Snorkelling with Young Kids

[Paul Stenning]

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a nice spot to snorkel with my 5 year old daughter? She is a confident swimmer and we have practiced snorkelling in our local swimming pool(!)but I'm hoping there is somewhere on the island that's quite shallow and calm but still worth investigating.

We will be staying in a house near Turtle Beach for the last two weeks of August.

Any advice much appreciated!

[Lisa Keith]

Hi Paul,

Arnos Vale!! It's not far from where you're staying, quite sheltered and at it's absolute deepest, 13m (and you don't have to go anywhere near that deep to see the marine life!).

There's also Mount Irvine which isn't bad, and also relatively close! You'll have a fish of your own by the end of your holiday, I'm sure she'll love it!!

Have a great time!
Lisa.

[Paul Stenning]

Thanks Lisa,

That sounds absolutely perfect!

I am counting down the days and weeks until we go!

Cheers,

Paul

[Paul Tallet]

There is a little rocky area down the south west end of Turtle beach which is very shallow and there are plenty of Clown Fish there to keep her occupied when you are close to home but don't do this when the waves are high.

As Lisa says, Arnos Vale is good too but go to the left of the beach to get in otherwise there is a small risk of scraping yourself against the corals in the middle part of the beach. Mount Irvine is great too on the south west end but visibility is poor if the waves are high.

Another really nice place where the waters are calm is the breakwater rocks off the Coco Reef Resort. It is fairly deep but calm and you can take a leisurely swim from Store Bay Beach off to the right to get there (just 50 or so yards) ... the water is often very clear and there are many groups of squid that do some fascinating synchronised swimming and change colours.

I would not recommend a tempting boating trip on Pigeon or off Speyside because the currents are too strong for a young child, no matter how confident they feel, but you could try Englishman's Bay for a boating trip ... it's good there.

Castara is also good if she wants to see the Sting Rays that prowl the shallows (although their size can be scary to some) and there are plenty of Coral areas close to the beach at the north east end in Heavenly Bay but again the visibility here can be poor if the waves are high.

A real treat would be Lover's Bay near Charlottesville but I am pushing it there because you can only access the area if you can swim a couple of miles or get a very small boat/canoe/kayak to get over the corals around the small beach that are very close to the sea surface ... this is the best snorkelling I have seen in Tobago and I have taken my children there by kayak. That would be a real adventure and you can get a Kayak for 2 ... I would not recommend your daughter takes one for herself!!

Hope this helps

Regards

[Paul Stenning]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your extremely comprehensive reply - very much appreciated!

I think the Kayak idea sounds very tempting so will see what conditions are like when we get there.

Fingers crossed for some half-decent weather - it surely can't be as bad as in the UK right now?!?!

Regards,

Paul

[Joanne Green]

Hi Paul-

My husband & I went to the fish co-op (right on the seafront) in Charlottesville & arranged with one of the fishermen to take us out to Lover's Bay. We paid him 100TT. He stayed with us for an hour & brought us back. The worst part was getting back in the boat, as he had no ladder! I would recommend doing it for any avid snorkeller.

[Paul Tallet]

That's a good price for a moment in paradise Joanne ... and good business for the local fishermen ... maybe he would have helped you back in the boat for an extra TT$5 .

The Kayaks are a 'bit' more expensive but you can make a day trip of it with a walk in the rainforest if you park the Kayaks on Hermitage Bay which is just the other side of Cambleton Bay from Lover's Bay. I think I picnic on Lover's Bay can be included in the deal ... quite exhausting !

In some ways it is a shame the new road has been built there (you have to cross it) but it was one of the best little excursions into the rainforest that I have had.

There is enough to experience around Charlottesville and Speyside to keep a family happy for more than a week.

Regards