Shore snorkelling

[Alan Davies]

Thinking about going to Tobago Easter 2005 (March).

1. Will weather be good?

2. Are there a lot of places to snorkel from the shore?

3. Interested in recommends for boat trips to go snorkelling and comments on operators.

[Steve Wooler]

Welcome aboard Alan

1) If I could answer that, I would be a billionaire. March is a dry month and the weather is normally excellent, but it's anybody's guess - it was a very wet March this year, so we can't be unlucky two years running surely? Check out our [http://www.myTobago.info/weather.htm]Weather [/url]page for averages.

2) Yes. Check this sub-forum for lots of mention on the subject.

3) What sort of operator? Again, check out the forums for lots of opinion on different excursions and boat trips, if you're thinking of off-shore snorkelling.

[Marc Jones]

Arnos Vale is SUPERB for snorkelling from the beach, easily as good as anything we saw from a boat.

Boat-wise.

I thoroughly recommend Franks from Speyside (behind the Blue Waters Inn) who will take you to Angel Reef (just in front of goat island).

Also Coco Motion who took me to Emerald Bay (where we saw squid for the first time) and were superb (in fact I'd book again on arrival if I ever return - and I hope to!).

[Brian Taylor]

hi alen

the weather should be better than this year. only every four years the whole thing is mixed up and that is 2004. all locals will tell you that.
englishman's bay is great to snorkel, but only if you are a good swimmer, easy to drift out the the reef, but the way back is a piece of work. absolutely worth it.
castara reef is nice as well and we have a stingray family (about 5) living here. beautyful to watch them.
charlotteville also have beautyfull reefs. if you mind long stairs, go to pirates bay.
depending on where you stay you'll get boat trips offered that include snorkelling. just tell them it is important to you.
at store bay you can catch a glass bottom boat to the buccoo reef (we recommend millenium tours there) and a t speyside you can go on a glass bottom boat to little tobago. on the way back you can do excellent snorkelling in front of goat island (franks glass bottom boat starting from blue waters inn absolutely recommended).
hope you are going to have a lovely trip (don't forget to check out the island above the water, too )
steph&ali

[Joanne Green]

To Alibaba--

Where is the reef at Englishman's Bay if you are going to approach it from the shore? How far out? Left or right hand side?

[Peter Allday]

I would recommend snorkling from the shore. We did both, and the shore snorkling was by far the better. The beach with the Mount Irving beach bar on it has great snorkling (as I have mentioned in previous posts) and we were also told by our dive guides that Arnos Vale beach has great snorkling.

We went up to Englishmans bay, and were very dissapointed with the snorkling there. I way a long windy drive to get there, and we found it less good than the two local beaches.

Peter

[Steve Pitts]

Hi Joanne

It it quite a swim to the best part of Englishman's bay reef, from the shore.
I would estimate a couple of hundred metres (?)

By far the best section (that I have swum) is to the extreme right, looking from the beach, just inside the bay. I don't think that this can be accessed from the rocky shore, to the right-hand side of the bay, but I could be wrong.

I know that a number of charter boats, both diving and beach BBQ trips stop over the reef here and this is how we accessed the area.

The sea, to the left and centre of the bay is not as good for snorkelling and this may be why Peter was dissapointed. It is fairly non-descript in the main. Due to the stream at the far left and the steep sandy beach, the visibility is not so good at times.

As Marc has recommended Arnos Vale, I have to agree with him.
It has easy access, good visability (usually) and a wide variety of fish and corals. I think that I have noticed a slight deterioration in the general cleanliness of the reef though, over the past few years. There appears to be quite a lot of algae growing on the coral, as well as some recent damage. Could be boats or people standing/ brushing against the coral.

I have forgotten to mention this before, in similar snorkelling/ diving threads, but I highly recommend the Lonely Planet guide to diving and snorkelling in Trinidad and Tobago. It contains very good info. on over 30 sites around Tobago and costs around a tenner.

I had to order my copy from my local dive shop, which took around a fortnight. I'll post full details in due course.

Hope that this helps.

