Underwater paradise: Spectacular snorkeling in the Caribbean

by Melanie Reffes, Special for USA TODAY

Unlike scuba diving, which requires more gear and more courage, snorkeling is a breeze for underwater sightseers worth his (or her) sea salt. All it takes is a mask and a tube, pair of fins, inflatable life vest and a sense of adventure. Add snorkeling to sun, sand and sea and you’ll hear a whole lot of ooh’s and aah’s courtesy of spectacular submerged landscapes, the occasional shipwreck and schools of crayon-colored tropical fish cavorting in clear calm water. Easy to master and too much fun not to try, floating near the surface of the water is so breathtakingly mesmerizing that it may morph your island vacation into an island staycation.

The Bahamas

Visibility is as deep as 100 feet and with water temperatures hovering near the 90 degree mark year round, snorkeling is full of surprises just below the water’s surface. (Photo: Viator)
With 700 islands and cays fanning 100,000 square miles, snorkeling is sublime virtually anywhere in The Bahamas. Visibility is as deep as 100 feet and with water temperatures hovering near the 90 degree mark year round, snorkeling is full of surprises just below the water’s surface. One mile off the southern shore of Grand Bahama Island, the shallow bars and coral reefs at the Peterson Cay National Park, one of the smallest national parks in The Bahamas, are amongst the best for catching a glimpse of the sea fans, barracuda and manta rays that flit amongst the purple and yellow coral. Also on Grand Bahama Island, Paradise Cove and Deadman’s Reef is home to an assortment of angelfish, parrotfish and squirrelfish; those curiously named small red fish with white stripes. On Great Exuma Island, the long narrow sliver called Stocking Island is where you’ll see starfish resting in the aquamarine water. Tours like Sea Escape are ideal for both beachcombers and fans of perusing beneath the waves. A short hop by water taxi from the Treasure Cay airport, Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco Out Islands is where you’ll enjoy a leisurely snorkel sprint on a Brendal’s Dive Center day trip to Ocean Beach where a sparkling barrier reef lies just offshore.

Curacao

What it lacks in amenities, it makes up in underwater sightseeing. (Photo: Curacao Tourist Board)
If you don’t count a few fishermen who stay only for a few days at a time, abandoned lighthouse and a few palm frond covered sheds for day trippers from Curaçao, Klein Curaçao or Little Curacao in English, is an empty island southeast of the mainland. What it lacks in amenities, it makes up in underwater sightseeing. Once a German naval base that was built in 1888, the windward side of the one mile wide sliver is today a graveyard for boats that lost power and a watery wonderland of rainbow-hued fish and sea turtles. For the more adventurous, swim ten minutes out to the reef and you’ll meet up with purple coral sandwiched between maize-colored plants, teensy striped fish and friendly eagle rays. Tours with Bounty Adventures includes lunch en route to Little Klein. Also on the snorkel hit parade, Caracas Bay Peninsula is where you’ll find two snorkeling spots called Tugboat and Director’s Bay that are well worth an afternoon underwater. Moray eels and lobsters swim within the crevices of the wreck that sunk a quarter century ago while starfish lazily take five on the rocks. You can explore on your own or join an Ocean Encounters day trip with departures from the Sunscape Curacao Resort and the Lions Dive Resort.

Antigua

On the opposite side of Antigua from the capital city of St. John’s, Cades Reef is a two-mile-long barrier reef teeming with undersea marvels. (Photo: Island Routes)
On the opposite side of the island from the capital city of St. John’s, Cades Reef is a two-mile-long barrier reef teeming with undersea marvels. On the southwestern coast, the show is spellbinding with pink-hued coral, brilliant blue and yellow fish and starfish that nuzzle the ocean floor. Reef sharks make periodic appearances, nurse sharks take shelter under the coral overhangs and spiny lobsters, noisy parrotfish, slippery moral eels and agile barracuda also call the reef home. Super easy for snorkelers to navigate, there is little or no current, water temperatures average 80 degrees Fahrenheit and underwater visibility ranges from 50 to 140 feet. You can explore on your own or book a tour like Island Routes ‘Sail and Snorkel’ that includes lunch and plenty of rum punch. Tours with Tropical Adventures include snorkel gear and Treasure Island Cruises add entertainment on the boat to the snorkel mix.

Jamaica

A small island off shore from Negril, Booby Cay is also one of the best spots for snorkel newbies who might not be up to venturing into deeper waters. (Photo: Island Routes)
Getting its name from the booby bird — that white and grey tern with the blue feet — that returns each year to lay their eggs, Booby Cay is where the 1954 Disney cult classic 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was filmed. A small island off shore from Negril, Booby Cay is also one of the best spots for snorkel newbies who might not be up to venturing into deeper waters. Dubbed Gilligan’s Island by the locals, the clear calm water is rife with marine life and an old shipwrecked anchor and cannon. Local operators like JuJu Tours — the only tour company that offers night snorkeling tours — takes the curious between the underwater caves for a look-see at the coral reefs and the rainbow-colored fish that mingle between them. Other snorkel hot spots include Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay, Treasure Beach on the South Coast, Runaway Bay in the parish of St. Ann and off-the-beaten-path; the reef off San San Beach between Frenchman’s Cove and The Blue Lagoon in Port Antonio is an picturesque meet and greet with all creatures great and small.

