Safe Snorkelling

[Barry]

Could anyone suggest the safest beach for snorkelling on the island. I have two children aged 13 and 15. The eldest, my daughter is a little nervous and I would like to choose somewhere safe - ie not too deep but still interesting. I plan to take one of the tours recommended on this site but I suspect the snorkelling will be carried out in deepish water. Both children have snorkelled in the US and here in Cornwall but are nervous of what the Caribbean depths, or shallows for that matter, might conceal. David Attenborough has a lot to answer for. Are there any particular local hazards we should look out for? My son had a painful brush with a small jellyfish in the Med a few years ago but says he is unconcerned - bravado I suspect. Any suggestions or information would be welcome. We are staying at Villa Gillailes in Mount Irvine but will have a hire vehicle for the whole stay so can travel anywhere. A proper car by the way Steve - I took your advice.

[Patrick Dankou]

Hi Barry,
there are many snorkeling spots in Tobago,
most of them are quite safe. The beach at the Arno's Vale hotel is one of my favourites, you see a lot of interesting fish and the occasional turtle there, it is easy snorkeling, not too deep and the marine life is close to the beach.
Pirates bay in Charlotteville is also great for snorkeling, it's the only place where I saw groups of small squid on the island.
You can also go on a snorkeling trip by boat and explore those large, shallow reefs at Buccoo and Mt. Irvine or discover the fantastic reefs at Speyside.

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Patrick

I would endorse Patrick's view and suggest Arnos Vale. It's only a 15-20 minute drive (sightseeing) from Mt.Irvine so a short enough drive to risk in a Suzuki.

p.s. Sorry, that was a 15-20 minute drive in a Suzuki. Around 10 in a proper car. Only joking everybody!

[HelenH]

A related query. we go on our first trip to tobago next easter. My boys 11 and 9 are confident swimmers. I have been learning to swim. I am now happy to go under the water in my depth and would love to have a go. Any non or nervous swimmers out there that have snorkelled. We will be staying at castara
helen

[Barry]

Steve, Patrick thanks.

Steve I would just like to tell you that this is the first holiday I have ever taken without buying a guide to the area. I hate leaving things to chance but having browsed a couple in bookshops( I know, cheapskate) I decided that the information here is far more helpful - up to the minute and accurate. Once again, thanks to you and all contributors. I hope I will be able to contribute something useful to the site when I return. Assuming I do come back of course.

Thanks again,

Barry

[Steve Wooler]

Barry, my pleasure! We try our best but it's up to you folks out there. If you found this site helpful, PLEASE, PLEASE return after your holiday and post your comments. Even if you agree with everything everyone else has said about accommodation places, restaurants, sightseeing spots, tour operators, car rental firms, etc., etc., please still post a confirmation. To be of value, this site needs to be UP TO DATE.

I know what its like only too well. You come back from holiday and even if you've left your heart in Tobago, the body must get on with REAL life. Its so easy to have the best intentions of posting a report, but then forgetting.

Have a great trip, Barry, and let us know how you get on.

[Linda Wright]

Having returned last week from two weeks based in Castara 22/5 to 5/6 I thought it might be helpful to describe our snorkelling experiences.

First, we did no snorkelling at all in the south of the island, in what I would describe as the more "touristy" parts, so I cannot comment on what it's like there.

We snorkelled in Little Bay (or Heaven's Bay) at Castara, Pirate's Bay at Charlotteville, Englishman's Bay and on Angel Reef off Goat Island.

The best corals were to be seen on Angel Reef and there was also a good variety of fish there. But it's necessary to take a boat to get there (by the way, I was impressed by how much one could see through the bottom of the glass-bottomed boat - I'd expected it to be poor but was pleasantly surprised).

Pirate's Bay was good (go on the left of the beach) for both corals and fish, and it's a lovely unspoilt bay but remember it's quite a trek from Charlotteville (a fair walk along a path, followed by 160 or so steps down to the beach).

Englishman's Bay also had a good variety of fish and corals, though you have to go out about 100 metres - go at the right-hand end of the beach. Again, a lovely beach, but it shelves fairly steeply into the water.

Heavenly Bay at Castara was as good as anywhere else for fish and is very easy to get into and out of - sandy shallows to set off from, then head for the rocks on the right hand side of the bay. We saw the usual parrot fish, surgeon fish, sergeant majors, etc., plus a baby turtle a couple of times, a barracuda once, a stingray once and big families of squid of all sizes every time. Good corals too. I would say it's a good place for novice or nervous snorkellers so long as the water is fairly calm and therefore visitibility is good, as it's so easy to get into and out of the water.

My husband got stung by a jellyfish in the water at the large beach in Castara - pretty painful for 24 hours or so. I don't know if there's a particular time of year when they're there, but we did notice typewritten signs on the wall at the Blue Waters Inn in Bateaux Bay, Speyside warning guests about them, so they were also on that side of the island.

Linda

[Steve Payne]

My family and I snorkelled in Tobago (Mid June 2003) at three locations, Bucoo Reef and a spot near Mt. Irvin in the south end of the island and at Angel Reef/Japanese Garden in front of Goat Island at Speyside (north end). I was very disappointed in the Speyside snorkelling, but was absolutely delighted with both Buckoo Reef and the Mt Irvin location. Very few fish and comparatively dull coral ofrmations and variety in Speyside .vs sting rays, nurse shark, eels, schools of various fish, angels, and so on at the southern locations. Even though it wasd the rainy season visibility waas fine at Buckoo and Mt Irvin, but it wass a little murky at Speyside.

The wierd thing about this critique is that I did somescuba diving during the same week at Mt. Irvin and Speyside (Little Tobago) and my experience was exactly opposite. Mt. Irvin dives were not as good from the perspective of fish and coral, but Speyside was fabulous.