Best Place to Snorkel in August?

[emilyd]

Hi all,

I am planning to take a snorkeling trip around August 10 for 4-5 days. (Because of seizures, I've been advised against the scuba diving I love so much and am hoping to settle for a fantastic snorkeling trip

I was planning on Belize but have realized that it's the rainy season and the weather forecast is looking like showers and storms.

I live in Chicago and since I only have 4-5 days don't want to spend too much time traveling (e.g., Hawaii)...does anyone have any good suggestions?

Thank you so much!
Emily

 

[Testudo]

Bonaire if the travel doesn't eat away your snorkel time since it is hurricane season and it's located out of the usual hurricane belt. Cayman Airways still may have non-stops from ORD to Grand Cayman in August. Only downside is it is hurricane season...

 

[diversteve]

Look at St. Thomas & St. John. You can be there on AA in 6h20min. Return flight looks about 9h+. I would think the East End is where you'd want to stay - it's quieter and has some good beaches. There's passenger ferries between St. Thomas/St. John all day until fairly late. There's even a couple of car ferries from the Red Hook (East End) area. Takes about 20mins. Virgin Islands Ferry Schedule



Snorkeling options:

St. Thomas Activities: Snorkeling & Super Snorkeling
St. John Activities: Snorkeling & Super Snorkeling

Also from Frommers Best Snorkeling in the Caribbean:

Trunk Bay (St. John, U.S.V.I.): Trunk Bay's self-guided 205m-long (673-ft.) trail has large underwater signs that identify species of coral and other items of interest. The beach has showers, changing rooms, equipment rentals, and a lifeguard.

Haulover Bay (St. John): A favorite with locals, this small bay is rougher than Leinster and often deserted. The snorkeling is dramatic, with ledges, walls, nooks, and sandy areas set close together. At this spot, only about 180m (591 ft.) of land separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea.

Coki Point Beach (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.): On the north shore of St. Thomas, this beach offers excellent snorkeling, especially around the coral ledges near Coral World's underwater tower, a favorite with cruise-ship passengers.

There's also snorkeling at several spots along the East End. We saw quite a few snorkelers off Sapphire Beach. There's also snorkel operators that do boat trips to the Buck Island Nat'l Wildlife Refuge just off St. Thomas.

 

[emilyd]

Thank you! I'm also looking at Cayman because the flight times are relatively short (5h 45m there and 3hr 55m back). Do you know how that looks weather-wise?

Bonaire isn't possible because of flights but Curacao is...the only thing is that the flight times are pretty long (7.5 hr there and 9 hours back).

Am I over-thinking this? My boyfriend has never been snorkeling or diving and I want him to have a good experience so he'll want to go with me again!

 

[Testudo]

Cayman is usually hot and humid in August with a chance of afternoon (usually) thunderstorms. Thunderstorms usually last anywhere from minutes to 1 hour. It is unusually to get daylong or days on end of rain. That goes out the window if a tropical system is in the neighborhood though. Check my signature for a link detailing some of the the better snorkeling spots.

 

[KoiWatcher]

Something else to consider - Although it is the rain/hurricane season in places such as Bonaire, remember that it is also time for Coral Spawning as well. Some resorts do special night dives during the spawning so check around for the best deal.