Snorkeling

[bamagirl14]

Best place to snorkel? ages 11 - 67. Preferably some shaded areas to get in from the sun, restrooms, food and drinks, chairs. We did stingrays last year. Looking to do something a little different.

[SpokaneDan]

Eden Rock - 5 minutes walk from Cruise Terminal. It has a public access (no beach), with a restaurant (Paradise) on site, and snorkel gear rental ($18/set). We were impressed by the large tarpons hanging out in the area, that alone made it an exceptional snorkel experience. It also had a water trampoline.

[lifes-a-beach]

Cemetery beach is very secluded but the reef is very close to the beach. No facilities or snacks. Take anything you want. Taxi ride will get you there.

[bamagirl14]

Eden Rock - 5 minutes walk from Cruise Terminal. It has a public access (no beach), with a restaurant (Paradise) on site, and snorkel gear rental ($18/set). We were impressed by the large tarpons hanging out in the area, that alone made it an exceptional snorkel experience. It also had a water trampoline.

 

This may be a silly question, but what about sharks in this area? I have an 11 year old who will also be snorkeling.

[lifes-a-beach]

Sharks are very rare there. It's illegal to feed them or harass them. It's quite uncommon for scuba divers to see even a single shark, even more so in snorkeling waters. Certainly nothing to worry about.

[Capt_BJ]

Sunset House

[SeaPA1]

We were on Grand Cayman a few weeks ago; snorkeled at a place almost right next to the cruise tender dock, called Cayman Cabana. Exit the terminal area; at the street turn left, walking along the shore line. It's the first real, permanent structure on the water side of the road (you'll see a floating dock thirty or so yards out in the water, in front of the place).

 

Snorkeling was pretty good - some huge tarpon, some sandy bottom, some coral, decent amount of fish life. The floating dock is by the remains of a small shipwreck that's 20 to 30 feet deep.

 

Gear is available for rent if you don't have your own. I didn't eat there but some of my family did & said it was very good. There's also a "fish market" next door (basically a few tents where locals bring their catch & sell it) - menu indicated that if you so choose you can go buy fresh fish from there & bring it back, and they'll cook it for you.

 

I enjoyed it & it was very easy; nervous family was comfortable there since it's right by the terminal dock & they didn't have to sweat missing the last tender. I'd go again.

[mellibee]

Following along on this thread. Grand Cayman is one of our stops in June. We have been there twice and love to snorkel. There are only 5 excursions listed on RCI website and none are the reef and shipwreck snorkel we love. I thought it was strange that there are so few excursions listed. :(

[tvlworm]

Is there any place nearby to rent snorkeling gear at Cemetery Beach?

[drew sailbum]

Is there any place nearby to rent snorkeling gear at Cemetery Beach?

 

Not within walking distance.

 

You could rent from Eden Rock near the port and then take it with you to Cemetery Beach. I think they let you take their snorkel gear off site.

[tvlworm]

Thanks!

[slabeaume]

The snorkeling just to the right of the tender stop is very good. Walk down to Paradise Cafe and there's a booth there where you can rent snorkel gear, lockers, even beach chairs for their little man made "beach" area. They also have a changing room there. We didn't eat in the restaurant, but did rent a locker and talked to the guy manning the rental booth. He told us to swim out to the buoy near the floating dock, then snorkel along the outside of the reef there at Devil's Grotto down to the 2nd buoy which is Eden's Rock, then back up on the inside of the reef. There are a lot of 5' or larger tarpins where you get in, but they are harmless. Someone asked about sharks, we did see 2 5' or so nurse sharks there and thought that was really neat. If they weren't nurse sharks, I would have been vacating the water! An excursion even showed up at Eden's Rock so there were a lot of people there. I have lots of pictures from there in my blog if you'd care to see them. Cayman was our 2nd port so those pictures are in the middle of the blog:

http://travelingwithsue.blogspot.com/2015/11/2015-nov-8-15-western-caribbean-cruise.html

[cb at sea]

Sharks are in every body of salt water...and some (bull sharks) can even live in fresh water rivers!

[tvlworm]

Thank you, your pictures are great!