Best Island for Snorkeling?

[Rehobo]

Does anyone have a favorite island where the snorkeling is really special?

[MamaParrotHead]

Our last cruise we snorkeled in Cozumel and Grand Cayman. The water was absoutely CRYSTAL clear in GC. I wasn't all that impressed with the island itself, but would go back to snorkel. GC is known for it's super diving and such. So that'd be my vote.:)

 

I've also heard good things about Belize, where we're planning on going on our next cruise.

[DiveMaster]

Cozumel, but to really appreciate it you need to dive. Take the Atlantis sub to see what you are missing.

 

 

Does anyone have a favorite island where the snorkeling is really special?

[jaguarprincess]

Loved Grand Cayman, (years ago) although Little Cayman was already far less "trashed". Snorkeling is fantastic on Bonaire, though it is not my favorite island in other respects. St. John is good. Have also enjoyed snorkeling on the so-called Mayan Riviera (particularly before it became the Mayan Riviera).

 

As much as I love the Caribbean, however, the best snorkeling ever has been in French Polynesia. The clarity of the water and density of marine life are unparalleled.

 

Soapbox Alert. Wherever you snorkel, respect the reef! Over the years, my husband and I have watched favorite areas disintegrate with alarming speed, as increasing numbers of snorkelers stand on the "rocks" , fan their fins over the delicate corals, and otherwise constribute to the destruction of near-shore patch reefs. [End of Soapbox]

 

Safe, sane, and sensible snorkeling to all.

[madisonswims]

We loved Grand Cayman and Cozumel!

 

In Grand Caymen we saw a nurse shark, stingrays and many beautiful fish. There are larger populations of fish (mini schools) in Grand Cayman than in Cozumel - I found.

 

We loved the Palancar Reef in Cozumel. We went out on a tour, so didn't snorkel from shore. We saw a number of great things there too; barracuda, another nurse shark, and some interesting fish. However, the sense of activity on the reef was not half as high as in Grand Cayman.

 

I loved them both!

[Bassethound]

Bonaire by far. I'm a Master Diver yet choose to snorkel some of my time away in Bonaire.

[simonv]

Komodo, Indonesia. Raja Ampat islands, Irian Java, Indonesia.

[nikes family]

My husband and I have yet to find the "best" place to snorkel; our next cruise will take us to the islands of Hawaii. However, one extraordinary experience thus far was on St. John. We snorkled around this rock outcropping (not in the guided loop) and coming around the backside the current was strong and my husband had to hold my hand to pull me along. All of a sudden we were in the middle of literally thousands of small fish. We were dividing the schools as we slowly swam through. That was incredible.

[swanny727]

Caulker Caye, Belize. We had a private tour with 4 of us. He took us to shark-ray alley. It was like Stingray City in Cayman but we were the only ones there. Plus lots of nurse sharks, coral and reef fish. The excursion from the ship was listed as a ride on the Thriller speedboat to Caulker Caye. We took our snorkle stuff and arranged a boat when we got to the caye.

[jamcbride12000]

We snorkeled in Belize on our Carnival Cruise excursion. It was amazing. Plan on snorkeling in Grand Cayman in November. Hope it is even better.

[Megalodon]

The best snorkeling EVER is French Polynesia. Bora Bora was my favorite. Huahini and Moorea were also amazing. Bora Bora has an area called The Aquarium -- it was AMAZING.

Grand Cayman and Montego Bay Jamaica are my 2 favorite Caribbean snorkeling spots.

Scariest snorkeling? The Great Barrier Reef. You have to wear a blue lycra suit with a hood and gloves to protect you from the tiny, clear, deadly jellyfish. I did find Nemo there so that was a great experience.

I've heard the Maldives and Indonesia are the best snorkeling in the world. Hopefully i'll get there one day.

Question: Where is the best place to see sea turtles? I have yet to see a turtle!

 

:)

[swanny727]

I don't know the best place but I have seen turtles, while scuba diving, in Hawaii - Kauia and Barbados.

[Bassethound]

I have seen loads of turtles in both Hawaii (Kuai'i) and in the Caribbean (Bonaire). One 30 minute snorkel swim in Bonaire we saw 3 turtles and I saw several diving.

