Which company to book with for swim with turtles?

[mag0737]

Sorry, another question about swimming with the turtles. Does anyone know of a reliable company to book directly with (instead of using the cruise excursion -which are now booked anyway)? If you haven't used them directly, have you heard of any good companies to book with? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Cruising Lions]

We just used the Silver Moon and it was great

http://oceanadventures.bb/Guest%20comments.htm

[DrmnOfMaui]

I have not been yet, but I booked the lunch cruise on Shasa.... will report back in about a month!:)

[cruiserfromohio]

I have taken and just booked another excursion with these folks. This is a very nice excursion -- typically 12 - 15 people. There are three stops. One, to swim with the turtles, one at a sunken barge (a ship wreck) and one by a beach for lunch and a some beach time, if you want that or you can swim and snorkel from the boat. All this combined with a sail up and back the sheltered West side of the island. Just a great time.

[cruisemenace]

I have not been yet, but I booked the lunch cruise on Shasa.... will report back in about a month!:)

 

Just returned from an awesome outing with Jason of Shasa. There were 5 of us, 6 with Jason. The small group is very nice and he times it so you are not snorkeling with the larger groups. It is very fun and he's a great guide. Swimming with the turtles is very fun. We even had a sting ray. Tess, his wife, meets you at port and transports you to and from the cruise terminal. She even washes your feet before the return trip:)

We did not do lunch so can't comment on that....but my suspect is it's good. Tess is a massage therapist, she just needs to figure out how to incorporate a massage with the snorkeling....

[DrmnOfMaui]

Just returned from an awesome outing with Jason of Shasa. There were 5 of us, 6 with Jason. The small group is very nice and he times it so you are not snorkeling with the larger groups. It is very fun and he's a great guide. Swimming with the turtles is very fun. We even had a sting ray. Tess, his wife, meets you at port and transports you to and from the cruise terminal. She even washes your feet before the return trip:)

We did not do lunch so can't comment on that....but my suspect is it's good. Tess is a massage therapist, she just needs to figure out how to incorporate a massage with the snorkeling....

 

Thanks for the comments!!! We leave in 14 days and I am SO excited. This is one excursion that we are really excited about... your comments have made us even more excited!

[momsbusy]

how much is the silvermoon trip, its not on their website.

[cruiserfromohio]

Their 4 -5 hour lunch cruise is $90 pp

[momsbusy]

Is it possible to swim with the turtles on our own or do we have to book a trip?

[cruiserfromohio]

Our experience is that the turtles have been conditioned to come to an off-shore location -- maybe 200 - 300 yards off-shore. As such, you really can't "swim with the turtles" on your own, but have to go with an excursion that goes to "where the turtles are." It is very much like swimming with the sting rays on Grand Cayman -- you can't swim there but need a boat to take you there.

[CruisingEasy]

Sorry, another question about swimming with the turtles. Does anyone know of a reliable company to book directly with (instead of using the cruise excursion -which are now booked anyway)? If you haven't used them directly, have you heard of any good companies to book with? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

Somerset - I used to work there. I know it well.

[CaribbeanBound]

We booked with Glory Tours...

 

Bridgetown, Barbados

We really enjoyed Barbados. We prearranged for Glory Tour's "Best of Barbados Tour" (Option A) $94 per person (after web discount) plus tips which included lunch, entrance fees, and drinks. It was an all-day tour that ran from 9:00am to 4:00pm. All entrance fees were included. There were just six of us on this guided tour that took us all over the island. Our driver, Stephen, took us first to Harrision Cave where were enjoyed a guided tram tour underground. These caves are spectacular. Then on to Bathsheba on the East Coast for impressive views of the ocean and rock formations. We ate a delicious lunch of Flying Fish, rice and beans, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese casserole, and a coke. We then worked our way to the Wild Life Reserve where we saw an abundance of green-tailed monkeys, tortoises, iguanas, a python, peacocks, turkeys, and other critters I couldn't identify. Stephen then treated us to a Barbados Rum Punch at the bar there. On the West Coast, we took a glass bottom boat to two snorkeling destinations: first visiting a ship wreck, then a spot where we swam with sea turtles (West Coast). My computer background image is a picture of a turtle we took while snorkeling here. Recommended!

 

Here are more of our Secrets of the Caribbean!

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

These are our very detailed personal reviews, hints, and tips for ports of call that you will be visiting.

[Nanatravel]

Do you have a web address or email address for Glory Tours? I could not find one on CC.

[CruisingEasy]

http://www.glorytours.org/

 

It is not .com but .org

[rebeljohn]

We enjoyed our trip with Shasa Catamaran for the turtles. Capt. Jason O'Neal will make sure you have a GREAT cruise with him. As you can see, the turtles got VERY close............

It was the highlight our our 10 day cruise..........

[TinyToni]

I am assuming that they are all 4 - 5 hour tours,. Is that correct?

[CruisingEasy]

Sorry, another question about swimming with the turtles. Does anyone know of a reliable company to book directly with (instead of using the cruise excursion -which are now booked anyway)? If you haven't used them directly, have you heard of any good companies to book with? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

El Tigre Cruises

[dznymom]

Another vote for Shasa Catamaran. It was absolutely the highlight of our cruise. Jason & Tess made our day very special and I am completely comfortable recommending the Shasa. I wish I was there right now!

