Snorkeling in Bermuda or Caribbean?

[jmrothermel]

I was going to post this on the ports board, but really I am looking for a comparative if anyone has been snorkeling in any of these locations:

 

We are on Explorer next month visiting Kings Wharf Bermuda; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Labadee. I want to take the kids snorkeling at one of the ports, however Im not sure which one yet. I do know they will give the kids snorkeling gear at Labadee (we're in a suite) but if I remember from last time there wasn't much to see at Barefoot Beach (is there somewhere better)?

 

So my question is this: for those who have gone snorkeling at any of these ports, how was your experience? Would you recommend it?

 

 

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[Clarea]

Our experience at Labadee was poor. We took a snorkeling excursion and were disappointed in the visibility.

 

I would favor St. Maarten for snorkeling if you have sufficient time there.

Edited September 21, 2014 by clarea

[GMoney]

Sorry to say it but none of these ports offer good snorkeling.

[ValerieJo]

Check out Captain Alan private excursion in St. Martin. Snorkeling was fantastic. Check the Ports of Call boards, trip advisor or google Captain Alan.

[How'sBartCruisin'?]

I've snorkeled in Bermuda twice, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. You cannot go wrong in either Bermuda or the Caribbean. Enjoy.

[lah66]

We are huge snorkelers and beach snorkel whenever we can on cruises. We have been to PR twice and St Maarten once, but have not snorkeled either place. PR is known more for the forts, the architecture, shopping, food and drink than beaches or snorkeling. St Maarten is more suited for an island tour, visiting Maho Beach or Orient Beach, both of which are not known for snorkeling. Maybe you would have to take an excursion?

The best beach snorkeling in Bermuda for kids is Tobacco Bay in St George. It is very shallow and protected from the waves. We saw quite a few fish, some nice corals and a school of squid. New owners have taken over so I am not sure how peaceful it is anymore. Get there early, it's a very small beach. Church Bay has better snorkeling but is too rough for kids. I think there are catamaran trips that are good too, especially if you are there for just one day.

Hope that helps,

Lauri

[DWhit]

Another vote for Tobacco Bay in Bermuda. Very sheltered, like being in a swimming pool, but still very good snorkeling around the edges of "the pool". Perfect for kids and first time snorkelers. Not sure about gear, but I believe it is available. Its up on the the other end of the island from King's Wharf, so allow for transportation time. Also, Bermuda is much more northern that the Caribbean Islands, so I am not sure about water temperature in October. You will need to look into that.

Edited September 22, 2014 by DWhit

[racerxspeedy]

Another vote for Tobacco bay in Bermuda. Rental gear is available. If you get out a past the rocks off to the right you may find some amazing fish. We did very well on our last trip. One of favorite islands!! Have a great trip

[mn1111]

Hi OP,

 

I've never been to Bermuda so I can't help you there, but it seems you have gotten good advice from people who have been there in the above replies.

 

For St. Maarten, you can try Dawn beach, not the best snorkeling but easy enough to get to. For better snorkeling on that island you would have to either get to Pinnel Island (which is a big tourist trap and crowded) or charter a private boat. If you take a less expensive catamaran trip, you run the risk of being packed in with a lot of other people.

 

Snorkeling is definitely not the best in Labadee, but if you are on barefoot beach, you can enter the water on the right side facing the water (near the over water cabanas) and you will see a buoy. They sunk part of an airplane over there to create an artificial reef which is just starting to take hold (will need several more years before it gets really decent though). There are some fish and small corals etc. around there and a few coral heads with more fish in that general area on the sea floor. The water is pretty calm and it is not to far out so you can just float over on the mats if the kids don't want to swim.

 

Puerto Rico actually has excellent snorkeling, just not anywhere near where the ship docks in San Juan unfortunately. The best snorkeling is over by Fajardo on the little islands offshore or on the beach near Roosevelt road (it's really good over there and not too many people know about it including locals), it's at least a 45 minute drive from the port though.

 

If you want to do something really special in PR and don't mind a splurge, the Ritz Carlton at Dorado beach has an Ambassador of the Environment program which was developed by Jean-Michel Cousteau. They offer educational guided snorkeling tours and other Eco activities given by biologists on the property there (which is stunning). They also provide hot showers and towels when you are done. It is about a 20-25 minute drive from port and taxi's are readily available. I'm staying on the property next month and have spoken to them on the phone about the underwater photography program they have and found them to be pretty flexible with scheduling etc. I found a really good article that gives a lot of info including phone numbers, prices (which can discounted if more than 2 are going) and links to brochures etc. The link to the article is below.

 

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/ritz-ambassador-environment/

 

I hope the info helps.

 

Neda