Good Snorkel tours and/or beachs in ...

[DANofNORTH]

We are on the Sea Princess this November & going to a few islands that we havn't been to before. I would like snorkelling recommendations for the following islands:

 

Barbadoes - Be there for about 3 days (cruise starts & ends there)

St. Lucia - Been to but the RC ships snorkel tour wasn't very good

St. Kitts -

Tortola, Brit. Virg. Islands -

Aruba -

Bonaire -

Grenada -

 

Thanks,

I love to snorkel. Don't know why I don't have gills! LOL :eek:

[Stevesan]

Feb 6 – Bonaire: Catamaran snorkel with Woodwind http://www.woodwindbonaire.com/cruises.html, .

Boat is crowded with 25 passengers, but both the crew, Deirdre (Dee) and Ulf, and the snorkeling is first rate. Lots of marine life and live coral with some fish and turtles. First stop is near shore, mainly for orientation and any who require snorkeling guidance. Second stop, near Klein, is much better. There’s a strong current, so we drift snorkel.

Feb 7 – Aruba: Booked NW Sail And Snorkel. Operator is Red Sail Sports, so I figure why not? Huge mistake!!! 125 people are crammed onto a catamaran, like sardines in a can. There aren’t even enough seats, unless you count the foam pads placed on the net. This is a disgraceful instance of squeezing every last dollar out of the suckers, that’s us folks. I can’t envisage suffering thru this so I immediately leave their boat and request a refund. There were no questions asked.

 

During a previous visit to Aruba I snorkeled with Pirates Of the Caribbean. That was a good experience, not a booze cruise, either. A very attentive and professional staff.

 

Feb 11 – Barbados: Full Day Snorkel trip on Silver Moon II.

http://oceanadventures.bb/sailing.htm

Good crew with 24 snorklers on board, but it’s a large cat affording adequate space. First stop is the ritualistic swim with the turtles. Second stop is at a near shore reef. There’s lots of large, live, coral formations, but few fish. Lunch on board follows.

Feb 12 – St Lucia: Full day snorkel with Dive Fair Helen.

http://www.divefairhelen.com/cruise_ship_special.htm

Boat meets us at ferry dock just across from cruise ship. Bumpy ride to dive shop at Marigot Bay. Ten snorkelers and nine divers board boat and head for Anse Cochon. Excellent marine life. The reef is easily accessed from the Tiki Village beach. Lunch is served on board, then a second stop at Richmond’s Trench. Large coral formations on each side are near the surface. A good day with an excellent operator. A big thumbs up for DFH.

Feb 13 – Antigua: Full Day snorkel with Eli’s Eco Tour:

http://www.adventureantigua.com/tour.html

Today’s boat Captain is J.D., not Eli. Tony was both narrator and snorkel guide. Tony proves to be a good replacement for Eli. A very windy day, 25 knots, makes for a rough ride to the North Shore. First stop is Bird Island beach for a short hike and/or snorkel lesson. There were two more stops, the last at Hell’s Gate. The weather and seas are too rough to snorkel over the reef to the Atantic side, so I just snorkeled between boat and reef. Nice coral and reef, but sand covers most of it and few fish venture out. Lunch is served on board. There are other options here including a climb to the top of Hell’s Gate via the island cave, which most choose to do. Good or bad weather, Eli’s is the best snorkel excursion in the Caribbean.

Feb 15 – Tortola: Full day snorkel with Patouche.

http://www.patouche.com/day_charters.htm

It’s another windy day. We sail Shamwari to the leeward, smooth, side of Norman Island. The first stop is at Treasure Caves. We snorkel along coral reefs and gardens and enter three of the caves. The island and caves were reputedly the inspirational source for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island. Lunch is at Willy Ts, a floating restaurant. Willy T’s is a good divergence from the inevitable barbecued chicken on the snorkel boats. Patouche is a class act. Be aware that Patouche, on the close of this day, relocated their operation from H.R. Penn Marina to a location near the airport

[DANofNORTH]

Thanks Stevesan!

 

The email addresses and personal comments are extreamly helpful. MDW & I will be looking these over very carefully.

 

At first brush I am inclined to be interested in almost all of your suggestions, but I can't convince MDW to snorkel at every stop, so I'll have to narrown things down to the best of the best.

 

Anyone else have suggestions? I'm still looking for info. on Genada & St. Kitts.

[DANofNORTH]

Although the inormation from Stevesan was outstanding, no one else with additional suggestions?

 

It would be appreciated.

[scubaran]

Although the inormation from Stevesan was outstanding, no one else with additional suggestions?

 

It would be appreciated.

 

For Grenada, especially if your DW doesn't want to snorkel, I HIGHLY, did I say HIGHLY? recommend Mandoo's Tour, honestly the best personal tour guide in the caribbean (http://www.grenadatours.com/). He only takes like 6 people on a highly personalized tour of the island (this will take up your entire time on the island but worth it). He meets you at the ship dock and excorts you to his van were he takes you on a complete tour of the island with stops at a cocco plantation, a mountain top lake with wild monkeys and a beach for some lying around. At every stop, if there was a tour guide, they stood aside and Mandoo conducted the tours himself, it was kinda nice to see how he would explain in details what we were seeing and other people not on our tour would gather around and listen as well. He's very personable and did things liked stopped at a black sand beach so one of the kids on the tour could collect a small rock for his collection. Mandoo is very proud of Grenada, which he should be, and it shows. He's won several awards from the government there and is considered my many their "national tour guide". All for like $35/per person. If you book, I know I asked him if there was anything I could bring him for him or his family since Granada is a poor, small country and they can't get many of the things that we can here. He politely asked if I could bring down some video games for his daughter who's birthday was coming up and he showed a lot of appreciation for the small act, I also appreciated him for providing us an excellent tour. My wife is always a bit leary of non-ship guided tour companies but she said she'd go on a tour with mandoo any time.

 

How's that for something to do on Granada? :)

Randall

[gmcrow]

We mostly dive, but we did snorkel on St. Kitts in December. We simply asked a cabdriver to take us to the BEST snorkeling beach she knew of that wouldn't be too crowded. She had a nice arrangement with a fellow that ran a beach shack with chairs & umbrellas for $10 total for the two of us for the day. She dropped us off and returned at the time we requested. The snorkeling was great and the scenery spectacular. Don't know the name of the beach but it was on a tiny strip of land opposite the big Sheraton hotel and golf resort which faces the Atlantic. Our beach was over a hill and facing the Caribbean. There were about 10 little beach shacks renting chairs and selling food and drink. No crowd. Would do that again.

[DANofNORTH]

is my thing! Any snorkelling suggestions or other ones for these islanlds than already listed.

 

Trust me, I will look into them all.

 

Thanks so far. :)

 

Dan