Cheers
Steve

[Steve Pitts]

Judging by the number of snorkelling and diving queries, posted in the activities section of the myTobago forum, Tobago is fast becoming THE dive destination for those wishing to experience some of the best reef dives and snorkelling in the Caribbean, whilst combining the relaxing atmosphere of a family or group holiday.

As preparation is everything, when it comes to getting the most out of your holiday, any advance information can be usefully employed. When it comes to choosing your base, accommodation, dive operators, type and nature of dive marks, species to expect and other handy hints and tips, planning – or the lack of it, can make the difference between a successful trip or a disaster.

As yet, there is no specific article on diving or snorkelling, for those needing information, to refer to. This is likely to be rectified, once someone qualified, volunteers to supply the text. For reasons of safety, it is vital that the information is not only accurate, but is balanced, given that what is an easy dive for an expert, could be challenging, or even lethal, to a novice.

Until such times as the myTobago site has its own dive reference section, perhaps a good book would be of help?

I think that I may have found such a book, in one of the Lonely Planet’s ‘Pisces’ range of diving and snorkelling paperbacks. This comprises of approx. 40 volumes, covering the sub-aquatic delights of places as diverse as Australia to Vanuatu.

Trinidad and Tobago have a book of their own and Diving and Snorkelling Trinidad and Tobago is an excellent introduction to the ‘top dive sites in the Caribbean’s twin nation paradise’

The 121 pages (excluding index) are divided into sections covering:-

· An overview of the history and geography of the islands
· Practicalities – climate, Getting there, getting around, money, what to bring, underwater photography, accommodations, dining / food and shopping.
· Activities – what to do, where to go and what to see.
· Diving – health and safety, pre-trip preparation, DAN, medical and recompression facilities, tips for evaluating a dive operator.
· Diving in T&T – certification, snorkelling and the Pisces rating system.
· Tobago Dive sites – 41 sites, in detail.
· Diving in Trinidad – 7 sites in detail.
· Marine life – including what to avoid.
· Diving conservation and awareness – EVERY visitor should read this.
· Listings – contact details for accommodation, diving services etc.

There is also a forward by the author, Lawson Woods, a photographer and diver with 40-plus years experience.

The first three sections of the book are, in effect, a mini guidebook, containing much useful information for the first-time visitor. Not as comprehensive as the main Lonely Planet or Rough Guide books, but sufficient to get by on, accompanied by lots of good photos and maps.

The next two sections provide general information and tips on diving and would apply to most dive site destinations, worldwide. That is not to say that these sections can be skipped, even by the experienced. An extremely useful set of Icons are introduced and explained. These are used throughout the following sections to indicate, for example, good snorkelling (a black spot, with a white snorkel emblem).
Strong currents (black spot, with white waves and arrow to right).
Strong surge (black spot, with white waves and arrows to left and right)
Poor visibility (black spot, with a pair of eyes in centre)
Shore dive (black spot, with white beach and parasol) – these sites can be accessed from the shore.
Drift dive (black spot, with white boat silhouette)
Marine preserve (black spot with white fish-shaped silhouette)

In all, there are 11 such icons, which are used to indicate the nature of each dive site. Some are used in isolation, whilst others are used in groups of up to five or six, where conditions vary, or are likely to be encountered, due to the variety of water conditions, topography and accessibility.

The Pisces rating system for dives and divers is also explained and this offers a really helpful introduction to each site and its suitability for Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced divers.

The definition of Novice is given as: one who should be accompanied by an instructor, divemaster or advanced diver on all dives. Has basic certification and who dives infrequently. Has no experience in these, or similar waters and who dives no deeper than 60ft (18m)

An Intermediate diver would be classed as one who: has logged between 25 and 100 dives, dives not deeper that 130ft (40m) and who has dived these or similar marks within the past 6 months.

Someone of Advanced skill and experience is described as: having advanced certification. Has logged over 100 dives and who has experience of these or similar waters, with the past 6 months.

The following sections are divided into groups of dive sites, starting with 15 marks around the Speyside area. Bookends, Innerspace, Black jack Hole, Japanese Gardens and Angel Reef are world-renowned and lesser-known sites, such as Spiny Bay, Lucifer’s Bay and Sleeper are also covered. Each site is given its Novice to Advanced rating, method of access (mainly by boat), range of depths, location and Pisces icons to indicate water clarity, tidal influences etc.

