best snorkeling in the carribean

nature boy · 02/09/2012, 07:04 AM

Me and my wife are taking a 10 year anniversery vacation somewhere in the carribean. We are pretty much just picking and island. Where are the best snorkeling places for a couple of second time snorklers? We did a little on our honeymoom in Hawaii.

Doing a little research, it looks like andros island in the bahamas and then the cancun/cozumel area are pretty good. Any thoughts?

ryanlala · 02/09/2012, 01:00 PM

Look into Bonaire. It is the shore diving capital of the world, everything is 40 feet deep or less. However there isnt much to do there other than dive/snorkel and have some drinks at the resorts.

edward45 · 02/11/2012, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanlala

Look into Bonaire. It is the shore diving capital of the world, everything is 40 feet deep or less. However there isnt much to do there other than dive/snorkel and have some drinks at the resorts.

What more do you want to do.

Sounds like a perfect Vacation to me.

ackee · 02/12/2012, 01:06 PM

Curacao or St John, USVI. Both have great snorkeling from shore, important if you would rather not have to go through the hassle of being taken out far from shore for 30 or 40 minutes by a tourist boat, which is expensive and inconvenient. Both islands have interesting things to do and see topside. Both have wonderful soft sand beaches. St John is prettier, more laid back, natural, but requires a short ferry boat ride. Well worth it. Curacao is Dutch, has towns, much more infrastructure, direct flights, drier, not lush like St John. Fabulous snorkeling. The dry climate results in crystal clear water.

007Bond · 02/12/2012, 01:36 PM

You would love Turks & Caicos, Grace Bay is beautiful,white white sand and blue blue blue water there are areas 20' off the beach you can snorkel. Kind of lay back also. But $$$

mpongrac · 02/12/2012, 09:27 PM

Any good spots in Jamaica? Will be there in a year or so

keywestcoralboy · 02/28/2012, 08:22 PM

Long island, bahamas.. My favorite, I have dove worldwide both hemispheres and live in the waters of the florida keys.

iamjoefox · 03/20/2012, 11:46 AM

st thomas had great snorkeling right off the beach and st johns was a short ferry ride away, we actually camped there over night on the beach.

reefer31 · 03/26/2012, 10:57 PM

I am living in Grand Cayman for Vet school and so far I love the snorkeling/scuba here! Its pretty nice compared to other places in the caribbean. Great snorkel spots just off the beach and even awesome shore diving. The only downside is everything is expensive. But I guess everything will be on a student budget

. Take a look at little cayman or even cayman brac, great diving out there too.

mess7777 · 03/27/2012, 10:51 AM

I did some really nice snorkelling in Cuba last year....but I guess that is not really an option for many of you....

snorvich · 03/27/2012, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpongrac

Any good spots in Jamaica? Will be there in a year or so

IMO Jamaica is mediocre at best.

snorvich · 03/27/2012, 12:02 PM

St. Vincent, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands are all rather nice.

austin93 · 03/29/2012, 07:51 PM

Im looking into vi also for a 10 year anniv trip. Any info on Sugar Bay? Getting mixed reviews. Thanks. This is an awesome thread.

bounty · 04/04/2012, 07:48 PM

I just got back from a week in St. Thomas and several day trips to St. John. The snorkeling on St. John was nothing short of amazing. Highlight was seeing several groups of cuttlefish - interesting because I thought they were solitary creatures. Their color changing and swimming behavior are even more beautiful and fantastic in person.

Austin93: I stayed at Sugar Bay. My girlfriend and I both had a great time, but we didn't stay at the resort all that much. People that stayed there the majority of their time felt it was good, but were expecting better. I would agree with that. If I were to do it all over again, I would skip St. Thomas and spend my time on St. John. Much cleaner, less people, more beautiful, more natural, clearer water, and closer to the nicer beaches and snorkel spots. St. John is 2/3 National Park. I would look into staying in the Concordia Eco Tents - one of the studio rooms. Not quite all of the amenities of a resort, but not exactly "roughing it" either. Relatively affordable and secluded in a remote part of the island. Trunk Bay on St. John is constantly rated among the top beaches in the world. Saltwater pond is a great place to snorkel/dive with sea turtles.

It's hard to criticize anything about the snorkeling there, but if I could say one thing - there were incredibly beautiful fish there, but most lacked some of the more vibrant colors that you see in pictures from other parts of the globe.

