MarkH
Contributor
I did several dives as well, but here are some videos from the snorkeling I did when I wasn't diving.
Some snorkeling videos from Grand Cayman Island a couple of weeks ago.
- Thread starter MarkH
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OP
MarkH
Contributor
Nice! Thanks for sharing, it looks like you had a great trip!
mi000ke
Contributor
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Nice videos. I'm curious as to which location was your favorite. We usually take visitors to Smith Bacadere as the conditions are almost always good because of the shelter of the cove, plus there is usually a good amount of marine life. And when conditions are good we like snorkeling Macabuca/Turtle Reef.
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MarkH
Contributor
I think I liked Cayman Kai Public Beach the best. It had the most fish and greatest variety and amount of coral. Like most of the spots I visited, it had a long swim out from shore to get to the good stuff. Probably not recommended for people who aren't comfortable in the water. Smith Beach had stuff to see right along the shoreline so it was my favourite for convenience. My least favorite was Cemetery Beach. It mostly seemed like a wasteland of rubble. The shoreline near Eden Rock would make an interesting snorkeling spot. I did a dive there instead of snorkeling. The access is awkward with the sharp coral rock, but there are schools of tarpon cruising right near the shore.
Saboteur
Contributor
Good to know about Cemetery beach. I had read that it is a good snorkel and was planning on going there on my trip in two weeks. I'll probably pass on it and try some of the sites in your post. Eden rock is a fun snorkel with all of those tarpon a couple of feet from you. One of the employees from the restaurant there fed them while I was in the water....quite entertaining.
Testudo
Contributor
If you are based on the west side (Seven Mile Beach) of the island, Cemetery Beach would rate as pretty good for that area. I prefer Eden Rock/Devil's Grotto. Never saw much as a snorkeler/free diver at Turtle Reef or Smith Cover for that matter. Spotts Beach is great for swimming with the turtles and Cheeseburger Reef can be a similar experience to Eden Rock, but only when the cruise ships are not in port. The patch reef off of Governor's Beach has surprising (given its location and congestion) almost always provided me with something to see.
Like the Mark H, I find the best snorkeling to be on the North Side and East End. If you get a chance, I highly recommend a visit to the Rum Point Barrier Reef and Boulder Coral Gardens. I created a guide for my favorite spots: <Testudo's Snorkel Guides>
Mark H, loved to see some footage of Barkers! I always intended to try snorkeling over there, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Looks kind of battered, would you recommend it for a looksee (I'm based in Rum Point, so it is quite the schelp to get there)?
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MarkH
Contributor
I thought Barkers was pretty good out on the sheltered side of the barrier reef. There were lots of fish. The drawback was the long swim to get out there (about 600 yards/meters). That was by far the longest swim out that I did on the island. from the shore to the barrier reef was just sand and sea grass. There was no coral and it was only about 6' deep the whole way out. The far side of the barrier reef was a large shallow (maybe 3' deep) area of broken coral (probably from the waves). I personally wouldn't go snorkeling at Barkers again since there are lots of good spots elsewhere with a much shorter swim.
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