 

The best was in the Tuamotos in French Polynesia, but my guess you mean normally reachable places. :rolleyes:

[Mekamax]

Dominica - Champagne Springs. We dove it as part of a dive but you can snorkel it as it is shallow. Most different thing so far.

 

Cayman and Cozumel for diving and snorkeling - clear clear water and lots of fish. Sharks, Sting Rays and Turtles.

 

So many islands and the snorkeling and diving can be so effected by the weather and the water clarity at the time. Depending on when and where I think all over the caribbean is great! :D Debbie

[dbail4]

Just got back off the Imagination and snorkeled @ Turks. We took the ultimate snorkeling excursion and it was amazing... Saw sting rays, barracuda, what looked like a school of squid and so many beautifully colored fish, coral. They took us to 2 spots off a reef in deep clear water ..Was the best snorkeling spot I have ever been to....

[Bassethound]

I'm gonna guess that was at Grand Turk. Nice spot.

[cruznut1111]

Dominica - Champagne Springs. We dove it as part of a dive but you can snorkel it as it is shallow. Most different thing so far. :D Debbie

 

Hi Debbie-

I just read about this a couple weeks ago and have put it on our "want" list. Did you get to spend a good bit of time there?

 

Just saw someone put the BoraBora Aquarium on the best snorkel list. SIGH! We just spent 10 days there and I missed that. Guess we'll have to make another trip to check that out.;)

 

That Old Parrothead from the Dream, Dianne

[Nukesailor]

St. Vincent & The Grenadines. Need to do it by private boat, though. Most cruiseships only stop in St. Vincent for a few hours, not enough time to get to the reefs in the National Marine Park at The Grenadines. Beautiful, unspoiled reef. I have seen one of the Windstar ships there.

[rav4lady]

Hey I want to snorkel in GC and am having trouble finding any excursions there to snorkel. Did the stingrays last time but it wasn't deep enough to snorkel. Does anyone know of an operator there? Best place I have ever snorkeled was off coast of Phuket, Thailand.

[Sansouci]

Does anyone have a favorite island where the snorkeling is really special?

 

Until I cruised Hawaii in May, my favorite spot for snorkeling had been the reef off Belize, especially Sting Ray City. However, this was before the cruise ships docked there (about 5 yrs. ago.) Don't know if it's still the same, but we saw a lot of nurse sharks and reef sharks as well as rays. Although I remember that trip fondly, it's recently been knocked out of first place by my snorkeling experience at the Molokini Crater off the coast of Maui. Fabulous, clear water with many, many different kinds of fish and giant Hawaiian sea turtles.

[Sansouci]

Until I cruised Hawaii in May, my favorite spot for snorkeling had been the reef off Belize, especially Sting Ray City.

 

Oops! Got my places mixed up -- meant to say Shark-Ray Alley:D

[1bigsexy]

So far we've done:

- spot of the coast Varadero Cuba (I had a panic attack and had to return to shore - but the little I saw was truly amazing)

- coki beach St thomas, pretty ordinary, except for the beautiful octopus we saw.

- buck island St Thomas, another ordinary spot, except for my brush with a barracuda

 

The Best So far!

 

Tobago, off "pigeon point" and "nylon pool"- absolutely stunning! Just wished I took my own gear.

 

In 3 weeks we'll be in Aruba and Curacao and I'm looking forward to finding some spots here to get wet.

[scubaran]

Hi,

 

Just because the water was gin clear and warm, plus the reef was full of fish and only about 15ft. deep, I liked Thunderball Reef (where the James Bond movie Thunderball was filmed) off of Nassau. That was before I had an underwater camera but took pictures of the reef from topside and could see the individual fish and reef formations as if I was underwater.

 

Randall

 

P.S. best diving, no doubt, a liveaboard in Belize. 200 miles of reef and we were the only boat in site. :D

[mysolo]

Where on Bonaire do you recommend snorkeling?

[Friscorays]

The best single snorkeling experience I ever had was on Tahaa in French Polynesia on the L'excursion Bleue excursion. It is a one way shallow drift snorkel that I would have been glad to do over and over again for the entire day (if the schedule of the excursion had allowed it).