Snorkeling in Turks & Caicos?

[Codeman00]

I am considering Turks & Caicos for a dive vacation this summer. When I'm not diving, I love to snorkel instead of just lying around on the beach and was curious if there are any good snorkeling spots or beach / snorkeling spots that are easy to get to ?

I'm looking at staying at Ocean Club or Ocean Club West...is there any snorkeling in Grace Bay or is it just complete white sand? It does sound like the snorkeling is good up at Nortwest Point, but I'm not sure I want to stay that far north of everything.

Any T&C snorkeling info is appreciated.

 

[potato cod]

We stay at Turtle Cove Inn at the marina and there's a decent, shallow little reef we snorkel out to there at the far end of Grace Bay. It's in front of some residences and there's a short pole that sort of marks its location. There's no sign on the pole, but it's still should help you find it. If I recall correctly, it's called Smith Reef. We've seen lots of cool juvenile fish there and some bigger ones, cleaning stations, etc. It's one of the reasons I like being down there, along with the fact that it's completely uncrowded.

 

[zihuatcat]

There are a few places where you can snorkel from shore. On Grace Bay, in front of the Coral Gardens complex, there is a reef called Bight Reef. It's a nice-sized reef with lots of fishlife. I felt it was a little crowded there as it's the most popular shore reef and the easiest to get to. There were several kids floundering around.

Another place is by the marina. You turn right on the road by Smokey's and follow it until it ends. Then turn right again and there is a public parking area for beach access. When you get to the shore, look to your right and you'll see a round, yellow house. There is a really nice reef directly in front of that house. It's not usually crowded at all here. Though I did not do this, I have heard that you can drift snorkel from there around the point to Smith's Reef (the reef the poster before me mentioned). We tried to drive to Smith's Reef and were unable to find it.

If you want to go snorkeling offshore, I can recommend Big Blue's outer reef tour. It's an all day trip with 3 snorkel stops. There were only 6 total people on the boat when we did this and we went to some fantastic reefs that the usual snorkel boats don't frequent (because they are farther out). Big Blue provided yummy snacks and drinks as well. The guide did get in the water and pointed a few things out but it was not follow the leader by any means.

 

[Codeman00]

Here's a good link that I found...this might help you find Smith's Reef....the site also has a lot of other good information about Turks & Caicos.

Smith's