Slightly OT: Snorkeling in the Western Caribbean

daveverdo

daveverdo

New member
My family and I are going to Belize, Cozumel, and Roatan this summer. I may want to do some snorkeling. None of us have snorkeled before are we aren't very strong swimmers. We also plan to see some Mayan ruins and spend a day on the beach.

Anyone been down that way? Of the three ports where is the better snorkeling?

Thanks,
Dave
 
Go on a guided tour, anywhere will be amazing. If you haven't seen a reef close up, you will be amazed. My wife wasn't a very strong swimmer. As soon as she hit the water in Key Largo, and saw a barracuda as long as she was slightly terrified, but hooked! Swam like a fish! Practice up, take seriously the 'buddy' rule and snorkel your way to an awesome family adventure you will not forget! Good luck and enjoy!
 
There are many guided tours for snorkeling in those areas. That's what I recommend for beginners. The tours provide you with life jackets , the snorkeling gear, a guide to keep track of you, and a boat to take you to the right spot. I remember going on a guided tour when I was 7, nothing the average person can't handle.

Belize has Shark Ray Alley, I've been snorkeling with nurse sharks(friendly), awesome experience. I'm sure all 3 places have a decent beginner snorkeling trips.
Also, check out the rainforest in Belize. It's incredible!
 
I'd stick to the ruins in that case too. Plenty of great stuff to see and remember for a lifetime. Lucky you are. Have a great trip and post us some pictures. See a bit of the jungle, get wet under a waterfall and enjoy the beaches.

If you do go snorkeling "anywhere" in the world, never try to go on your own. Do it with a professional crew that will take people out on snorkel cruises. The right people know exactly where to go and when & keep it safe. Some places are not exactly safe to snorkel depending on where you are and the time. That goes for anywhere, not just Mexico. A professional local (if they are a responsible good business) would know. However, Not "every" outfit in Mexico is good though. One must choose carefully.

I realize your not going to scuba dive. But for what it's worth, this is just my opinion as well as many diving friends I have, when it comes to Snorkeling:

Full Scuba Diving is actually safer (if your certified and/or with guide). A large majority of divers today will tell you being further down in the water amongst fish & other Marine animals is safer as long as your respectful & don't touch. It's much safer than snorkeling. Even though it's more involved, requires training and certification. Where Snorkeling, anyone can do it. Not to be alarming or over exaggerate, but unless you know the right and good spots and are going with a business that guides and takes you there.. I wouldn't Snorkel. Though attacks by Sharks and even other fish are "rare"- even with the statistics of how many there are per year.. The chances of "attracting" things from below while your on the surface splashing around is much greater than the dangers in diving. On the surface many animals (even if they don't know what you are) think something is wrong with you and your possibly a sick target because your not down where you belong like the fishes. OR they mistake your surface looks for their usual prey. Since many predators look UP as well as out. But when one dives, your down where most other things are- swimming in the normal environment. Even many Sharks are afraid of divers. Especially the bubbles at times. However, on the surface, most large fish are not afraid of what you could be "up there". Some can actually be more curious about what that is above and want to investigate. Leaving you in an unknowing and possibly dangerous position. As things "can" come "out of No where" even when you think your seeing everything down there.

Many divers I know, actually refuse to Snorkel and keep surface time at a minimum.

Again, don't get me wrong. In a good spot at the right time, many nice things can be seen Snorkeling without having to dive. But I personally don't recommend it without a good business guide.

Anyone that does want to go diving in Mexico, there is an excellent resort in Cozumel. They actually have a doctor and a hyperbaric chamber right on site at the resort. Not that you should ever need one. But just in the rare case, what a great service to have right on site. In stead of needing emergency air flight 100's to 1,000's of miles a way. It could be a close life saver for a deep diver.
 
