Fantastic tour - Sharks rays and snorkling

Just got back from a week on the Carnival Magic and in our stop in Belize City we booked a tour with Belize Exotic Adventures (discoverbelize.bz) and it was FANTASTIC. The tour is Coral Garden, Tarpon Feeding, Shark Ray Alley and Cay Caulker Beach Break. We had a family group of 12, and were able to reserve a private boat and it was everything we could have dreamed for and more. The boat price for a similar tour was $109, and our fee was $65 (plus tips). Nicholai and Sheena met us at the terminal, walked us to the van, we paid day of (not required in advance) then off to the boat. Natalie was our tour master - and was fantastically funny, attentive and looked out for all of us. She gave us great inforamtion about Belize City, about the islands as we boated to Caye Caulker and about the Caye as well.

With her four staff, they got us loaded, provided snorkel gear (great quality) and off we went to Caye Caulker. A great boat ride, beautiful day and lots of fun. We stopped at the Caye, walked into town to the restaurant (Rose's Restaurant) and ordered our lunch in advance to have it waiting when we returned. There was lots of great variety. Fruits, water and other goodies were loaded - then off to the reef.

We snorkeled around the Coral Garden, then off to feed the Sharks/rays. It was wonderful to see the sharks and rays in their environment. We snorkled safely and had a chance to interact with the sealife.

Off to feed the tarpons (and yes they have teeth which I found out the hard way.:eek:) Then off to lunch. Great lunch, relaxed setting with a great rinse off before lunch. Then back to Belize City.

All in all a wonderful day. I can't say enough about Belize Exotic Adventures, the tour and Natalie our guide. If you are there - try it out

So you got picked up at the terminal -- you didn't have to use the water taxi? Also, how much time did you have actually snorkeling?

We tendered to the terminal - if remember correctly, and they met us just outside the terminal. So no "water taxi" - just the tender to shore. It was a boat ride both ways - about 45 minutes I believe. Two different locations for snorkeling, about an hour for each. what we loved about the tour was the full day adventure - boats, snorkeling, tarpon, lunch - all of it. It also was not a cattle boat with just the 12 of us. We saw a ships tour nearby shark alley, and there were a LOT of people. We enjoyed immensely.

How much time did you actually spend snorkeling?