Coki Beach or Grand Turk for snorkeling

[I want to cruise]

We will be at both ports and would appreciate any input as to which one to catamaran/ snorkel at. Does one have better underwater clarity than the other,etc. Also would like to use a off ship company to book with.We sail there in August 2014 on Caribbean Princess.Thanks for any help.

[chrysalis]

For Coki beach just take a local cab there.....easy to do.

 

Snorkel right from the beach at the pier in Grand Turk.

 

There will be lots more info in the port of call area of Cruise Critic.

[JJPacer]

Coki Beach is by the aquarium and has great snorkeling from the beach. Grand Turk has "the wall". You have to take a snorkel excursion to snorkel there. There are private excursions that will take you. I would give Coki Beach a slight advantage. The clarity of the water has a lot to do with the condition of the water. If it's rough, the clarity will be less. This would be true at either port.

[bkw67]

I have been to both. The best snorkeling I have EVER done was at Coki Beach.

 

This is a picture I took from just off the beach. Note the fish in the background and the ocean bottom in the corners of the picture. It was just that clear!

 

 

My daughter did a Google search on my picture and found that the St Thomas snorkeling website is using my picture. Kinda cool!

http://www.snorkeling.info/snorkeling-locations/st-thomas/index.html

[Amtrack Springfield]

I would vote for Coki beach. The water is clear, warm and lots of fish. It is about a $10 or $11 bus ride from Havensight. You can rent gear or bring your own. They do alot of scuba diving from this beach. I have never snorkled at Grand Turk. The beach is very rocky. You would have to book a tour.

[kendon]

Didn't see anything on the catamaran snorkel tour off Grand Turk. St. Thomas is very good though.

[I want to cruise]

Coki Beach it is! Thanks for the help.

[fishin' musician]

There is great snorkeling off Osprey Beach at Grand Turk. Just take a cab to Cockburn Town. Excellent structure, coral and fish.

[Middleager]

Yes, at GT, snorkeling off the Osprey hotel is pretty good. It's about $5-7/p cab ride there. But there isn't much else there by the hotel. Just by the hotel, there are several dive shops, and snorkel ops. They'll take snorkelers but usually needs min. 4 people and charge $40-50/p. So it's quite expensive there.

 

Coki Beach is about $10-12/p cab ride. There are lots more going on at Coki. Many vendors, the acquarium, and just lots more people enjoying the place. Snorkeling is quite good there. There is dive shop there that'll take people scuba diving, or give lessons.

 

For beach snorkeling, you'll find Coki much more enjoyable.

[Putterdude]

I have snorkeled off Coki beach at least several times and found it to be some of the finest snorkeling I have had in the Caribbean....a multitude of different varieties of fish. As you enter the water move to the right around the reef toward Coral World...I have gone beyond rope line by a few yards without being spoken to. IMO the trick is to move quickly off the ship and grab one of the early jitneys to get to the beach before the crowds arrive.

I have done Grand Trunk twice and it is a great scuba island and the "wall" is a sensational experience but I have only had average snorkeling there...at least in terms of fish. Mitch and Audrey of Blue Water divers are great operators but I wasn't impressed with Princess's operators.

[Tyskie]

I vote for Coki as well, having been to both. FYI, Coki Beach on the weekend is VERY crowded, just something to be aware of. Still my choice:D

[jimw]

Been to both as well, scuba diving. The wall dive off GT is world class! The dive off the beach at Coki is very nice for a shore dive. Our experience with a taxi was much more expensive than others have suggested here--around $60. r/t for 2 people. On our first visit we took a tour that dropped us at Coki for a couple of hours, then returned us to the ship--that was quite a bit less than taking a taxi on our 2nd visit............I forget the tour op, but it was not a ship trip. It was worthwhile and cheaper to take the tour--I would do that again.

[bkw67]

You are probably referring to the 'Godfrey' tour. I have done it twice!

[Armedaneian]

Our experience with a taxi was much more expensive than others have suggested here--around $60. r/t for 2 people. On our first visit we took a tour that dropped us at Coki for a couple of hours, then returned us to the ship--that was quite a bit less than taking a taxi on our 2nd visit............I forget the tour op, but it was not a ship trip. It was worthwhile and cheaper to take the tour--I would do that again.

 

I'm not sure if the "Safaris" go all the way to Coki or not, but when they drop you off at Sapphire, they keep heading that way. It's only a mile and a half further to Coki, so it's a good bet the $2.00 ride will take you there too. Safaris are the same vehicles the taxis use inside the Cruise Terminal, but you have to walk off the property to catch them. They come by every few minutes and spend the day driving their route around the island.

 

Ask on the St.Thomas forum, and someone there should know if they go to Coki or not. Once we discovered the difference between a Safari, a bus, and a cab, we decided the $2 Safari is the only way to go! :cool:

[Putterdude]

You are probably referring to the 'Godfrey' tour. I have done it twice!

 

Like you we have done a couple of Godfrey tours but with his stops he will get you to Coki after the crowds have arrived. A cab or jitney will run about $11 to $12 pp return. Godfrey's tours are currently running $25 to $30 pp so there is not a huge savings in take a cab, it is the savings in time.