I have been snorkeling the Caribbean and Mexico for 15 years and never realized I was in such mortal danger. Don't let DEEPBLUE scare you Dave, snorkeling can be very safe as long as you take the proper precautions as with any water based activity. If you are beginners then definitely book an excursion with knowledgeable guides and there are many in Cozumel and Belize. Belize is your best bet, it is one of the top dive and snorkeling destinations in the Caribbean. I am actually heading to the Mayan Riviera with my family next week and plan on snorkeling everyday, luckily there is a reef right of the resort. Enjoy your trip Dave.
 
Things that will help keep your family from drowning include:
1. The extra bouncy of saltwater
2. Flippers that greatly increase your propulsion
3. A life vest that keeps you afloat
4. A guide nearby (if you do a tour)

This really is very safe. My only recommendation is that if you've never snorkeled before, practice using a snorkel once before you go. An ex-girlfriend and I went on vacation to snorkel and she couldn't master breathing through and clearing her snorkel. It really put a damper on our ability to explore. Definitely don't miss out on the opportunity- the ocean is far more magnificent than our tanks.
 
Agree w/cjrbuf1 wholeheartedly. Sign up with a tour and enjoy. Here's a few shots from our trip to the BVI last month. Taken in a 1-3 feet of water off Anegada....

115
119
101


I finally realized that I can post pics. WOW!!!!
 
Deep blue is not trying to scare anyone. LOL
If it were I, I certainly wouldn't let someones statements limit my decisions on things 100% either. Everyone can think for themselves and be sensible.
It is true most people don't have a problem with it.(Snorkeling)
Done in the right places. Mostly I wanted to suggest as others did, to go with a professional crew. Especially if you hadn't done it before or were not familiar with the area.

One could be in "mortal danger" at any given moment and not know it CJRBUF1. I wouldn't let something limit my life either if I really wanted to do it. I've been snorkeling in Florida. I enjoyed it much.

However, after getting into diving and finding that people in the industry as well as tourists (Snorkeling) have been attacked more often than divers- most divers will still tell you that diving is safer. But I would still say that these attacks however greater snorkeling than diving, are still fairly "rare". Despite that, I personally was just turned off to it after having people I know and others I came to know later share their experiences in such cases. I will say these are people that have been doing it for many years some 30 & 40 years.

I think the best thing to do is just be cautous and go with a good crew and enjoy yourself Dave. My intent was not to completely turn you off to it. I don't think it will.
You can think for yourself. I'm sure you will have a good trip. Enjoy yourself!

CJRBUF1: I appreciate your sharing and experience too. I just hope that you don't let your wonderful time of 15 years experience with no negative issues cloud the fact that any thing is possible one day. It's happened to experts. I wouldn't over think it and let it stop me from doing anything if I really wanted to keep doing it. However, hopefully it does not cause a loss of awareness that however "safe" .. it could be potentially dangerous. Overconfidence with good time experience sometimes leads to an unforseen surprise one day that is negative. The ocean IS a beautiful place as much as it is still a dangerous place. Hopefully we keep both in perspective. Perhaps I went a bit far too. However at the same time, the statments I made(without "incidental" facts- left out on purpose as I didn't think this would be a debate worth listing) were NOT un true. The facts are as I suggested quite true. But then again, a lot of things are and the chances a percentage of risk. Which most of us are willing to accept our own.

Personally, I'd rather see whats around me. Even have it come near my face as opposed to not knowing what could check me out where/when I can't see. But that's me and I never dive alone either. I'm always with buddies.
 
When my wife and I went on our honeymoon, we took a Caribbean cruise. We stopped in the ports of Ocho Rios (Jamaica), Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands), and Cozumel (Mexico).

We did the Mayan Ruins in Cozumel. I HIGHLY recommend them. They were amazing. You probably want to wear your swimsuits, because the beach at the bottom of the ruins is absolutely beautiful. It is probably the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. Remember to bring your camera. If you have one with a decent zoom, it will help.

We went to Stingray City and snorkeling at Grand Cayman. Definitely go on a guided tour. They know exactly where to go, and will probably bring along some food to feed the fish and get them in closer. The snorkeling was easy, and we didn't really have to worry about getting lost or anything.


