A bus took us from the entrance station to the Bath's National Park, BVI. A walk of a hundred yards or more brought us down to a lovely beach with lockers and facilities. We donned our gear and for four hours explored the amazing "Baths". This is an area with huge boulders that have been smoothed to a gentle roundness. They are toppled over each other in such a way that they can be walked under and small pools of water are captured in some areas. It's like nothing else I had ever seen. The walks under the boulders and swimming out among them was amazing. we found abundant sea life and the formations were haunting and interesting. This is a place everyone should try and see at least once in their lives.
6. Buck Island, St. Croix, USVI
Buck Island is reachable through boat excursions by licenced captains. It is off the coast of St Croix, the least visited of the three US Virgin Islands. They usually take people out for half day or full day trips. I wish we took the full day.
We were expecting more only because the hype has it listed as one of the top snorkeling spots in the world! Due to recent hurricanes, it may no longer hold that title. It is however, an amazing place to snorkel and is in my top five best places to snorkel. The boats take the group to an underwater trail. Unlike the one at Trunk bay on St Thomas, this one offers more for the experienced snorkeler. The formations are larger and the water deeper. This is all done from a boat. We checked out the trail and did some exploring on our own. Pretty cool.
Part of the excursion took us onto the island where we could wander or snorkel off the beach. We walked the most beautiful stretch of sand I have ever seen on any beach anywhere. Another winner.
7. Nassau, Snorkeling With Sharks, Bahamas
I've been to the Bahamas three times now. The second time had me hooked. We took a half day snorkeling trip with Stuart Cove's Aqua Adventures. It was a blast!
They first took us to one of the clearest and cleanest waters we ever were in. The coral, fans and fish were abundant and colourful It was a little deeper than I like at about 12-20 feet but the views were incredible. They then too us to an equally as interesting spot. We were so interested in the flora and fauna that we never even checked out the wreck that we were near.
The third part of this excursion was really cool. Our last stop brought us back south. This is where we received very specific instruction as to what our limits in the water are with live shark swimming some twenty to thirty feet beneath us circling a wire crate that was lowered by our crew member. The crate holds chunks of fish to attract the sharks.
Though I never felt any great thrill or feeling of really being among the abundant sharks that were just below us, it was still pretty cool watching them circling the food. It was like being at a zoo when the lions are pacing just before feeding time only here the animals were below us with nothing but water in between.
After everyone was aboard the crate was brought to the surface and the sharks continued circling it to the surface. The crate was opened and chunks of the fish were thrown onto the water's surface. It was exciting watching them make their moves to the food. The skillful maneuvering had dorsal fins break the surface and with quick moves the sharks gobbled up the bait. I suppose it was what we understand as a feeding frenzy. It was quite exciting. The day was perfect with the combo of fine clear water and colourful fauna snorkeling mixed with the splashing antics of the hungry sharks later.
Update. we did this trip again and the sharks are now swimming among those watching them. Wow! What a thrill. That said, I may never try that one again.
8. Akumel, Mexico; The Place of the Turtles
On our last trip to Mexico my wife and I made a deal with a local boat owner who promised us excellent snorkeling at a good price. That's the day we found Akumel. The name means "place of the turtles."
The captain took us a few miles from our resort and made a stop in front of a stretch of beach. There we were treated to wonderful snorkeling with an abundance of fish, fine fans and coral and best of all, for my wife, sea turtles. She spent most of one hour with her "turtle family" as she called them . It was a very large, large, and small turtle that stayed together in a grassy area munching away and not bothered by our presence.
This was a remarkable moment for her. I watched them a while too but then adventured more making many fine undersea discoveries that I wished I shared with her but she stuck with her family. Next trip dow we will be going to Akumel again.
Also in Akumel but in a different area is another fine snorkeling area but quite different. It was Yal Ku lagoon. It's an interesting setting with statues and greenery along the shore and small islands close by. The waters have some fish but nothing that grand. Some of the underwater formations were of interest but some of the waters were a bit cloudy. That said though, the whole setting made for a unique and satisfying day so if in Akumel for the turtles a short side trip there is a good stop.
9. Cozumel,
My wife and I snorkeled Cozumel twice. They weren't our favorite snorkeling trips but I believe worth some mention. It's a very different kind of snorkeling experience. First I have to say that the Mexicans do not know what they are losing as they let so many foreigners trample their assets. There seems to be little regard as to explaining to people the importance of staying off coral.
Anyways Cozumel has part of one of the worlds longest reef, second only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, just off its shores. It's considered one of the best places for diving in the world. Though it is also hailed as tops for snorkeling too, I haven't found it.
There are two reasons why I find it good but not great. The first is that much of the reef is beyond the 12-16 foot distance I think of as ideal. We were taken to specific areas that were supposedly best for snorkelers on our last trip but they weren't as shallow as we like.
The second reason I don't care for it as much is because the swimmer is always drifting. The currents move the swimmer and there is no way to simple hover an area and study it a while, letting the fish get used to your presence and coming out more.
Having said all that, I can see the draw for divers. The walls were amazing to look at and there are all kinds of fish to spot and swim with. I do some free diving and I can get down for a while. I loved that part of it. Unfortunately my wife doesn't so she was restricted in her two experiences there.
