Best snorkeling from shore?

[JeanieB]

Hello,

We are a snorkeling, freediving and diving family with two kids 7 and 11 years old. We are planning a trip to Belize. This year in dec/jan (if we can available rooms with wuch short notice).

We are experienced travelers & divers. We usually do a few dives but we mostly snorkel and freedive when the kids are with us.

We are looking for the best cayes to stay with good reefs, good visibility and a lot of fish (preferrably big ones also) when snorkeling from shore.

We have been looking at Tobacco caye (nice cabanas right on the beach, not to expensive) and Glover´s reef (seems fantastic but a bit expensive).

How would you spend four weeks if you were us (going to two or three places)?

We would be happy for suggestions and advice!

 

[Hank49]

You have picked some of the only shore diving places here. San Pedro and Caulker are out of the question due to heavy boat traffic between the resorts and the reef.
Placencia....you could snorkel but it's not like the barrier reef. It's not bad though if you go out at least 6-8 miles to some of the cayes.

Southwater Caye. Blue Marlin Lodge
Glovers: Marisol Resort
Tobacco....I'm not sure of any names there but there would be decent shore diving.
Turneffe: Turneffe Island Lodge and Turneffe Flats are near the southern end and you would be best to take a short boat ride to the reef. The southern tip of Turneffe is one of the best dive or snorkel sites in the country. It's more for advanced snorkelers though due to fairly strong currents at times......but the fish.....whoaaaaa.....lots of fish.

 

[peterbj7]

Although what you say, Hank, is true for most of Ambergris Caye and all of Caye Caulker, it isn't wholly true. Once you get up to Tranquility Bay there is no through boat traffic, as it's north of the last cut in the reef, and there is excellent snorkelling from shore. In fact, with a bit of a surface swim (15 minutes) you can snorkel/freedive Basil Jones cut, which is around 50ft deep and offers great snorkelling and diving. I know as I've just got back from there and there were people doing both while I was there. The reef is very close as well and there is very good diving/snorkelling/freediving available just the other side, though for that you need a boat (provided by the resort).

 

[Downing]

I've never snorkeled while at Turneffe Island Resort, but I've been there twice for a total of three weeks. There were always a couple of guests who spent their time snorkeling with a guide, and they raved about it. Enough so that I considered maybe skipping a dive to check it out but never did.

Not sure your kids would like the place, though, as there's not a lot to do on such a small island besides dive, snorkel or fish.

 

[TremayneJohnson]

I did some snorkelling at Turneffe (last day) and quite enjoyed it. Perhaps like any other week, our group was very friendly and I always got talking to the snorkellers and was keen to hear what they had been seeing. They all loved the snorkelling available there and were occasionally seeing stuff that the divers weren't (and of course vice versa!). There were a couple of kids on the island while we we there. Their stay was meant to be Saturday to Wednesday - but both they and the parents were enjoying it so much they actually extended the stay for the whole week. However; possible negative points for kids would be no television, no likelihood of other kids to play with (though Carlos at TIR virtually adopted the oldest child of perhaps 6yrs - and they had a great time!). If the price is right for you - I'd say TIR would be worth thinking about.

 

[Hank49]

Although what you say, Hank, is true for most of Ambergris Caye and all of Caye Caulker, it isn't wholly true. Once you get up to Tranquility Bay there is no through boat traffic, as it's north of the last cut in the reef, and there is excellent snorkelling from shore. In fact, with a bit of a surface swim (15 minutes) you can snorkel/freedive Basil Jones cut, which is around 50ft deep and offers great snorkelling and diving. I know as I've just got back from there and there were people doing both while I was there. The reef is very close as well and there is very good diving/snorkelling/freediving available just the other side, though for that you need a boat (provided by the resort).

You're right Peter. But Basil Jones cut is like Magatan Channel down here. It's has a lot of a current when the tides doing a big change. And BJ is very shallow on both sides. I would say it's for very experienced and strong swimmers.