Snorkeling in St Thomas & St Maarten

[kitkat725]

My husband and I will be on the Caribbean Princess next month visiting St Thomas, St Maarten and Princess Cays. We are planning on bringing our own snorkel gear and are looking for suggestions on where to go? I prefer to snorkel directly from the beach rather than taking a boat somewhere. Any suggestions?

Thanks :o

[Stevesan]

Snorkeling at St Maarten is only fair to poor.

 

However, you'll find good to excellent shore snorkeling at St Thomas (Coki Beach) or St John (Cinnamom Bay). St John's accessible by ferry. St John's Trunk Bay is popular, but the snorkeling is pretty much played out - too many visitors. But it is beautiful.

 

Go to the vinow web site for everything you ever wanted to know about the US Virgin Islands and then some.:p

 

I haven't been to Princess Cays, yet.

[roysue]

Princess Cays has terrific snorkeling - it is beach entry. The reef and coral do come right to the beach. I have never needed them but seem people do like to use water shoes around the shore. The reef is not huge, but the fish are wonderful and I think get fed alot so they hang around the reef in great numbers. Equipment is available for rent or you can bring your own.

Enjoy!

[scubaran]

My husband and I will be on the Caribbean Princess next month visiting St Thomas, St Maarten and Princess Cays. We are planning on bringing our own snorkel gear and are looking for suggestions on where to go? I prefer to snorkel directly from the beach rather than taking a boat somewhere. Any suggestions?

Thanks :o

 

Hi,

 

The best snorkeling we did on St. Maarten was at Pinel Island. From the St. Maarten website:

 

Charming Pinel Island, or Isle Pinel, or in French Ilet Pinel or Ile de Pinel, is a tiny island on the north end of St. Martin, 5 minutes off the shores of French Cul de Sac, and a few hundred yards off the northern end of Orient Bay. A must see on your visit! It is the place where people on St. Martin/St. Maarten go to relax! The end of the road at French Cul de Sac opens onto a wide sandy area where there is a small wooden dock. Vendors and small ferryboats are waiting there to run you over to the islet for a fee of five dollars. It is possible to swim over, especially with snorkel gear, but why not enjoy a wonderful short five minute taxi-boat ride for a relaxing day of exploring, sunbathing, or a picnic on this tropical paradise?

The island is a few hundred yards off shore and I recommend using the ferryboat for $5. The boats are just flat bottom open boats with a bunch of benchs. They go about every five minutes back and forth. There's a beach area to the left of the dock with a small food shack and bar and to the right you have a pretty extensive reef. If you're a good snorkeler you can hug the reef between the island and the reef and you'll see a fairly deep channel in front of you. Swim over the channel (about 100 yards) and you'll come to a larger reef less frequented due to the swim (I guess people think they're swimming out to sea and don't go that far). There are snorkel guides on the island who can point you in the best locations. It's not St. Thomas but it wasn't too bad a trip (location wise it was about 20 minutes from the cruise dock and like the description says, just up from Orient beach).



Randall

[caribbean2000]

I've read that the boats over to Pinel do not start running until 10 a.m. - is this true? thanks!

[Lsimon]

If you haven't been to St. John before take the ferry there and go to Trunk Bay or one of the other beaches. It is beautiful. Check the ferry schedule on line - I think they leave on the hour and walk off the ship about 45 minuites before.

 

We've been to Trunk Bay 3 times. On our last St. Thomas stop we did a day-sail on a crewed sail boat. Try googling, or searching the St. Thomas forum for "St. Thomas Day Sail" there are at least half a dozen operators. They leave from Red Hook, sail to St. John for Snorkeling and lunch. It was a great trip with great snorkeling. Most take a maximum of 6 passengers.

 

I think the snorkeling on the day sail was better than Trunk Bay, but the beach at trunk bay is so pretty it is worth seeing. Either trip is great.

 

Never been snorkeling at St. Martin - we always go to Orient beach and snorkeling isn't good there.

[scubaran]

I've read that the boats over to Pinel do not start running until 10 a.m. - is this true? thanks!

 

Hi,

 

Sorry, don't know as we where there from about 11:00-3:00.

 

Randall

[kitkat725]

Thanks for all the helpful information!

[scubaran]

Thanks for all the helpful information!

 

No problem. :)

[weechloe]

Just got back on March 9th and again had a wonderful day of snorkelling at Coki Beach in St. Thomas. Took dog biscuits with us and the fish will surround you in knee deep water. We cabbed it for $16 return and it was a great day.

[LEESRE]

Like other posters have said we think the best beach to snorkel on St. Thomas is Coki beach. You can get the dog biscuits for about a dollar each and the fish just love them.

On St. Maarten we go to Little Bay which is a short taxi ride away from the ships berth just ask the taxi driver for Divi Beach Resort Little Bay. Once there walk to your left between the hotel and shops and there is a small reef with plenty of fish, direct beach access. You will have a bar and bathroom to use the beds are 5 dollars each. It is really close so you can go for the morning and do your shopping in the afternoon.

[The Flying Pirate]

We did the Tiki Hut Snorkel tour in Sta Maarten last Decemeber and it was actually pretty good. It is deeper water, with several wrecked boats to look at. The water was clear and lots too see. The only trouble is you have to take a boat out to their Tiki raft. I would consider it doing it again.

 

Coki Beach in St Thomas is nice as well. We also have done the Turtle Cove Snorkel tour and that was great. They took us out on a sailboat and snorkeled in a great little cove off Buck Island. I have seen Sea Turtles every time we have gone out there.

 

Both of the above tours (Tiki Hut in St Maarten and Turtle Cove in St Thomas) we brought our own gear and the tour operators were fine with that.

 

Depending on what cruise line you are with will depend on who does the St Thomas tour, my personal favorite is the Doubloon, great crew and fun.

 

www.doubloon.com/Doubloon.htm

For St Maarten check out

www.snorkelstmaarten.com

[ScubaJim]

For my money and enjoyment, it is Coki Beach. Try getting there in the morning. Save the shopping for after lunch and you will have a good time.