I, too, feel like I’m flying. Why, just the simplest of equipment—a snorkel, mask and fins—transforms these lovely tropical
waters into a weightless and wondrous new world. I can hover over skittering sand crabs. Float past walls of pastel sea fans and tube sponges. Marvel at Technicolor swirls of tropical fish, twirling above and around me like a mobile.
If you think the Caribbean is stunning from above the water, just wait until you see what’s below.
Whole lot of Love - Grand Turkey
Purring away from the cruise ship pier at Grand Turk, the water is so vividly blue it glows like neon against a bright white sand bottom. As you approach a deserted island, inky patches the size of umbrellas suddenly appear below. And they’re moving.
These “patches” are southern Atlantic stingrays, which gather here naturally on this shallow sandbar, free to come and go as they please. Perhaps they enjoy the attention.
On the new Reef and Rays Snorkel Tour, you’ll explore a reef and then this sandbar, where you can descend the ladder of the excursion boat and join these curious
creatures.
Guests yelp and giggle as the rays flutter past, their velvety wings skimming along bare calves. (The view is even better underwater,
where you can watch those undulating
fins, rippling like a blanket.) Stretch your arms out and these gentle giants will even rest there, blinking calmly.
Chris Tsutsis of Trumbull, Connecticut, emerges from the water with a broad grin and big eyes. “That was incredible, just incredible,” he enthuses. “I held a stingray, and it was just like the guide said—like a big portobello mushroom.” Chris had never snorkeled before and, clearly, the big funguslike fellow won him over. ”I’d snorkel again, absolutely,” he says.
Happy Trails - St. John
“Just remember, if there’s sand, you can stand,” says Dave D’Alberto of Paradise Aqua Tours as he distributes snorkeling
gear on the St. John Trunk Bay Beach & Snorkel Tour. “Otherwise, you need to float, and keep your fins and fingers from touching the reef. It’s not about you, it’s about those marine creatures that live here.”
And boy, are there creatures. Just a dozen yards off this St. John beach at Trunk Bay, a small island erupts out of the sea, ringed with a garden of coral that teems with sea life. With just a minute or two of casual fin kicks, you’re there—and suddenly action seems to be everywhere. A cartoonish trunkfish hovers near the bottom, stirring up the sand with fins that twirl like helicopter rotors. Something that looks like a dandelion gone to seed—but in bright purple—bobs from a coral head. An enormous school of tiny white baitfish drift by like an amorphous cloud, then suddenly part. In their void, a 4-foot-long tarpon cruises past, shiny as aluminum foil.
To help make sense of it all, interpretive signs along a 600-foot-long underwater trail identify fish and coral species found nearby. Floating above the sand, you learn that tropical
fish can change color, that coral comes in soft and hard species, and other nifty facts. Check it out, then tag along with that tarpon. He’s a heck of a tour guide.
Splash On - Cozumel, Mexico
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is famous for its cenotes (say-NO-tays), natural water pools formed by a wealth of spring-fed underground rivers and caverns. On the Mayan Jungle Explorer Excursion from Cozumel, you’ll explore these extraordinary ancient waterways in a new way: with a splash!
Your adventure begins with a ferry ride to Playa del Carmen, then a bike ride along jungle roads before your snorkeling begins in these refreshing crystal-clear waters. One look and you understand why these sites were so important to the Mayans—many of their villages grew up around these valuable water sources. But even most Mayans probably didn’t see these formations from underwater! You’ll discover a dreamland of natural wonders,
where limestone cavern walls have been sculpted by time.
Conch Out - Roatan, Honduras
It’s tough to top the classic islands of Roatan. Scattered off the coast of Honduras, the Bay Islands are Caribbean jewels of coconut palms, scalloped white sand beaches and opaline seas. They also happen to be perched along a fringe coral reef at the edge of the continental shelf, which means legions of both shallow- and deep-water species call the area home.
On the Coral Cay Snorkel Adventure, guides lead you through a labyrinth of reefs at Coral Cay Marine and Nature Park. Paradoxically,
this watery world almost looks like the desert at first glance: bulbous brain coral, staghorn coral and finger corals sprout like cacti from the sand. And these plentiful gardens house an astounding variety of plants and animals, from spiky sea urchins to octopus
to delicate butterfly fish and even nurse sharks. Though the sight of a shark is sure to get your heart pumping, you’re not on its menu—this docile bottom-feeder prefers crab, shrimp and shellfish.
Like the nurse sharks, you too may want to check out the shallow seafloor for interesting
shellfish. Tracks in the sand mark the paths of conch. Who knew they marched around so? While locals love conch for chowder, they’re lovely just to look at: lustrous peaches and pinks, as sublime as a Caribbean sunrise.
Cheeseburger
in Paradise -
Cayman Islands
Divers from all over the world flock to the Cayman Islands, where reef walls begin in shallow waters and instantly plunge thousands of feet, attracting marine life of all shapes and sizes. It’s a rich, healthy environment for these creatures. Snorkelers,
too, get to benefit from the bounty here.
When you plunge into the water from your excursion boat on the Reef and Wreck Snorkel Tour, you’ll see what all the fuss is about. Your first stop is Cheeseburger Reef, and it can indeed feel as lively as a fast-food franchise at mealtime. Locals have been feeding the fish here for years, so they’ll school around you without a care in the world. Yellow and blue-striped sergeant majors, curious angelfish and even sea turtles frequent this spot.
Your second snorkel destination is the nearby shipwreck Cali, a 1900 steel schooner that sank in 1944. Resting on a shallow seafloor in just 10 to 20 feet of water, the splintered ribs of the ship’s hull provide a welcome home for hundreds of Crayola-colored fish and other creatures.
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