Feel free to ask or PM me with any other questions. We made a lot of rookie mistakes and overpaid in some areas. If we did it all over again - it would be a much less expensive trip. We also did a few non-snorkeling activities that were surprisingly fun and memorable. We went into it blind, but came out with a very memorable vacation. This was our first time snorkeling and we loved it so much that we are planning our second vacation exclusively around the snorkeling.

TomBONAIRE · 04/06/2012, 08:27 PM

There are plenty of great spots throughout the Caribbean. Trunk Bay, St. John and Anegada, BVI are wonderful, but IMO the true gem is Bonaire.

You could spend a month snorkeling there. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...k-Bonaire.html

kryptic4l · 04/10/2012, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mess7777

I did some really nice snorkelling in Cuba last year....but I guess that is not really an option for many of you....

<<---- this... cuba snorkelling was stellar were i was at

JimW · 05/08/2012, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomBONAIRE

There are plenty of great spots throughout the Caribbean. Trunk Bay, St. John and Anegada, BVI are wonderful, but IMO the true gem is Bonaire.

You could spend a month snorkeling there. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...k-Bonaire.html

Just returned from Bonaire, and agree with Tom. Could not find a bad spot on the west side of this amazing island! Beware of a lack of sand, if that is what you need. Underwater is awesome.

Dragon moray ki · 05/31/2012, 04:00 PM

I recommend ambergis cay belieze. They have Great divinfpg shops and hotels.

WEBBERIII · 06/05/2012, 05:30 PM

Go to Costa Rica and swing down to Panama !!! We took a trip down there not that long ago. Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica is the best surf town anywhere in my opinion. In Panama we stayed on Bostimentos island right next to Bocas Del Toro. I have a very good friend who lives there and rents out bungalows, his place is called "The Point", its right on the point of the island. All I can say is TIME OF MY LIFE. Diving,snorkleing,surfing,kayaking,fishing,drinking,drinking,eating,drinking. There are red frogs,blue butterflies,monkeys in the trees,iguanas running around and crystal clear water, its crazy down there. Plus everything is cheap!!! I'll try to post some pics on my page.

liverock · 06/13/2012, 09:37 AM

This place is amazing!

http://www.huracandiving.com

Helfrichs Chic · 07/04/2012, 05:36 PM

Heading to USVI (St. Croix) for a month for a pre move visit. I heard the wall at Cane Bay is awesome and you can snorkel and dive from shore. Just bought a SWEET underwater camera set up that costs me more than the damn plane tickets... stay tuned. I will post LOTS of pics lol.

Um Im sorry just saw the OP posted back in Feb LOL!

King Nine · 07/06/2012, 03:11 PM

Just went to St John last year. Went to a new beach and snorkeled every day for a week. It was fantastic! I would highly recommend it and also check into VISNUBA.com. Snuba is snorkeling with a air 20' air hose instead of a 12" tube. It was soo easy and the freedom to swim with the fishies and coral was amazing!!!

We stayed on St John at the Westin. It has a pretty white sand beach but that is about it. Not a good beach to swim in really. We only used it for a home base because we didn't know any better. Next time we will use VRBO and rent a house for a week and save our money for better things.

I'm heading to Playa Del Carmen this year and hope it can compare to St John. I had so much fun with the Snuba I'm looking into it there as well.

Chaucer · 07/10/2012, 08:22 AM

Bonaire is a great destination. Wall dives are amazing and shore dives or swims are 1st rate.

jsims08 · 07/17/2012, 02:04 PM

Turks & Caicos were nice when we went, i've heard the virgin islands are amazing as well

JRoweNole · 07/19/2012, 01:59 PM

I grew up in Florida, have been to the Keys, Belize, Cancun, Cozumel, Jamaica.

Just got back from Elbow Cay and the out islands of Abacos, Bahamas - unbelievable!!

The coral reef that is in this area is part of the 3rd largest barrier reef in the world. We rented a 23 foot center console for the week (this is the thing you do there), and my wife and I snorkeled 4 different reef areas all within 30 minutes of Elbow Cay.

