Best snorkel on our cruise?

[Northern rose]

We cruise to Cozumel, Mohogany Bay, Belize and Grand Caymans. Which island has best snorkeling?

[Host Star]

We cruise to Cozumel, Mohogany Bay, Belize and Grand Caymans. Which island has best snorkeling?

cozumel and Grand Caymen are the better snorkeling

 

I am moving this thread to our Scuba and Snorkeling board where you will find more information

[Stevesan]

cozumel and Grand Caymen are the better snorkeling

 

I am moving this thread to our Scuba and Snorkeling board where you will find more information

Agree. But belize offers first rate snorkeling, too. Marvelous reef.

[CPT Trips]

I have to vote for Belize . . . But try all of them - there isn't that much difference.

[Cayoooga]

Cozumel, try Eagle Ray Divers for their 3 reef w/ lunch tour ...excellent

 

Roatan, try Upachaya Snorkel tour or Sea Legs Aquatic Adventures ..fantastic either one

 

Belize although we have had great luck with Coral Breezes in the past, the last trip with them was brutal. 44 people on their boat and 30 minutes total in the water :mad:

 

Grand Caymen we have done a few trips out to stingray city and the aquaruim which was great and have snorkelled the ship wreck just north of the tender pier which was also great (and free) it is really depends on how many ships are in port that day.:confused:

[Chalker Guy]

We've been snorkeling at all 4 multiple times. All are good, all different, depends on where you go.

 

Belize has good snorkeling at Turneffe Atoll, Caye Caulker, and Ambergris Caye, but they are a long way from Belize City and currents at the barrier reef can be strong. You will spend most of the day getting there and back and not much in the water. Bannister Island is blah.

 

Cozumel has good snorkeling, and you can reach many of the sites the boats go to for free from shore at places such as Corona Beach Club, Money Bar, Sunset Beach, and a place just a couple of blocks north from the Carnival pier. Watch out for the currents, they can be tricky. Much of the coral along the west shore was severely damaged by Hurricane Mitch about 5 years ago.

 

Grand Cayman has very good snorkeling at the barrier reef near Stingray City. Also very good for free at Eden Rock (10 minute walk south from dock) and Wreck of the Cali (Divers Down Dive Shop) 3 minute walk north.

 

Roatan has by far the best snorkeling, but not at Mahnogany Bay. We were there last week, $35 pp (minimum of 4) to Las Rocas Resort including transport to West Bay, 1 hour boat snorkel, free shore snorkeling and use of facilities, right next to Bite on the Beach Restaurant. (Enjoy a monkey lala there). The reef comes right up to the shore a short distance away at Tabayana. Half Moon Bay is also good. I would also like to try Barefoot Caye and/or Subway Watersports, on the near side of the island - Maybe next trip.

 

My ratings:

Roatan - Best by far.

Grand Cayman - Second best

Cozumel - Pretty good

Belize - OK but too far away.

[cruising texans 44]

We have snorkeled many times at all these ports.

 

In Roatan we like Tabayana Beach because its a great place to snorkel from shore. Swim to the sea side of the reef for best coral and most fish. We did the Upachaya tour on our last trip, it's nice and maybe we just hit it on a bad day, but, we've seen many more fish at Tabayana.

 

In Cozumel the near shore reefs (where most of the tours go) are not what they were before the last big hurricane. Suggest a tour to Palancar and Columbia Reefs. They are in much better shape and we've always been very happy with tours there. If you want to snorkel on your own from shore, we like Money Bar and Corona Beach.

 

We normally just go own our own in Grand Cayman to Eden Rock. As someone mentioned, it's a short walk from the pier and there's no charge to snorkel there (unless you need to rent equipment). It can be hit or miss but it's usually good and you can't beat the cost and accessibility.

 

We've always done ship tours in Belize and we have never been all that satisfied with the tours. I know there's some great snorkeling there, but, so far we like the other ports better and lately we skipped snorkeling there. On our next stop if we snorkel, we intend to try a private tour.

[snorkelgirlca]

I was on a similiar cruise in January 2011. Tabayana was by far the best of the three ports you list. Did not get to go to Beliez as Carnival had a fight going on with the tenders to the port. In order I would then recomend first Tabayana, then Grand Caymen and last Cozamel. But only because the reefs in Cozamel are still recovering from hurricane damage.