[Lsimon]

Silver Moon is the best.

 

You'll see the same turtles and snorkeling spot - but from there the trips differ a lot. Silver Moon is uncrowded boat, great food and drinks, friendly crew, and a wonderful time!

 

We have lots of photos on our web site:

Click here

or here

or here

or here

[DrmnOfMaui]

Silver Moon is the best.

 

You'll see the same turtles and snorkeling spot - but from there the trips differ a lot. Silver Moon is uncrowded boat, great food and drinks, friendly crew, and a wonderful time!

 

We have lots of photos on our web site:

Click here

or here

or here

or here

 

While I did the Shasa tour (and loved it!!) I have to say your photos are fantastic!!! Nicely done. What kind of underwater camera did you use? My husband purchased an Olympus for our trip and it died as we entered the water in Barbados. SO frustrating! Nice job lsimon! I felt like I was there!

[Lsimon]

While I did the Shasa tour (and loved it!!) I have to say your photos are fantastic!!! Nicely done. What kind of underwater camera did you use? My husband purchased an Olympus for our trip and it died as we entered the water in Barbados. SO frustrating! Nice job lsimon! I felt like I was there!

 

 

I've used three different cameras over the years - the older one a Minolta DiMage XT, the 2008 photos a Fuji f40, and the 2009 underwater photos were with a Canon SD870 - all with an underwater case designed for the camera and sold by the camera's manufacturer. These are a little pricey but work great. I've heard other people's stories about problems with the supposedly waterproof cameras too - so I'm very leery of them. I have more info and tips on my web page on underwater photos - see the link in my signature below or click here: http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/gallery/2211051#162491389_BCEyY

 

The secret is doing some very basic color correction with a program like Photoshop Elements or another basic photo editing program.

[DrmnOfMaui]

Sorry!!! I saw your writing on the smugmug site but have to admit I just didn't read it. Maybe it's the glass of wine I had earlier combined with my tired eyes. I've have read about the cases, and I think you did it right. My husband had used our camera a couple of times in different swimming pools, but when it hit salt water it was toast. Very frustrating. It took gorgeous pics on land. I'm embarrassed to say that some of his point and shoot shots were far better than my DSLR shots! But it didn't hold up when we needed it. I think we will go your route next time. Nice shots! Our cruise was a couple of months ago, and I think I've got the blues again after looking at your shots!! Thanks for sharing.

 

Kim

[CruisingEasy]

Silver Moon is the best.

 

You'll see the same turtles and snorkeling spot - but from there the trips differ a lot. Silver Moon is uncrowded boat, great food and drinks, friendly crew, and a wonderful time!

 

We have lots of photos on our web site:

Click here

or here

or here

or here

 

I am sure Silver Moon is great but it just does not offer a 3 hour tour which we need.

[Princess T]

We booked a snorkle and sea turtle tour with Shasa Catamaran in September and they were truly the best! We do not like excursions that you feel like you are traveling as a herd of cattle, we opt for a smaller, intimate type of excursion. Jason and Tess are a husband and wife team and they will go above and beyond to ensure all your needs are met. The catamaran only holds 12 people which is perfect. We were picked up by Tess promptly at the pier and transported to the catamaran, where Jason was waiting for us. We boarded and were served unlimited rum punch, water, beer or soda. Jason sailed to the first site which was a shipwreck and he actually gets in the water and points out sea life and feeds the fish so you get an up close view of everything. Then after about 40 minutes we sailed to swim with the sea turtles. That was the greatest experience. Jason brings small fish to attract the sea turtles and also shows you interesting other sea life:(blow fish, sting rays, etc.) while snorkling with the turtles. This excursion was the highlight of our cruise and it was due to Jason and Tess. They are lovely people and the price is very inexpensive $40/pp for a 3 hour trip. Once you return back to shore Tess is waiting to take you back to the ship or drop you off at another location if you wish. You can't go wrong with Shasa Catamaran, we can't wait to go back and see them again!:)

[Vehorn]

We just returned from Barbados and had a fantastic trip on the Calabaza. We had been on other catamarans and all were good. What made the Cabaza special is that is takes no more than 12 people and you get fantastic hospitality from Gina and her son and mate Gregory, who actually calls the turtles by their first name. Lunch come with dinner ware and glasses - not paper plates. You also have banana bread and rum punch on your arrival, and a short while later home-made appetizers. And then after a snorkle and swim trip, you have one of the best prepared lunches you could get on the island. We had white marlin and chicken kabobs along with other specialties. Warning: don't eat much before boarding. Before discovering Calabaza on tripadvisor we were going to take the same Cat we used before. It was great, but this time when we saw it there were more than 30 people on it, which made for a lot of people spashing and trying to get to the turtles. they scare easily, too. One Cat had so many people on it that it left a young lady at the turtle stop. Gina, our Cat owner, picked up the lady, gave her a rum punch and took her to the Cat she missed. We visit Babados regularly and the Calabaza is the best trip we have had. The cost is $100 per person, and you will get a quick response to any questions. Oh, yes. When we returned a few days ago Gina emailed me many of her personal recipes as she had promised to do. You will love meeting and talking to her, and being entertained by

Gregory. sailcalabaza@gmail.com