02/09/2012, 07:04 AM	#1
nature boy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sioux Falls, SD Posts: 112	best snorkeling in the carribean Me and my wife are taking a 10 year anniversery vacation somewhere in the carribean. We are pretty much just picking and island. Where are the best snorkeling places for a couple of second time snorklers? We did a little on our honeymoom in Hawaii. Doing a little research, it looks like andros island in the bahamas and then the cancun/cozumel area are pretty good. Any thoughts? __________________ Dustin Current Tank Info: 270g reef in progress, 90g planted, 2000g pond

02/09/2012, 01:00 PM	#2
ryanlala Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Lake Jackson, TX Posts: 142	Look into Bonaire. It is the shore diving capital of the world, everything is 40 feet deep or less. However there isnt much to do there other than dive/snorkel and have some drinks at the resorts. __________________ Ryan anything cool costs alot of money.... Current Tank Info: 120g Marineland, 40g breeder sump, Vertex Alpha 170 skimmer, Mag 12 Pump, 2 MP 40s, 2 250watt DE MH in Lumen Max 3 Reflectors, 4 54watt t5s overdriven by icecap 660, and No Heat Problems!

02/28/2012, 08:22 PM	#7
keywestcoralboy Executive water changer Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 214	Long island, bahamas.. My favorite, I have dove worldwide both hemispheres and live in the waters of the florida keys. __________________ 70 nm commute to Tortuga, but whose stopping at Tortuga? Current Tank Info: 150 gal reef, 65 gal reef, 8 gal bio cube reef.... dedication to the game

03/27/2012, 12:02 PM	#12
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	St. Vincent, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands are all rather nice. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

03/29/2012, 07:51 PM	#13
austin93 Don't Panic! Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Trenton, MO Posts: 757	Im looking into vi also for a 10 year anniv trip. Any info on Sugar Bay? Getting mixed reviews. Thanks. This is an awesome thread. __________________ DON'T PANIC! Current Tank Info: 30 Rimless

02/12/2012, 01:06 PM	#4
ackee Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 421	Curacao or St John, USVI. Both have great snorkeling from shore, important if you would rather not have to go through the hassle of being taken out far from shore for 30 or 40 minutes by a tourist boat, which is expensive and inconvenient. Both islands have interesting things to do and see topside. Both have wonderful soft sand beaches. St John is prettier, more laid back, natural, but requires a short ferry boat ride. Well worth it. Curacao is Dutch, has towns, much more infrastructure, direct flights, drier, not lush like St John. Fabulous snorkeling. The dry climate results in crystal clear water.

02/12/2012, 01:36 PM	#5
007Bond Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Sylvania,Ohio Posts: 1,925	You would love Turks & Caicos, Grace Bay is beautiful,white white sand and blue blue blue water there are areas 20' off the beach you can snorkel. Kind of lay back also. But $$$

02/12/2012, 09:27 PM	#6
mpongrac Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 53	Any good spots in Jamaica? Will be there in a year or so

03/20/2012, 11:46 AM	#8
iamjoefox Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Brigantine, NJ Posts: 101	st thomas had great snorkeling right off the beach and st johns was a short ferry ride away, we actually camped there over night on the beach.

03/26/2012, 10:57 PM	#9
reefer31 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Utah Posts: 561	I am living in Grand Cayman for Vet school and so far I love the snorkeling/scuba here! Its pretty nice compared to other places in the caribbean. Great snorkel spots just off the beach and even awesome shore diving. The only downside is everything is expensive. But I guess everything will be on a student budget . Take a look at little cayman or even cayman brac, great diving out there too.

03/27/2012, 10:51 AM	#10
mess7777 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: QC,QC Posts: 987	I did some really nice snorkelling in Cuba last year....but I guess that is not really an option for many of you....

04/04/2012, 07:48 PM	#14
bounty Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1	I just got back from a week in St. Thomas and several day trips to St. John. The snorkeling on St. John was nothing short of amazing. Highlight was seeing several groups of cuttlefish - interesting because I thought they were solitary creatures. Their color changing and swimming behavior are even more beautiful and fantastic in person. Austin93: I stayed at Sugar Bay. My girlfriend and I both had a great time, but we didn't stay at the resort all that much. People that stayed there the majority of their time felt it was good, but were expecting better. I would agree with that. If I were to do it all over again, I would skip St. Thomas and spend my time on St. John. Much cleaner, less people, more beautiful, more natural, clearer water, and closer to the nicer beaches and snorkel spots. St. John is 2/3 National Park. I would look into staying in the Concordia Eco Tents - one of the studio rooms. Not quite all of the amenities of a resort, but not exactly "roughing it" either. Relatively affordable and secluded in a remote part of the island. Trunk Bay on St. John is constantly rated among the top beaches in the world. Saltwater pond is a great place to snorkel/dive with sea turtles. It's hard to criticize anything about the snorkeling there, but if I could say one thing - there were incredibly beautiful fish there, but most lacked some of the more vibrant colors that you see in pictures from other parts of the globe. Feel free to ask or PM me with any other questions. We made a lot of rookie mistakes and overpaid in some areas. If we did it all over again - it would be a much less expensive trip. We also did a few non-snorkeling activities that were surprisingly fun and memorable. We went into it blind, but came out with a very memorable vacation. This was our first time snorkeling and we loved it so much that we are planning our second vacation exclusively around the snorkeling.

