Tour Advice for Snorkeling Please

[kalliyan1]

We will be in Roatan in Nov., specifically the week of Thanksgiving as a cruise stop.  It's our first time there and we LOVE to snorkel.  I've read as many threads as I can find that discuss the  pros & cons of West Bay.  I've seen everything from there are so many people in the water your touching elbows to it's not that busy.  I know there are several factors that play into that and all the reviews i've read from extreme to extreme are true but I'm looking for a realistic expectation if we do a day pass at infinity for the beach snorkeling?

 

The other option that we are completely  open to is boat tour, prefer private, for snorkeling.  The problem is, I can't really find any vendors for that as most only offer the dive experience.  

 

I appreciate any advice or feedback provided.

Thanks!

[Guest 2000]

There is no way to know what your day on the beach is going to be like. Some of that is about number of people but some of it is about perception, one man's crazy busy beach is another man's perfect party.

 

I recommend you contact several tour operators, they are hungry enough to be able to sort out exactly what you want. 

 

Or

 

Go to West Bay and if there are to many people in the water, hire one of the locals hanging out on the beach to take you out. 

 

Do keep in mind whether is a factor. Rainy season start sometime in October and ends sometime in January generally. Since the weather the world over has gone crazy historical averages may not be all that formative anymore

 

[kalliyan1]

18 hours ago, Guest 2000 said:

There is no way to know what your day on the beach is going to be like. Some of that is about number of people but some of it is about perception, one man's crazy busy beach is another man's perfect party.

 

I recommend you contact several tour operators, they are hungry enough to be able to sort out exactly what you want. 

 

Or

 

Go to West Bay and if there are to many people in the water, hire one of the locals hanging out on the beach to take you out. 

 

Do keep in mind whether is a factor. Rainy season start sometime in October and ends sometime in January generally. Since the weather the world over has gone crazy historical averages may not be all that formative anymore

 

Thank you for your reply.  That sounds like a good plan

 

[crewsweeper]

Appear that Thanksgiving Day, the 28th, will be the busiest day with 3 large ships in port. Followed by Friday the 29th.  Wednesday has 2 ships in and Tuesday has 1.

 

Nevertheless, if the weather is good, Guest's advice on heading to West Bay and then hiring a small boat to take you out off the beach is an excellent way to get uncrowded snorkeling along good reefs.

 

[mrobstad]

I have been to West Bay Beach 3 times.  It’s lovely and gets crowded, but there’s tons of locals with skiffs to take you just beyond the reef.  I tried going on my own, but it’s safer to go with a guy, maybe $10-20.  I take a cab there, so it’s an under $100 day. 

 

[TMR2]

We did this one a while back and it wasn't crowded at all but maybe it depends on the time of year. Great tour tho https://roatancruiseexcursions.com/excursion/roatan-shipwreck-snorkeling/

[SeaPA]

Another alternative is the West End community.  You can park it at Half Moon Bay resort. There is very good snorkeling a short swim away, the restaurant is good (and has a full bar) and reasonably priced, and there is a fresh water shower available to rinse off when you're done snorkeling.  It won't be anywhere near as crowded as West Bay.

Also, if you have any kids or young adults in your group, there's a sailboat "swing" anchored right out front that is great entertainment, at the outrageous cost of zero dollars and zero cents.

[beachgirl32931]

We've been to Roatan twice.  Used Roatan Eco Tours the first time :http://roatanecotour.com/

Had a fantastic day snorkeling.  Because there were only 4 of us on the tour he gave us the option to snorkel another spot versus beach time.    I would not hesitate to use them again.  

 

The second time went with Radical Adventures Catamaran:  http://www.svfreeradical.com/  We had a fantastic day as well.  We went to a completely different part of the island and it included tons of food as well as booze and non alcoholic drinks.  This was more expensive but you got much more.  I would not hesitate to use them again.

 

Both included transportation to and from the ship.  I found both here on the ports of call.

 

 

[TheAntebella]

Hoping to find someone as wel

[KD Travel Adventures]

While its not exclusive to snorkeling, I'm going to recommend Daniel Johnson's Monkey and Sloth Hangout.  We bought the excursion directly through their Facebook page that included the island tour, snorkeling and the animals. While I don't remember the exact amount of time we had to snorkel, I felt like it was one of the longest times I've been able to snorkel on an excursion. And, the only reason we stopped when we did was because of thunderstorms.  They also took us to two locations. One was fairly shallow and at times could stand up, which I thought would be great for beginners to get their

bearings, but still interesting for someone who has snorkeled many ties. Then they took us to another area, which is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest reef system in the world behind the Great Barrier Reef. The fish and drop off were amazing.  Below are two videos; one is taken from pictures of just some of the island tour, animals and snorkeling, and the other is compiled videos of the snorkeling portion of the excursion. Subscribe to KJ Travel Adventures for more videos.

 

Pictures made into a video of the island tour, animals, snorkeling form the Daniel Johnson's Monkey and Sloth Hangout Excursion

https://youtu.be/VaKMLYNNaJI

 

Videos of snorkeling portion of Daniel Johnson's Monkey and Sloth Hangout excursion

https://youtu.be/y35gWkjS2ho

[Host Carolyn]

On 8/12/2019 at 11:28 AM, TheAntebella said:

Hoping to find someone as wel

 

If you are just interested in snorkeling Radical Adventures is a good group to go with.  My son lives on Roatan, lots of folks who come for a land vacation use them

[TheAntebella]

1 hour ago, Host Carolyn said:

 

If you are just interested in snorkeling Radical Adventures is a good group to go with.  My son lives on Roatan, lots of folks who come for a land vacation use them

I’d love to but they are booked full when we go!