Best snorkeling in Belize?

[ice0081]

I have read that Belize has some of the best snorkeling.. can anyone recommend a good spot or excursion? We are sailing on the Carnival Valor in May.

[Staplerman]

Belize has great snorkeling, I just got back from Western Caribbean on the Carnival Legend. In short, check out all of the tours including what's offered by Carnival. We used Coral Breeze and were extremely disappointed in the level of service and professionalism, not to mention 30 people crammed on a boat. Not worth the money, IMHO.

 

Also, I don't know your level of snorkeling experience but keep in mind some of these are open-water dives and strong currents/waves can make for a daunting experience. If you're not an experienced snorkeler or have children along, you may want to book a tour going to Goff's Caye where you can snorkel from the beach.

[Will in sunny FL]

We went with Coral Breeze Tours last month & had a super time. The snorkeling was great, the water was clear & almost smooth & the local lunch on Caye Caulker was as good as ever. We go with them twice a year & have yet to be disappointed. On our last trip, there was about 18 on the boat & half of those stayed on Caye Caulker which left about nine aboard for snorkeling. An ideal size group for snorkeling !

It does sound like your tour did have a full boat.

[ice0081]

I will check out both of those! We have a few beginners in our group so it might be a good idea to stick to the shore. Although, my first snorkel was in open waters and I loved it! Maybe everyone else will be brave and try it out :) Thanks!!

[Charles4515]

We went with Coral Breeze Tours last month & had a super time. The snorkeling was great, the water was clear & almost smooth & the local lunch on Caye Caulker was as good as ever. We go with them twice a year & have yet to be disappointed. On our last trip, there was about 18 on the boat & half of those stayed on Caye Caulker which left about nine aboard for snorkeling. An ideal size group for snorkeling !

It does sound like your tour did have a full boat.

 

I went with them the first time a couple of weeks ago and next time I am there will book with them again. The snorkelng does not get much better than where they took us anywhere. It sure was worth the money!

 

As you mention about half get dropped off at Caye Caulker so about 15 snorkel. I have been on many snorkel trips and I thought Hammerhead was professional. I would say the reef snorkeling may not be suited for beginners or weak swimmers but they do start in a shallow area. It depends on the individual. I am a good swimmer and have done is type of snorkeling many times so I could see it being daunting for some newbies.

 

Cqye Caulker itself is worth visiting. A unique place. I did not do the lunch and I don't think I would do it. Rather find lunch on my own.

[marshhawk]

We snorkeled at Goff's Caye which we thought beautiful. Yes, the boat over to the island was full, and snorkeling with a guide with 30 people was a little overwhelming, but I was very worn out when done, from the island beach to the reef and back. We took a break after the snorkel and had a lobster ka bob, and then my DH and I went to the other side where the smooth beach was and snorkeled on our own. A great day.

[saileyellie]

I looked at a few of the standard tour websites and it looks like by the time you do lunch, drop everyone off, etc, there's not much time for snorkeling - about 90 minutes.

 

Can anyone give me feedback on this? I'd love a half-day of snorkeling if I can!

[Charles4515]

I looked at a few of the standard tour websites and it looks like by the time you do lunch, drop everyone off, etc, there's not much time for snorkeling - about 90 minutes.

 

Can anyone give me feedback on this? I'd love a half-day of snorkeling if I can!

 

Belize is a tender port and it takes time to get to the port from the ship and back. Then it takes time to get to the snorkel site and back. So there is not as much time available as it may seem looking at the Belize arrival and departure times.

 

Also most snorkeling excursions of any kind anywhere are not going to be more than an an hour or an hour and a half of actual snorkeling. You have a diverse demographic of people on these excursions. Snorkeling takes a certain amount of energy.