Anguilla

You’ll hit the snorkel bullseye on one of the longest beaches on the island of Anguilla. (Photo: William A. Boyd Jr., Anguilla Tourist Board)
You’ll hit the snorkel bullseye on one of the longest beaches on the island of Anguilla. Shoal Bay and Shoal Bay East, on the northeastern shoreline, are snorkel-ready with unruffled clear water and plenty of underwater action from the wrasses, snappers, coral and sea fans that live along the outer edge of the reef. Gear can be rented at shacks on the sand or from entrepreneurial locals called Beach Ambassadors who parade up and down the beach renting masks and flippers. A bonanza for beginners, Sandy Hill Bay, on the windward side of the island, is rarely crowded making it ideal for snorkelers who don’t covet a lot of human company. Protected by a long spit of coral, parrot fishes, translucent tangs and gentle stingrays dart between the nooks and crannies. Accessible by boat or rope ladder down the hillside, Little Bay is well worth the trek for quiet contemplation and for those who may want to bust a move to reggae rhythms and dig into a buttery lobster and a glass of rum punch, head to Sandy Island on Sunday when the sandy spit is a snorkel party from sunrise to sunset.

Cayman Islands

In Grand Cayman’s capital city of George Town, Wreck of the Cali is hauntingly beautiful and stunningly perfect for kids who like to explore old freighters and the fish that now call the wreck home. During the 1940’s while carrying 30,000 bags of rice, the hull sprung a leak which caused the rice inside to expand blowing the boat in half. Today it rests in shallow water close to shore where sea urchins, eels and octopus cavort among the rusty ruins. With a name that will make junior snorkelers smile, Cheeseburger Reef — named for its proximity to a fast food joint — is teeming with sea turtles, snapper and butterfly fish swimming in 10 feet of water close to shore. With a sandy walk-in, it’s easy for snorkelers of all ages to frolic with the undersea critters who are seemingly not scared of their two-legged human admirers. Crazy busy with tourists but worth a look-see, Stingray City in Grand Cayman is easy snorkeling just offshore. People-friendly stingrays glide through the warm waters posing for snaps and foraging for food. For those curious about secretive snorkeling sites, check out the East End of Grand Cayman where the reefs by the Tortuga Club host schools of conch, sea fans, tarpons and lobster. You can venture out on your own or join day trips, excursions to Stingray City and night snorkeling adventures offered by Don Foster’s Dive.

Bonaire

East of Aruba and Curacao and just north of Venezuela, the reef-lined coast of Bonaire has received more awards for superb snorkeling than you can shake a fin at. From friendly Angelfish and feisty Sergeant Majors to Grunts, Gobies and Groupers, it’s a field day for snorkelers looking for action just offshore. On one of the most eco-astute islands, Coral Restoration Foundation is a non-profit volunteer group that builds and restores Elkhorn and Staghorn coral that have been damaged. Since 2012, an impressive 4,000 coral nurseries have been transplanted on the reef. Snorkelers can wade into the reef from the shoreline in front of many of the hotels to see a living breathing fireworks display of color. Compass Bonaire and Woodwind Snorkeling Bonaire take snorkel fans on sunset cruises and on snorkel charters for special occasions.

US Virgin Islands

In St. Thomas, the largest of the Virgins, colorful fish and oddly shaped coral take a back seat to snorkeling in search of a bottle of Cruzan Rum. (Photo: Andrew Raak, Bolongo Bay Beach Resort)
A mecca for those who take their snorkeling seriously, Trunk Bay in St. John — the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands — is a 673-foot-long self-guided snorkel trail with underwater signs noting the various species of coral and critters that play no deeper than 20 feet below the surface. Less touristy, Haulover North, on the east end of the small island, borders the Virgin Islands National Park and is the top pick of snorkel-savvy locals. In St. Thomas, the largest of the Virgins, colorful fish and oddly shaped coral take a back seat to snorkeling in search of a bottle of Cruzan Rum. At the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort, the not-to-be-missed Snorkel Booze Hunt has been a weekly tradition every Thursday afternoon for the last three decades. Donning snorkel gear, the brazen (and the thirsty) comb the waters for hidden bottles of Cruzan Rum (not airplane size, big 200 ml bottles) distilled on next door St. Croix. The winners bring their bottle bounty to Iggies Beach Bar where the bartenders mix up the resorts signature VooDoo Juice, a mighty blend of five flavored rums served icy cold in a bucket.

For more on this story & video of Cayman Islands go to: http://experience.usatoday.com/caribbean/story/best-of-caribbean/2016/01/28/spectacular-snorkeling-in-the-caribbean/79406828/