Paynes Bay

[IHEARTSUP14]

Hi Everyone,

I am just reading about Paynes Bay and that it is a great spot to see the sea turtles. However, I was wondering if anyone knew how good the snorkeling was at this spot as well.

 

Thanks!

[pghsteelerfan]

Hi Everyone,

I am just reading about Paynes Bay and that it is a great spot to see the sea turtles. However, I was wondering if anyone knew how good the snorkeling was at this spot as well.

 

Thanks!

 

There is a long story but I'll give you the condensed version without all of the nitty gritty details. We were a little disappointed and really didn't get to spend the time we wanted to while at Paynes Bay, so I can only give you information on turtles and snorkeling out at a shipwreck off the coast. Yes, there are sea turtles, but I really wouldn't consider it a great spot. We did see 2 or 3 turtles, but that was basically it. There were also a few puffer fish out where the turtles are. There was a nearby shipwreck we were also taken to with tons of fish. If you snorkel to see a lot of fish, then the snorkeling at that spot is good, but most of the fish we saw were the same two kind (Sargent Majors and and chubs). If you're asking about snorkeling from the beach, I don't know. We only had three hours at Paynes Bay since it was part of a private tour (3 hours Paynes Bay, turtle swim/shipwreck included; 3 hours in the afternoon for land based tour). We thought turtle swim/snorkel @ shipwreck would take an hour at most. Let's just put it this way, we got called in early by boat operator while we were swimming with turtles (saw 2 or 3) because we had to go all the way back to the beach to pick up a large group who booked the turtle swim/shipwreck by boat when they arrived at the beach. We had our turtle swim cut short to go and get them, then the rest of our time out there was on their time. Only saw one turtle with them but a few in their group chases after it and we never saw it again, but hung out FOREVER because they wanted to see more. When we got back in, it was time for land based portion of the tour.

 

Did you hear that Paynes Bay, specifically, was a great spot? We chose Paynes Bay for the scenery from pictures I've seen. A fter reading a lot of picture reviews by other Cruise Critic members (mainly Carnival reviews over on the Carnival boards), it seems that Carlisle Bay is a great spot for the sea turtles. In those reviews, I've seen pictures posted of LOTS of turtles, more than just two or three. There is also a shipwreck off Carlisle Bay that they take you snorkeling at as well. You can book tours through reputable guys (forget the name, but one is very popular) right from the beach. That's probably what we'll do (Carlisle Bay) next time we get to Barbados.

Edited January 24, 2018 by pghsteelerfan