10. Barbados, Swimming With the Turtles
A snorkeling/dive tour company, Dive Barbados Blue, took us out to "Swim with the turtles." We have had a venture of doing the same with stingrays in the Cayman Islands but this was different. We were snorkeling and I was able to free dive and get a good close look at these magnificent huge creatures from underneath and even with them.
The guides were feeding the turtles some kind of fish that the green turtles seemed to love. There were little babies, mamas and a big papa or two. A few rays were also out looking for the free lunch. We managed some fine photos and the site managed to make it into my pops Top Ten Snorkeling Sites in the Caribbean.
In the past I gave my top ten water adventures in the Caribbean and Florida. I have been lucky enough to visit the Caribbean Islands many times and at this time have built up a collection of favorite places to snorkel that I name pops Top Ten Snorkeling Sites in the Caribbean.
Here ya go. These are not in any specific order.
1. Barbados, Snorkeling Wrecks
Most recently my wife and I flew to Barbados, a new route on JetBlue Air. We read up a bit and found they did have some snorkeling there but wasn't noted for it. Fortunately they had the best wreck snorkeling I have been privy to see in the Caribbean.
We did that swim twice. We found out which beach the wrecks were near. It was quite close to the port town of Bridgetown. We parked, walked onto the clean white sands, put on our gear and after perhaps a hundred yard swim out found our first wreck.
It was a very cool experience. The wrecks are but a twenty foot swim down so my wife got some pictures of my free-diving below. Very cool!
We made our way around and discovered another wreck and by the time we arrived at the third one the seas were kicking up a little bit of bottom silt so the view wasn't perfect. In fact it kinda freaked out my wife thinking some of those ghostly figures from the Pirates of the Caribbean film were going to come out after us.
We did manage to make our way to all five wrecks. The next day however we decided to do them again but this time with a tour outfit that added another very cool stop. See #10 later.
If anyone wants more specifics on where the wrecks are and how to get to them feel free to email me.
2. Turks and Caicos, Grace Bay
My wife and I went to Turks & Caicos last year. We found some great snorkeling on this island and well run excursions. It's now in my top three destinations along with St John, USVI and Barbados.
What I liked about Turks and Caicos was swimming with rays, turtles and over beautiful flora by swimming right out from the beach. One was about a twenty minute walk from our hotel and the other was a car ride but still right off the beach of the famed and not over-rated Grace Bay. The other pleasure is that there were hardly any other people swimming in the areas. It was all ours!
3. Trunk Bay, St John US Virgin Islands
Trunk Bay is noted for it's underwater snorkeling trail. It's a good one for beginner snorkelers because its a short easy swim right from the beach. Getting in and out of the water is easy. Once acclimated a snorkeler can break away from the trail and make their way toward a small island just yards away.
Trunks Bay has facilities including a food concession, showers and toilets. This is one of the few beaches where there is an admission fee, not much though. I suggest this to anyone who is first visiting the island and for beginner snorkelers.
4. Water Lemon Key St John US Virgin Islands
Water Lemon Key is just a fifteen minute or so drive from town via a rental car or by taxis that run the shore all day long.
This is near the ruins of a Dutch mill. A mile or so walk along the shore takes a swimmer perhaps a hundred yards from Water Lemon Key. We swam the distance across to the island one time instead of taking the loop that brings one closer. Only stronger swimmers should go that way over deeper waters.
The seas all around the Key are full of different kinds of sea creatures. We saw many sea turtles and rays in the sea grasses on the northern side of the island over a period of days. More south and east were huge star fish on the sea bottom. We also saw many squid here too. Circumnavigating the island can be a bit rough for a novice if the trade winds are blowing hard. The unprotected waters get a bit more rough. The assortment of fish however, is worth a swim too, if not spooked by the darker areas and rocky outcrops. This is perhaps one of our favorite hikes and snorkel places to enjoy.
A few times we would be engulfed in schools of tiny fish that took a while to swim through as they were near one hundred feet of swimming little animals. At one point they all scattered in front of me, but from the other direction. I was suddenly face to face with a barracuda. Very cool! Scary too. This is my favorite place to snorkel that is right from a beach.
5. The Baths, British Virgin Islands
We read about the "Baths" and had to take a look. An excursion left from St Thomas, made a stop at St. John and continued it's way to the BVI. We did have to have passports.
A bus took us from the entrance station to the Bath's National Park, BVI. A walk of a hundred yards or more brought us down to a lovely beach with lockers and facilities. We donned our gear and for four hours explored the amazing "Baths". This is an area with huge boulders that have been smoothed to a gentle roundness. They are toppled over each other in such a way that they can be walked under and small pools of water are captured in some areas. It's like nothing else I had ever seen. The walks under the boulders and swimming out among them was amazing. we found abundant sea life and the formations were haunting and interesting. This is a place everyone should try and see at least once in their lives.
6. Buck Island, St. Croix, USVI
Buck Island is reachable through boat excursions by licenced captains. It is off the coast of St Croix, the least visited of the three US Virgin Islands. They usually take people out for half day or full day trips. I wish we took the full day.
