Snorkeling?grand turk, st thomas, san jauan, bermuda

[cc waddles]

Hi, we are cruising to ports grand turk, st thomas, san juan, and bermuda. we have two kids 7 and 9 and want to snorkle. Looking to book an excursion. Any suggestions on which island/excursion would be best?:o

[parasailor]

No excursion needed--St. Thomas has excellent off the beach snorkeling for all ages at Sapphire Beach and Coki Beach. Or hop the ferry to St. John and go to Trunk Bay. Bermuda has excellent snorkeling at Church Bay. San Juan is not a good place for snorkeling.

[WillieD13]

A lot of snorkel excursions have a minimum age of 10 (though not always enforced, we had a 9yo and an 8yo on our excursion out of Nassau). Grand Turk however, has "Ultimate Snorkeling" which lists minimum age as 5. That in itself tells you it is an easy one. Nice reefs, lots of fish and coral, 2 dive spots, one in about 8'-10', the other out at "The Wall" (about 20'-25'). My wife is a non-snorkeler, and she enjoyed it so much last year, that she agreed to do it again this year.

Oh, wherever you decide, if you want to see the fish close up, pick up a small container of fish food pellets (sinking kind) at Walmart or Target, etc, and you will be very popular with the fish.

[mitsugirly]

I highly recommend grabbing a taxi and heading to Sapphire Beach. You walk right into the water off the beach and there's the coral with tons of fish. It was the best experience for us ever.

 

Here are some pictures I took while snorkeling there: http://kimbakerphotography.smugmug.com/Vacation/4th-day-St-Maarten-1/13875332_BZdcm#1017703050_nhpoV

 

Here is my write up of Sapphire Beach:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1280889

[happytrails42]

I highly recommend grabbing a taxi and heading to Sapphire Beach. You walk right into the water off the beach and there's the coral with tons of fish. It was the best experience for us ever.

 

Here are some pictures I took while snorkeling there: http://kimbakerphotography.smugmug.com/Vacation/4th-day-St-Maarten-1/13875332_BZdcm#1017703050_nhpoV

 

Here is my write up of Sapphire Beach:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1280889

 

Great pictures -- what kind of equipment are you using?

[Choozin Croozin]

I highly recommend grabbing a taxi and heading to Sapphire Beach. You walk right into the water off the beach and there's the coral with tons of fish. It was the best experience for us ever.

 

Here are some pictures I took while snorkeling there: http://kimbakerphotography.smugmug.com/Vacation/4th-day-St-Maarten-1/13875332_BZdcm#1017703050_nhpoV

 

Here is my write up of Sapphire Beach:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1280889

 

What awesome pictures you have and I cannot believe the variety of fish!!!!! :eek: Unbelievable!! At last, some new varieties. I also read and enjoyed your review (well the whole thread actually) I just purchased the D10 for my last cruise, and unfortunately didn't have real good luck. Didn't have any water time ahead of time to get used to it. Did you do anything special or just put it on the fish setting, point & shoot? Also did you dive down to get those shots or were the fish that close? I am a little spooked about the jellyfish though. I have never encountered that. Could you clearly see it so you could avoid it??? Thanks again for all your input and posting. I wish it wasn't so far off yet.

[mitsugirly]

Great pictures -- what kind of equipment are you using?

 

 

I used my Canon D10. That was it.

[mitsugirly]

What awesome pictures you have and I cannot believe the variety of fish!!!!! :eek: Unbelievable!! At last' date=' some new varieties. I also read and enjoyed your review (well the whole thread actually) I just purchased the D10 for my last cruise, and unfortunately didn't have real good luck. Didn't have any water time ahead of time to get used to it. Did you do anything special or just put it on the fish setting, point & shoot? Also did you dive down to get those shots or were the fish that close? I am a little spooked about the jellyfish though. I have never encountered that. Could you clearly see it so you could avoid it??? Thanks again for all your input and posting. I wish it wasn't so far off yet.[/quote']

 

Yea, there was a big variety of fish there. There is so much reef and it seemed like every time we went another way, there was something new to discover. We had a pretty good variety of fish when we snorkeled a few days later in the Bahamas too. I have tons of pictures of that in a different folder (if you looked at my pictures on smugmug, there are other folders)

 

I didn't get to try mine out prior to going either, other than twice in the summer my (then 1 1/2 year old) had her baby splash pool out and I would put it on the water settings and put it under the water and snap pictures of her sitting down or her feet. Of course this is WAY different than actually being in water yourself, WITH YOUR head under water seeing what you are taking a picture of. LOL :eek: So it was hit and miss.

 

I just simply put it on the underwater setting and off I went. I took so many pictures it was unbelievable. The sad part is, we were in the water for hours and by the time we left and went back toward the port, we took the skytram up to Paradise because I wanted to get some pictures of the ships in the port and my battery died after about 3 pictures. :(

 

No, we didn't dive down for the shots. There were that close. Just a little hint too, I found that if you tried to zoom in on the fish, it didn't take a very clear picture. If you keep it at the normal zoomed out setting, they take better, clearer pictures. But they are all close up, right under your feet and some swimming with you.

 

As for the Jelly fish, well...they are jelly fish, which means clear, which means if you are not actually looking for them, you don't spot them at first. But, once we seen the first one, we were on the lookout (mainly because I wanted a picture). :D However, I never did find a good way to get a clear picture and make the camera focus ON the jellyfish and not things around it. Maybe because they are just too clear. I was real disappointed with the results of them. Oh and another thing, the ones we encountered were out in the clear water part (sand under your feet) and not over by the coral reefs. The same thing when we were in the Bahamas, they were floating around in areas that didn't have the reef under them. I don't know if that's normal or what. They didn't bother us and we didn't bother them (other than trying to get a picture)...and they were fairly small. Not big ones that you would see at like the zoo or anything.

