I'll admit it... I'm a snorkeling snob. I like to see LIVE coral and a variety of fish. Just seems that the only snorkeling excursions I've taken in the Caribbean have been very disappointing. You jump off the boat; take a look at the rocks below and a few fish and think, "Whoa... is this it???" Yep, they call that a snorkeling excursion.
I did experience decent snorkeling in Belize and Eleuthera. I've experienced very poor trips in Barbados, Tortola and St. Thomas. The trips themselves have always been fun, but how they can tout themselves as a snorkeling excursion, I'll never know. I'm willing to give it another shot if you think I've missed something.

So...
We will be in the following places on an upcoming trip and I'm wondering what are the top 5 islands would be to see marine life:
San Juan
Barbados
St. Lucia
Antigua
Tortola
St. Thomas
St. Kitts
Nevis
Grenada
Bonaire
Aruba

Thank you
Caroline

Bonaire

Islands I believe good for snorkeling and/or scuba Saba and Cayman Islands.

We snorkeled in Belize as well and felt it was fairly decent. Also in Turks and Caicos. Cayman Islands was also good. The ones you mention, I cannot help. My only advice would be to go to St. Johns, from St. Thomas. It is suppose to be good in St. Johns.

Bonaire, which I most recently visited this April, is probably the best in the Caribbean. While its not as good as Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines), its has plenty of fish (some of the reef was detroyed by a hurricane a few years ago, but is regenerating).

I believe that if you put in a "search" for "snorkeling" on this board you'll get lots of very detailed info. It's a subject that gets discussed with some frequency. Lots of other snorkeling snobs or lovers lurking around. Of course if you've done lots of snorkeling, you know that often the particular conditions make a big difference in the quality of the experience. Of the places you mention, the snorkeling in my experience has been best in Bonaire and the Grenadines. The Virgin Islands-- both US and BVI have some pretty fine snorkeling-- IF you hit the right spots.
But I repeat: conditions can really make a difference. (Our one trip to the Great Barrier was pretty much a wash-out because of rough seas.)

My vote would be the waters just off the beaches of Caneel Bay on St. John, the WEST END of Curacau (staying at the Marriott and a car it is a 30-35 minute drive to 6-7 lovely beaches wikt snorkeling, chech the Curacao "Search" thread),near the Wall and Cayman Kai Resort on Grand Cayman, Andros Island-South island area and Bonaire is detail pretty good. The others you mentioned you listed have poor to fair snorkel spots in our opinion.

I've heard the Bay Islands (Roatan) are famous for their scuba/snorkel scene, although I've never been myself.

After snorkeling in St. John, I am spoiled to go anywhere else every again. The seven beaches on the Canel property were the best for us. Turtles, Sting rays, schools of huge fish and many varities, no boat required.

You are correct about Roaton (Bay Islands) just off the coast of Honduras. In season there is a non-stop from Newark that takes 4 hrs. & 45 min. or 2 hrs. non-stop from Miami. Also a <3 hr. non-stop from Houston year round I believe. We have visited Anthony's Key Resort 3 times in the past 6-7 years. Our last visit was in March'07 for a week ($1800/wk.with tax in season with 3 meals and all the snorkeling and/or diving you want to do each day). The coral is 70+ healthy and numerous fish, turtles, dolphins, etc. The resort does go out snorkeling twice a day for just under 2 hours and makes 2-3, 30-40 minute stops at each place. The Superior cabins have A/C, the food is fair to good considering it's location and the rooms are very clean. But, the mosquitos are everywhere after a rain or often after dark. Even with 90% DEET you are not immune, unfortunately but with Cactus juice (buy it here for $10) and DEET all over and long sleeve light weight shirt and pants you should be fine. We get bitten but it is worth it though very annoying. It is better than almost all spots in the Caribbean as we define it and almost as good as the best spots in Belize.
I do not own the place but we are avid snorkelers and have gone to Australia, Fiji, Malaysia, Thailand to get the very best. It is not that good but the best within 6 -7 hours of a US origination point.

I'll check into heading over to St. Johns from St. Thomas and spending the day there. I hear there's a park on the island that's suppose to have decent snorkeling.
Thanks much!
Caroline

Caroline,
2/3rds of St John (no s) is National Park so that is a pretty broad statement. Is this a day trip from a cruise ship or land based? I'll post a link to the beaches of St John. Recommendations will probably depend on how much time you have there and whether or not you will have a car.

http://stjohnbeachguide.com/Beaches/beach_home.html

Bonaire, however if you really want good snorkeling, check out the Tobago Cays in St Vincent & the Grenadines. There is also some decent snorkeling off of Tobago.

If you're upset about the coral and variety of fish you see snorkling, take up scuba. You'll see a whole new world and wonder why you ever snorkled in the first place.

You seem to have left Cayman off your list.... frequently voted one of the top snorkelling destinations in the Caribbean.

Also echo the advice to at least try scuba (maybe a resort course) while you are at your chosen destination.

"You jump off the boat; take a look at the rocks below and a few fish and think, "Whoa... is this it???" Yep, they call that a snorkeling excursion."

Don't go snorkelling when the ship is still in port is my advice.

I think GC was a snorkeling mecca 10-12 years ago. Now just out near the Wall/Cayman Kai Resort/Sting Ray City. The reef there still has vibrant life dispite the major hurricane damage of about 4-5 years ago. Just be careful, sometimes an undertow. We once got caught and came out about about 1/2 mile down from where we entered. Thankfully for inflatable vests we were fine though a little concerned at certain points.

Our favorite snorkeling on GC-- among our favorite snorkeling on the planet-- was that "Ironshore" place in town; I think it was called Eden Rocks? We snorkeled up and down that coast for hours and hours at a time-- and were always eager to come back for more. (One of the nifty things abt that spot was looking waaaay down and seeing all the tiny scuba folks.) Does that place-- that whole wonderful shore-- no longer exist?
Also: Where is the "wall"? Is it beach-accessible?

poss; The Wall is the great divers destination with a 500+ft. drop-off. But before that is a reef out 200 yards that still has very good living coral. It is just in front of the Cayman Kai Resort and extands out toweard Sting Ray City but stops in terms of accessibility several hundred yards from SRC. Yes, it is beach accessible.

Thanks, Stan. If we ever get back to Cayman, I'll try the Cayman Kai spot. I'd avoided going up there because I had the sense that the area was for divers (and also because we were happy with Eden Rocks and the cemetery). We stopped going to Cayman about 10 years ago because, except underwater, we didn't find the island handsome or interesting. We may try it again sometime. In any case, I'm happy that Dean didn't do great damage.

dcsam, can you share the exact spot on Eleuthera where you found good snorkeling? I'm going in three weeks!!!

I was on a cruise ship that stopped in St. Thomas a couple of years ago. We rented a car across from the cruise dock, took the car ferry to St. John and snorkeled Waterlemon Cay (bring your own gear). Everyone loved it, including the adventure of timing the whole excursion so we'd have plenty of time to get back to the ship after a nice lunch in St. John.