We were expecting more only because the hype has it listed as one of the top snorkeling spots in the world! Due to recent hurricanes, it may no longer hold that title. It is however, an amazing place to snorkel and is in my top five best places to snorkel. The boats take the group to an underwater trail. Unlike the one at Trunk bay on St Thomas, this one offers more for the experienced snorkeler. The formations are larger and the water deeper. This is all done from a boat. We checked out the trail and did some exploring on our own. Pretty cool.
Part of the excursion took us onto the island where we could wander or snorkel off the beach. We walked the most beautiful stretch of sand I have ever seen on any beach anywhere. Another winner.
7. Nassau, Snorkeling With Sharks, Bahamas
I've been to the Bahamas three times now. The second time had me hooked. We took a half day snorkeling trip with Stuart Cove's Aqua Adventures. It was a blast!
They first took us to one of the clearest and cleanest waters we ever were in. The coral, fans and fish were abundant and colourful It was a little deeper than I like at about 12-20 feet but the views were incredible. They then too us to an equally as interesting spot. We were so interested in the flora and fauna that we never even checked out the wreck that we were near.
The third part of this excursion was really cool. Our last stop brought us back south. This is where we received very specific instruction as to what our limits in the water are with live shark swimming some twenty to thirty feet beneath us circling a wire crate that was lowered by our crew member. The crate holds chunks of fish to attract the sharks.
Though I never felt any great thrill or feeling of really being among the abundant sharks that were just below us, it was still pretty cool watching them circling the food. It was like being at a zoo when the lions are pacing just before feeding time only here the animals were below us with nothing but water in between.
After everyone was aboard the crate was brought to the surface and the sharks continued circling it to the surface. The crate was opened and chunks of the fish were thrown onto the water's surface. It was exciting watching them make their moves to the food. The skillful maneuvering had dorsal fins break the surface and with quick moves the sharks gobbled up the bait. I suppose it was what we understand as a feeding frenzy. It was quite exciting. The day was perfect with the combo of fine clear water and colourful fauna snorkeling mixed with the splashing antics of the hungry sharks later.
Update. we did this trip again and the sharks are now swimming among those watching them. Wow! What a thrill. That said, I may never try that one again.
8. Akumel, Mexico; The Place of the Turtles
On our last trip to Mexico my wife and I made a deal with a local boat owner who promised us excellent snorkeling at a good price. That's the day we found Akumel. The name means "place of the turtles."
The captain took us a few miles from our resort and made a stop in front of a stretch of beach. There we were treated to wonderful snorkeling with an abundance of fish, fine fans and coral and best of all, for my wife, sea turtles. She spent most of one hour with her "turtle family" as she called them . It was a very large, large, and small turtle that stayed together in a grassy area munching away and not bothered by our presence.
This was a remarkable moment for her. I watched them a while too but then adventured more making many fine undersea discoveries that I wished I shared with her but she stuck with her family. Next trip dow we will be going to Akumel again.
Also in Akumel but in a different area is another fine snorkeling area but quite different. It was Yal Ku lagoon. It's an interesting setting with statues and greenery along the shore and small islands close by. The waters have some fish but nothing that grand. Some of the underwater formations were of interest but some of the waters were a bit cloudy. That said though, the whole setting made for a unique and satisfying day so if in Akumel for the turtles a short side trip there is a good stop.
9. Cozumel,
My wife and I snorkeled Cozumel twice. They weren't our favorite snorkeling trips but I believe worth some mention. It's a very different kind of snorkeling experience. First I have to say that the Mexicans do not know what they are losing as they let so many foreigners trample their assets. There seems to be little regard as to explaining to people the importance of staying off coral.
Anyways Cozumel has part of one of the worlds longest reef, second only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, just off its shores. It's considered one of the best places for diving in the world. Though it is also hailed as tops for snorkeling too, I haven't found it.
There are two reasons why I find it good but not great. The first is that much of the reef is beyond the 12-16 foot distance I think of as ideal. We were taken to specific areas that were supposedly best for snorkelers on our last trip but they weren't as shallow as we like.
The second reason I don't care for it as much is because the swimmer is always drifting. The currents move the swimmer and there is no way to simple hover an area and study it a while, letting the fish get used to your presence and coming out more.
Having said all that, I can see the draw for divers. The walls were amazing to look at and there are all kinds of fish to spot and swim with. I do some free diving and I can get down for a while. I loved that part of it. Unfortunately my wife doesn't so she was restricted in her two experiences there.
10. Barbados, Swimming With the Turtles
A snorkeling/dive tour company, Dive Barbados Blue, took us out to "Swim with the turtles." We have had a venture of doing the same with stingrays in the Cayman Islands but this was different. We were snorkeling and I was able to free dive and get a good close look at these magnificent huge creatures from underneath and even with them.
The guides were feeding the turtles some kind of fish that the green turtles seemed to love. There were little babies, mamas and a big papa or two. A few rays were also out looking for the free lunch. We managed some fine photos and the site managed to make it into my pops Top Ten Snorkeling Sites in the Caribbean.
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