Snorkle with kids - Key West or Nassau?

[Elationismyship]

We have 2 13 year olds and a 17 year old, we want to do a snorkle excursion in either Key West or Nassau. Which is better Key West or Nassau?

[MamaParrotHead]

I have been to the beach at both places, but not snorkeled. In my opinion, the water in Nassau is a lot more clear (and warm, probably) than that in Key West. ;)

[Stevesan]

We have 2 13 year olds and a 17 year old, we want to do a snorkle excursion in either Key West or Nassau. Which is better Key West or Nassau?

 

 

I've done both. Key West was to the offshore reef with Red Sail. The crew was excellent, the boat uncrowded and the snorkeling very good.

 

However, for a real treat I strongly recommend Stuart's Cove. The kid's will love the shark encounter.

I wrote this as part of a post cruise review:

 

Nassau: “Snorkel Bahamas Adventure” is a 5-½ hour trip operated by Stuart’s Cove. On a previous excursion I went on the impressive Athol Island snorkel. This Stuart’s Cove outing surpassed all of my previous experiences, including Athol Island. The boat trip is @ three hours, and visits Schoolhouse Reef, the spectacular Golden Key Reef and finally a “swim with the sharks” at ‘The Wreck of the Bahama Mama’. I have never before witnessed such a number and variety of fish as at Golden Key. There are never-ending fish, large and small, singly and in large schools. The floor is decorated with huge, magnificent coral formations of all shapes and sizes. While there, a shark cruised past our group. He obviously thought this was his ocean and didn’t know, nor care, that we weren’t scheduled for a shark encounter until after Golden Key. Surprisingly, getting in with a dozen or so sharks is not frightening. I suspect we were too caught up with their grace and magnificence to be scared. The fact that the boat captain hadn’t lost a diver in twelve years was also encouraging. This is a five star, gold medallion, prime trip, not to be missed!

A little more detail about the shark encounter:

The crew lowers a bucket of bait to the bottom (it's about forty feet deep).

We snorkel the surface while the sharks feed from the bucket. The sharks all very politely remain on the bottom.

After we reboard, the crew dangle bait high in the air on the end of a long steel pole while the sharks break the surface to feed. A first rate show.

 

I booked the Key West trip thru the ship. Here's the link to Stuart's Cove:

http://www.dive-bahamas.com/DiveBahamasMgmt.aspx?id=3&pageId=17

[Elationismyship]

Awesome Stuwarts Cove it is!

 

Thanks.

[Islandbear]

I am opposed to baiting any fish. But before you dive with Stuart Cove, remember thing do go wrong.

 

 

Articule on death of a tourist diver from baited sharks

http://www.cdnn.info/news/eco/e090114.html

[Dive Master]

I am opposed to baiting any fish. But before you dive with Stuart Cove, remember thing do go wrong.

 

 

Articule on death of a tourist diver from baited sharks

http://www.cdnn.info/news/eco/e090114.html

 

 

The diver in this incident was killed by a Tiger Shark---very large shark that will eat anything,including humans.

 

The sharks at Stuart Cove's dive and snorkel sites are almost always Caribbean Reef Sharks and they are used to interacting with humans.Yes, they are big sharks (6-8 feet) and there is always some risk interacting with any wild animal, but I would be just as worried about petting a strange dog! Stuart and Michelle are great people and run a first class operation.

 

PADI Shark Awareness Instructor

[Denise&Paul STL]

I have snorkeled Atholl Island and through the outfit on the pier/dock at British Colonial Hilton in Nassau, as well as done a dive where they snorkel in Key West.

 

If you are looking for something a little less adventurous, I would suggest the Atholl Island snorkel as that is a group from the ship in a calm, comparatively safe environment. There were no sharks, but lots of very colorful fish and coral. The fish were obviously used to being fed there and it was a relaxed snorkel. The BCH snorkel involved a small boat with just the driver who took us out to an island off the beach near Sandals and told us where to swim. The water was choppy, jet skiers came very close to us (she did nothing to warn them away), and it was just the two of us snorkeling which didn't feel very safe.

 

The dive in Key West was in an area with five fingers of reefs we swam around and were told to stay away from the upper parts of that reef because the current could push us over them ensuring injury. The snorkel group saw sharks although we did not. We did see a school of barracuda though.

 

As far as the shark dives/snorkels through Stuart's Cove, keep in mind these people are professionals with new, young, and experienced clients. The group with the Tiger Shark attack was a different outfit and from what I read, were hoping for interaction (just not quite so close).