[mitsugirly]

Here are my ones from Nassau. There was a variety there as well. We encountered some barracudas (that my husband didn't realize what it was and was chasing him to get a picture...not good). Some people seen an eel there (I missed it :() and some other things we didn't see either.

 

The one thing I was very disappointed with was that I did not find any star fish. Maybe next time.

[Choozin Croozin]

Yea, there was a big variety of fish there. There is so much reef and it seemed like every time we went another way, there was something new to discover. We had a pretty good variety of fish when we snorkeled a few days later in the Bahamas too. I have tons of pictures of that in a different folder (if you looked at my pictures on smugmug, there are other folders)

 

I didn't get to try mine out prior to going either, other than twice in the summer my (then 1 1/2 year old) had her baby splash pool out and I would put it on the water settings and put it under the water and snap pictures of her sitting down or her feet. Of course this is WAY different than actually being in water yourself, WITH YOUR head under water seeing what you are taking a picture of. LOL :eek: So it was hit and miss. LOL

 

I just simply put it on the underwater setting and off I went. I took so many pictures it was unbelievable. The sad part is, we were in the water for hours and by the time we left and went back toward the port, we took the skytram up to Paradise because I wanted to get some pictures of the ships in the port and my battery died after about 3 pictures. :(

 

No, we didn't dive down for the shots. There were that close. Just a little hint too, I found that if you tried to zoom in on the fish, it didn't take a very clear picture. If you keep it at the normal zoomed out setting, they take better, clearer pictures. But they are all close up, right under your feet and some swimming with you.

 

As for the Jelly fish, well...they are jelly fish, which means clear, which means if you are not actually looking for them, you don't spot them at first. But, once we seen the first one, we were on the lookout (mainly because I wanted a picture). :D However, I never did find a good way to get a clear picture and make the camera focus ON the jellyfish and not things around it. Maybe because they are just too clear. I was real disappointed with the results of them. Oh and another thing, the ones we encountered were out in the clear water part (sand under your feet) and not over by the coral reefs. The same thing when we were in the Bahamas, they were floating around in areas that didn't have the reef under them. I don't know if that's normal or what. They didn't bother us and we didn't bother them (other than trying to get a picture)...and they were fairly small. Not big ones that you would see at like the zoo or anything.

 

Thank you for all your helpful hints and answering my questions!! The reason I bought this camera was I was so impressed by other peoples photos on CC. Yours did not disappoint...there is hope. lol......If I heed your advice. I have never seen jellyfish when snorkeling, have seen barracuda though. They are near sighted though so most of the time harmless, unless you have something flashy on in the water (so I am told):rolleyes:. When we were in Florida last year though, we had walked the beach at sundown and it was beautiful. Went out there first thing in the a.m. and it was loaded with jellyfish in all different colors. Very cool, but they do creep me out. It is painful if you get stung by them. (Ds knows from experience)

 

Here are my ones from Nassau.???????? There was a variety there as well. We encountered some barracudas (that my husband didn't realize what it was and was chasing him to get a picture...not good). Some people seen an eel there (I missed it :() and some other things we didn't see either.

 

The one thing I was very disappointed with was that I did not find any star fish. Maybe next time.

 

I have never seen starfish either. I am so excited. All we are going to do on our next cruise is snorkel. This past one was a little disappointing for that. We go to Aruba & Curacao. St Kitts I don't think is all that great, but we'll try anyway.

 

Thanks again.

[Choozin Croozin]

I found them.....and enjoyed ALL of your pictures. That is quite a ship and OUCH you really hurt yourself. What a way to spoil your vacation. :(

 

Seeing that you went in Sept. I am wondering if the jellyfish were more present because the water was warmer. The water is much cooler in March when we go. Yes I am obsessed with the jellyfish.:eek:

 

Well happy future travels. I will shut up now. I did not mean to hijack this thread. Sorry OP.:o

[Feelin' Nauti']

Highly recommend Sapphire Beach in St Thomas

[mitsugirly]

I found them.....and enjoyed ALL of your pictures. That is quite a ship and OUCH you really hurt yourself. What a way to spoil your vacation. :(

 

Seeing that you went in Sept. I am wondering if the jellyfish were more present because the water was warmer. The water is much cooler in March when we go. Yes I am obsessed with the jellyfish.:eek:

 

Well happy future travels. I will shut up now. I did not mean to hijack this thread. Sorry OP.:o

 

Yea, I actually fell at the beach in St Maarten watching the planes come in. I went snorkeling for 2 days after that, water slide on the Epic and after the cruise, waited 2 weeks before going to the hospital...only to find out I broke it. :eek: I got lucky though because where I broke it at (across the top of my hand), normally requires surgery. I still have problems with it and it hurts now and then, but they said that would be normal because it would take a good 9 months to heal completely. Then the left hand actually ended up with a pinched nerve in my elbow and I have 2 fingers on the left hand that are completely numb. They are still numb to this day and I haven't got the feeling back in them. :( But the trip was still worth it!!! :D

[cruisewellwoman]

Hi, WillieD13,

 

Was the ultimate snorkel on Grand Turk a cruise ship named excursion? ours (princess) doesn't offer one called that. Do you know anything about spots called Horseshoe Reef or Round Cay - those are two spots mentioned in one excursion. Also, do you know of a private company that offers the ultimate snorkel? many thanks in advance.

[jainivas]

How is snorkeling in St. Thomas (Sapphire Beach) compared to Grand Turk ?

 

I can't decide which one to pick?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jainivas]

How is snorkeling in St. Thomas (Sapphire Beach) compared to Grand Turk ?

 

I can't decide which one to pick?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.