Most importantly, bring lots of sunscreen. Apply often. The sun is very intense. And have fun!
 
Thanks everyone. We did plan on going with a guide. We also ordered some "US Divers" brand snorkels to practice. The ruins are a definite and we can visit them in either Cozumel or Belize. We also were thinking of the cave tubing in Belize which means we would have to see the ruins in Coz. The only place left for snorkeling is Roatan. There is supposedly some good places at West End or West Bay.

http://the-housesitter.com/blog/?p=3463

http://the-housesitter.com/blog/?p=3355

May have to give it a shot unless we want to swim with the sharks and rays in Belize?? :confused:
 
Practice is a must if you've never been before. Before my wife and I went on our first cruise ~5 years ago, we went to a local dive shop (Aquatic Center of Rochester) that actually has an indoor pool, and we took a snorkeling class. We had never been snorkeling before, and it was a great way for us to 1) try it out to see if it was fun (it was!) and 2) gain some confidence in a safe, controlled environment. Then, when we went out on the guided tours, we didn't have to waste time figuring out how things worked since we had some experience. Taking a breath while your face is in the water feels quite unnatural until you get used to it.

I also recommend bringing your own snorkels. Some places give you a cheapo snorkel that you get to keep. Some of the boats just dunk their snorkels in a big tub of gross looking water. It probably had bleach in it, but still... Besides, the provided snorkels are usually the basic ones with no drain on them (I've got no idea what the proper name of it is). The ones we bought have a place to pinch it near the mouthpiece that lets you exhale and blow out any water/spit that might have gotten into it, which we found to be a nice feature.

Have fun!!
 
Cave tubing is fun. Just wear deet. You don't want a BOT fly. A guy on our cruise got bit and those little guys live in you for a while. The tubing is cool, get an underwater rugged cam.
 
MatAndPatti said:
Practice is a must if you've never been before. Before my wife and I went on our first cruise ~5 years ago, we went to a local dive shop (Aquatic Center of Rochester) that actually has an indoor pool, and we took a snorkeling class. We had never been snorkeling before, and it was a great way for us to 1) try it out to see if it was fun (it was!) and 2) gain some confidence in a safe, controlled environment. Then, when we went out on the guided tours, we didn't have to waste time figuring out how things worked since we had some experience. Taking a breath while your face is in the water feels quite unnatural until you get used to it.

I also recommend bringing your own snorkels. Some places give you a cheapo snorkel that you get to keep. Some of the boats just dunk their snorkels in a big tub of gross looking water. It probably had bleach in it, but still... Besides, the provided snorkels are usually the basic ones with no drain on them (I've got no idea what the proper name of it is). The ones we bought have a place to pinch it near the mouthpiece that lets you exhale and blow out any water/spit that might have gotten into it, which we found to be a nice feature.

Have fun!!
Click to expand...

I agree with that entirely!

The same goes for those that dive. Equipment needs to be inspected once per year (and other things like tanks need hydrostatic test every 5 years)
Many excursion shops in Mexico, South America, and some in Caribbean Do Not replace all bad equipment or have it inspected regularly as it should be.
That's especially bad when a divers rented regulator fails, which has happened to people because of shops like that down there.

Most that dive, only rent the tank(s) and fills. The rest of their equipment they pack cause it's better than the used stuff provided by these businesses.

The same for the basic Snorkel equipment. Most of their stuff is used and worn out and not as comfortable as your own.

It's easy to pack your own Fins, Mask and Snorkel & have it be a minimal thing in your luggage. Always best to use as much of your own equipment as possible. Whether it's for Snorkeling or diving.
 
A kid could go snorkling with no prior experience!! Have a blast!!! The life vest and flippers help so much, or are annoying(I think the vest is) but it's a blast!! Anything can happen but you don't stop walkin down the street or take a class on crossing an intersection because 1 person got hit at some time somewhere. I would skip any classes on snorkeling, and just do it! If you can swim a little or float then your fine!
I'm jealous and hope you have a blast!!! Take lots of pics for us!!
 
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