Favorite off beach snorkel spot???
Jan 8th, 2007, 05:55 AM
#41
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Styleoracle; There are sharks pretty much everywhere in the Caribbean. I've scuba'd and enjoy seeing them. Some tips, though: I never swim at dusk or early dawn, because the reefs are changing between day and night fish. There are so many fish that the reefs can't accomodate them all at once, so they have day/night species both moving at once during dawn/dusk. At these times during the transition, sharks are very active. Also, don't wear jewelry or shiny objects or go far out and splach around on top of a flotation device. Humans aren't part of the shark menu, and they actually dislike our taste; that's why people have been bitten once, then left alone (in most cases). No real worry about sharks. Robert59
Jan 15th, 2007, 05:36 PM
#44
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Count this as vote for St. John for snorkeling right off shore. My husband and I love to snorkel from shore and for that reason through the years we have stayed in Eleuthera Bahamas (7 days); Cozumel(4 days); Isla Mujeres (7 days); Akumal (6 days) snorkeling at all the places Virginia mentioned above, and St. John (6 days). For us St. John won hands down. Every morning we got up early and snorkeled until lunch, then got back in the water until dark and were never bored! We snorkeled every beach on the island and many of them were different from each other. We're planning a 20th-ish anniversary trip back there now. Have fun planning your trip! - Jill
Jan 16th, 2007, 03:01 AM
#45
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Of the places that I have been to Kaua'i,Aruba,St John and Grand Cayman....Grand Cayman has the best off beach snorkeling hands down!
We stayed on the Northern part of 7MB in a condo and had great snorkeling right there! We also drove around island and found great snorkeling all around.
Stingray City is wonderful...my kids loved GC better than St John (the only places that we have taking them)...no offense to STJ lovers as I am one of them
it's just that GC has lots for the kids to do.
Christie
We stayed on the Northern part of 7MB in a condo and had great snorkeling right there! We also drove around island and found great snorkeling all around.Stingray City is wonderful...my kids loved GC better than St John (the only places that we have taking them)...no offense to STJ lovers as I am one of them
it's just that GC has lots for the kids to do.Christie
Jan 17th, 2007, 04:18 PM
#46
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styleoracle, after doing 200+ scuba dives in the Virgin Islands, we've seen very few sharks and most all were harmless nurse sharks. We only saw a dangerous Tiger Shark once and it was on a dive site far off the beaten track and not near any of the shallow snorkeling sites.
We've also dived with swarms of Baracuda which look threatening with their rows of teeth, but all they did was hang around and look at us! <grin>
We've also dived with swarms of Baracuda which look threatening with their rows of teeth, but all they did was hang around and look at us! <grin>
Jan 19th, 2007, 05:00 AM
#48
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"
Author: LvSun
Date: 12/30/2006, 08:32 am
Grand Cayman. Spot - right before you get to Rum Point. Hubby quit diving when there because we can see so much from snorkeling from the beach.
Fav place to stay is the Sea Lodges -- the area between them and Rum Point is the best snorkeling we have found thus far on all of our trips to Caribbean islands. Goto http://www.caymanhaven.com/#reservations or http://www.sealodgical.com/"
LVsun, are you talking about the Rum Point Public Beach? That place is awesome.
the thing that is cool about it (other than the abundance of sea life, and NO ONE being there) is that the current will carry you along the shoreline. when you are finished, hop out of the water and do a little walk back to your stuff.
We saw the most amazing grouping of squid I have ever seen snorkeling there, and that one baracudda...he's a site too!
Author: LvSun
Date: 12/30/2006, 08:32 am
Grand Cayman. Spot - right before you get to Rum Point. Hubby quit diving when there because we can see so much from snorkeling from the beach.
Fav place to stay is the Sea Lodges -- the area between them and Rum Point is the best snorkeling we have found thus far on all of our trips to Caribbean islands. Goto http://www.caymanhaven.com/#reservations or http://www.sealodgical.com/"
LVsun, are you talking about the Rum Point Public Beach? That place is awesome.
the thing that is cool about it (other than the abundance of sea life, and NO ONE being there) is that the current will carry you along the shoreline. when you are finished, hop out of the water and do a little walk back to your stuff.
We saw the most amazing grouping of squid I have ever seen snorkeling there, and that one baracudda...he's a site too!
Jan 26th, 2007, 06:05 AM
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Plaza Resort Bonaire on Bonaire. As soon as we walked into the water, parrotfish, trunkfish and others were swimming around us.
The reef/coral runs right along the beach – no need to snorkel out to it or take a boat. There are 3 easy access points to enter the water – no sandy bottoms to enter the water but the rock bottom is smooth and easy to walk on.
As much as I love the snorkeling between the Sea Lodges and Rum Point on GC, I am in shock, the snorkeling from the beach at the Plaza Resort is even better. Also, the Plaza offers one of the few beaches on the island and it is a big and gorgeous beach.
If you are an avid snorkeler (or diver) – you HAVE to go. If you have never snorkeled, don’t go – it will spoil you for snorkeling at other islands. We have snorkeled on several islands over the last 16 years – on Bonaire we saw sea life we had never seen before. (Hubby did not dive because the snorkeling is so excellent.)
The reef/coral runs right along the beach – no need to snorkel out to it or take a boat. There are 3 easy access points to enter the water – no sandy bottoms to enter the water but the rock bottom is smooth and easy to walk on.
