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, the British Virgin Islands, Culebra an island off Puerto Rico, and Curacao.
I have three questions:
- How does the snorkeling on Grand Turk compare to these others?
- Is it possible to swim from shore to the reefs off Grand Turk, particularly near Bohio Resort?
- Any suggestions for the best snorkel sites?
P.S. We would also consider Salt Cay.
Thank you.
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Gerry – Sep 3, 2014 – Grand Turk Snorkeling
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.
Jim – Sep 4, 2014 – Grand Turk Snorkeling
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.
Nicole & Galen – May 15, 2016 – Grand Turk Shore Snorkeling
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.
Tonya – Feb 21, 2017 – Shore Snorkeling?
Curious if you found a place to snorkel from shore. We enjoy this much better than going out with a dive company.