04/06/2012, 08:27 PM	#15
TomBONAIRE Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 82	There are plenty of great spots throughout the Caribbean. Trunk Bay, St. John and Anegada, BVI are wonderful, but IMO the true gem is Bonaire. You could spend a month snorkeling there. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...k-Bonaire.html __________________ -Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things... Current Tank Info: It's all in my head right now, and it's great!!!

05/31/2012, 04:00 PM	#18
Dragon moray ki Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Alabama Posts: 1,236	I recommend ambergis cay belieze. They have Great divinfpg shops and hotels. __________________ "He who changes the water also picks the fish." MrTuskfish David aka sandy (ask the loungers.) Current Tank Info: 600 gallon Green moray tank connected to 400 gallon shark pond. 90 gallon mixed reef

06/05/2012, 05:30 PM	#19
WEBBERIII Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Laguna Beach CA Posts: 28	Go to Costa Rica and swing down to Panama !!! We took a trip down there not that long ago. Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica is the best surf town anywhere in my opinion. In Panama we stayed on Bostimentos island right next to Bocas Del Toro. I have a very good friend who lives there and rents out bungalows, his place is called "The Point", its right on the point of the island. All I can say is TIME OF MY LIFE. Diving,snorkleing,surfing,kayaking,fishing,drinking,drinking,eating,drinking. There are red frogs,blue butterflies,monkeys in the trees,iguanas running around and crystal clear water, its crazy down there. Plus everything is cheap!!! I'll try to post some pics on my page.

06/13/2012, 09:37 AM	#20
liverock RC Sponsor Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Tampa Posts: 3,836	Best I have ever seen, worldwide! This place is amazing! http://www.huracandiving.com

07/04/2012, 05:36 PM	#21
Helfrichs Chic Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: St. Thomas USVI Posts: 2,791	Heading to USVI (St. Croix) for a month for a pre move visit. I heard the wall at Cane Bay is awesome and you can snorkel and dive from shore. Just bought a SWEET underwater camera set up that costs me more than the damn plane tickets... stay tuned. I will post LOTS of pics lol. Um Im sorry just saw the OP posted back in Feb LOL!

07/06/2012, 03:11 PM	#22
King Nine Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Beaumont, TX Posts: 634	Just went to St John last year. Went to a new beach and snorkeled every day for a week. It was fantastic! I would highly recommend it and also check into VISNUBA.com. Snuba is snorkeling with a air 20' air hose instead of a 12" tube. It was soo easy and the freedom to swim with the fishies and coral was amazing!!! We stayed on St John at the Westin. It has a pretty white sand beach but that is about it. Not a good beach to swim in really. We only used it for a home base because we didn't know any better. Next time we will use VRBO and rent a house for a week and save our money for better things. I'm heading to Playa Del Carmen this year and hope it can compare to St John. I had so much fun with the Snuba I'm looking into it there as well. __________________ "That's a negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full." Current Tank Info: 125 Reef. Photon LED Lighting

07/10/2012, 08:22 AM	#23
Chaucer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Indiana, USA, Earth Posts: 54	Bonaire is a great destination. Wall dives are amazing and shore dives or swims are 1st rate.

07/17/2012, 02:04 PM	#24
jsims08 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Fl Posts: 54	Turks & Caicos were nice when we went, i've heard the virgin islands are amazing as well

07/19/2012, 01:59 PM	#25
JRoweNole Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kennesaw, Georgia Posts: 324	I grew up in Florida, have been to the Keys, Belize, Cancun, Cozumel, Jamaica. Just got back from Elbow Cay and the out islands of Abacos, Bahamas - unbelievable!! The coral reef that is in this area is part of the 3rd largest barrier reef in the world. We rented a 23 foot center console for the week (this is the thing you do there), and my wife and I snorkeled 4 different reef areas all within 30 minutes of Elbow Cay.