As much as I love the snorkeling between the Sea Lodges and Rum Point on GC, I am in shock, the snorkeling from the beach at the Plaza Resort is even better. Also, the Plaza offers one of the few beaches on the island and it is a big and gorgeous beach.
If you are an avid snorkeler (or diver) – you HAVE to go. If you have never snorkeled, don’t go – it will spoil you for snorkeling at other islands. We have snorkeled on several islands over the last 16 years – on Bonaire we saw sea life we had never seen before. (Hubby did not dive because the snorkeling is so excellent.)
Jan 26th, 2007, 08:51 AM
#51
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Robert59 is correct. When diving we see a few sharks generally below 40ft. but as I said earlier only 1 nurse shark in all our visits to Caneel and it was probably 4ft. long but are harmless unless you frighten them.The same for ells that can hide between rocks. They look dangerous and can be if you go after them but to just watch them, they are very interesting, they will most often come out 1/3rd of their size but no further if you just watch.
Mar 29th, 2007, 04:25 PM
#53
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St. John, Honeymoon Beach at caneel bay resort. i rented snorkel equipment right at a shop near the st. john ferry (kept it all week, i think it was 25 or 30 dollars - nov. 2006) it was easy to drop off on the way home....
Mar 29th, 2007, 04:43 PM
#54
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Hi - we only do off the beach snorkeling because my husband has some motion sickness issues and the boat trips are problems. For the VERY best snorkeling - Bonaire. It was spectacular. BUT we found the island itself boring after a day or two and it took a lot of traveling to get there. Grand Cayman - very good off the beach snorkeling but a more cosmopolitan island and more traffic. We had to work around rush hour! Not our thing. St. John - still our favorite even though it's not as spectacular as Bonaire. The island is beautiful, lots of diverse snorkeling, hiking, great villas and beaches that are not lined by resorts. We're heading back next year!
sue
sue
Mar 29th, 2007, 07:29 PM
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We've been to Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, St. Kitts, Barbados, St Thomas, Exumas, Kaua'i and St John. Snorkeling is very important to us, and the best snorkeling we found was in Exuma, cozumel and St John. Playa del carmen was poor, Xel ha is just ok (very muddy by the mangroves- only place to see fish was just by where they wouldn't let you go farther out to sea), Kaua'i is very "wavy" and not the still waters of the caribbean. Don't bother in St Kitts and Barbados. Cozumel was best from a boat, but Chankanaab is good from shore. We went on a powerboat excursion in the Exumas that was fantastic. The BEST shore snorkeling is from St john, hands down from where I've been to.
Apr 18th, 2007, 07:13 AM
#56
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Hi, everyone!
We have gone to St Croix (for golf) and St John (for snorkeling) for many years. We love the snorkeling right from the beach on STJ and have seen lots of neat things. Also love the house we rent. However, this last time we got fed up with the traffic/parking problems, the hairpin turns and noplace to take a walk (no shoulder).
Thinking of Caymans (tho we don't like condos)or Barbados or St Lucia, so we can combine the golf and snorkeling. Any snorkeler/golfers out there who can offer suggestions?
Thanks,
Suzy
We have gone to St Croix (for golf) and St John (for snorkeling) for many years. We love the snorkeling right from the beach on STJ and have seen lots of neat things. Also love the house we rent. However, this last time we got fed up with the traffic/parking problems, the hairpin turns and noplace to take a walk (no shoulder).
Thinking of Caymans (tho we don't like condos)or Barbados or St Lucia, so we can combine the golf and snorkeling. Any snorkeler/golfers out there who can offer suggestions?
Thanks,
Suzy
Apr 19th, 2007, 10:01 AM
#57
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It's been almost 20 years since I was at Caneel Bay but the snorkeling was FANTASTIC then! BVI's was really good 5 years ago, especially Anegada, though it sounds like that's not as good now. My current favorite was off of the Mauna Kea Beach Resort (as well as it's sister resort the Hapuna). The beach is to die for and you just walk in and the reef starts. Tons of turtles, rays, beautiful fish and coral, octopus, etc, etc...!! Plus at night there are incredible Manta Rays to watch. I think it got blasted by an earthquake last year, so not sure the shape it's in. Definitely my favorite place! Want to hit Bonaire next though, or Exumas.
Apr 24th, 2007, 07:07 AM
#58
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geo,
We have been to both Grand Cayman and St John.
I believe that GC has 2 golf courses.
The off beach snorkeling is great.
We stayed at www.discoverypointclub.com,the snorkeling off the beach there was good and it is very close (a short walk down the beach)to Cemetary reef which is said to have some of the best snorkeling on the island.We never went there,too busy at other places.
If you go to GC...a Stingray City snorkeling tour is a must.We stopped at 3 places to snorkel.It was very cool!
Good luck!
Christie
We have been to both Grand Cayman and St John.
I believe that GC has 2 golf courses.
The off beach snorkeling is great.
We stayed at www.discoverypointclub.com,the snorkeling off the beach there was good and it is very close (a short walk down the beach)to Cemetary reef which is said to have some of the best snorkeling on the island.We never went there,too busy at other places.
If you go to GC...a Stingray City snorkeling tour is a must.We stopped at 3 places to snorkel.It was very cool!
Good luck!
Christie
Jun 18th, 2007, 06:40 AM
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Second vote for Mahoe Bay VG - see pictures here - www.adagiovilla.com cheers all
