Labadee Snorkel Safari--worth it or snorkel right off of beaches??

[ntengwall]

I am looking to snorkel with my 3 boys (7, 11 and 13-all very good swimmers--they play water polo). We will be on the March 19th sailing of the Explorer.

Should I do a tour like the Labadee Snorkel Safari or is there anyplace right off the beaches (we will be in Labadee, Dominica, St Thomas and San Juan) where they can just use their own snorkels and see cool stuff?

Thanks in advance for any input!

[ntengwall]

Meant to say Samana DR, not Dominica.

[BecciBoo]

Not much to see at Labadee and the water is murky not clear as at CocoCay, now that's the place to snorkel! But for you, St Thomas is the place to snorkel, just do a beach day at Labadee and let them "sorta snorkel". Here's a pic of the extent of snorkeling at Labadee, these were the best we saw, not many fish at all and few healthy coral heads:

[ntengwall]

Thanks Becci! Is there a specific excursion in St Thomas you would recommend for snorkling?

[marci22]

Tried to post a link but didn't work :( There are many posts regarding doing some beaches on your own in St. Thomas such as Magens Bay, Coki Point, Sapphire Beach and Secret Harbor.

 

We are doing a half-day snorkel through the ship. There are also many private excursions that usually take a maximum of 6 people for about 6 hours and charge in the $125pp range (includes lunch).

 

The St. Thomas Ports of Call forum has lots of information so also check that.

[BecciBoo]

What she said!:D

 

http://www dot vinow dot com/stthomas/SandL/snorkel.php

[BecciBoo]

That site says Coki is the best beach for snorkeling. You can grab a cab or van from port and go right over. There is some sort of Sea Life Aquarium there as well. Here's a good video too:

http://www.travelistic.com/video/show/12337/Fish-Feeding-Frenzy-at-Coki-Beach---St.-Thomas,-US-Virgin-Islandshttp://www.travelistic.com/video/show/12337/Fish-Feeding-Frenzy-at-Coki-Beach---St.-Thomas,-US-Virgin-Islands