Grand Turk Snorkeling Options?

by Jim
(Somerset, KY, USA)

I have a group of six considering spending a week on Grand Turk for snorkeling. We are avid experienced snorkelers and have seen some of the Caribbean's best including St. John, Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras, the British Virgin Islands, Culebra an island off Puerto Rico, and Curaçao.

I have three questions:

  1. How does the snorkeling on Grand Turk compare to these others?

  2. Is it possible to swim from shore to the reefs off Grand Turk, particularly near Bohio Resort?

  3. Any suggestions for the best snorkel sites?

P.S. We would also consider Salt Cay.

Thank you.

Comments for Grand Turk Snorkeling Options?

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Sep 03, 2014
 Grand Turk Snorkeling
by: Gerry

I have been to Grand Turk three times on cruises for the day. The first time I did a cruise excursion with too many people. They took us to Horseshoe Reef which was just OK. The next two times I went with a private company called Blue Water Divers. Those trips were much better as there were only 5-6 people.

I would rate the snorkeling on Grand Turk a 5 as compared to say Bonaire which is a 10 to me or Curacao as a 6-7 and Aruba and Cozumel both solid 8's.

To my knowledge the reefs are only accessible by boat. Their big thing is the drop-off which plunges to I believe 6000 feet. If you snorkel over the drop-off, just look down for about a minute and a half without looking around so your eyes can adjust to deep blue and then a bunch of stuff swimming below you comes into view. We were surrounded by about 15 barracuda which was cool.

Other than that just average at best. I didn't go to Stingray City (Gibbs Cay) because I had swam with rays before, but if you never have then it is pretty cool and something you need to do.
Sep 04, 2014
 Grand Turk Snorkeling
by: Jim

Thanks for the insight and info Gerry, particularly the tip about snorkeling the drop-off edge. We have gotten spoiled on several trips by easy access to great reefs right off the beach, specifically in St. John, so I'm not sure we will be happy with boat access only. We generally try to pick a hotel with a great reef and stay for a week or more, so independent snorkeling is crucial.
Feb 21, 2017
 Shore Snorkeling?
by: Tonya

Curious if you found a place to snorkel from shore. We enjoy this much better than going out with a dive company.
Feb 21, 2017
 Grand Turk Shore Snorkeling
by: Nicole & Galen

Check out this post. There is a good description of Grand Turk shore snorkeling near the cruise port on that page. Be sure to read down into the comments for more details.

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