Some superb photographs give a realistic impression of the ‘flora and fauna’ with the stars of the show, being the groups of Manta and the famous Brain Coral at Kelston Drain.

The Northern tip of Tobago is then explored. An area known as the St. Giles Islands, is famous for the London Bridge dive, but Washeroo, Marble Island, Rocky Mountains (High and Low), Sail Rock and South St. Giles (a spectacular drift dive) are also detailed.
Moving in an anti-clockwise direction to Man O’ War bay, Four sites are covered, most of which are rated as suitable for Novices, with good snorkelling at all four.

The isolated submarine pinnacles of the Sisters Rocks and their lesser relatives, the Brothers Rocks, combined with Bloody Bay and Englishman’s Bay are grouped in an area described as ‘Central North Coast dives sites’
These range from Novice (Englishman’s & Bloody Bays), to Advanced, in the case of the Brothers and Sisters Rocks.
Also in this section, sites that are well known, as novice to intermediate level, include Culloden (Footprints eco-resort), Arnos Vale, Mount Irvine Wall, Buccoo Channel and Angel Reef. The only site, in this section of coastline, to be given an advanced rating is the Maverick (previously the Federal Maple, then the Scarlet Ibis), a wreck dive created when the ship, a roll-on, roll-off ferry, was scuttled to create an artificial reef in 1997. The soft corals, sponges, hydroids and fish species that have taken up residence appear to approve of their new surroundings and this is favourite dive for those with the requisite experience.

The Pigeon and Crown Point areas are where most of the dive centres are based, at the Southern end of Tobago. These operations have several sites within a short distance from their moorings, in the Columbus Passage – the channel that separates Tobago and Trinidad. This also marks the boundary between the Caribbean and the Atlantic, so visibility can be limited and drift dives predominate. Diver’s Dream, Diver’s Thirst, Flying Reef and Cove Reef, all have intermediate to advanced ratings, whilst Ketchup Reef is rated suitable for novices and is often used for training dives and by experienced snorkellers.

The section on dive sites on Trinidad is less comprehensive, with the area around the Bocas Islands (West of Port of Spain) being allocated six site descriptions, including the Angostera Wreck, Favourite Point and Macqueripe Bay area (Stingray Stretch as it is better known), also being reviewed.

Conclusion.

Diving & Snorkelling – Trinidad and Tobago, published by Lonely Planet Publications Pyt Ltd. (ISBN 0 86442 777 copyright Lonely Planet 2000.
US$15.95 - UK£9.99

Lawson Woods has done an excellent job of combining informative text with wonderful photography, to produce what is probably the best guide to the Islands’ wealth of marine treasures.

I have found it to be a frequent source of reference and accurate information.

An absolute must have, for anyone intending to dip a toe in the water around Tobago.
Highly recommended.

Availablilty.

Most good dive shops should be able to order it, as would most good book shops.

You can also order, on-line at http://www.lonelyplanet.com
Click - LP Shop
Activity/interest guides
Pisces Diving and snorkelling guides
Scroll down to - Diving and snorkelling Trinidad and Tobago

[Brian Taylor]

seems like steveactually LIVES in the web, so the question is answered already...
in englishman bay it is great to snorkel from the boeat. saves you a lot of energy and can be a fund day in the sea....
have a great time
steph

[Louise H]

If you're a confident swimmer then I can definalty recommend the drift snorkelling off of little Tobago.

I was there in March of this year and we booked a boat trip out from Blue Waters Inn. (We weren't staying there, had just gone down to visit and you could book from the car park).

The boat dropped everyone off at Little Tobago for the brid watching and then took my partner and I round the side of the Island for the drift snorkelling.

A guide was in the water with us the whole time and it was fantastic. We saw loads of Barricuder amongst other things. We were snorkelling for about an hour. You do need to be a confident swimmer though as the waves were fairly choppy.

After we had picked everyone up from the birdwatching we then went snorkelling in Angel Reef.

If you want snorkelling then this is a trip I would definatly say to do.

[Joanne Green]

Dear Louise,

That sounds like fantastic snorkelling!! Who was the operator or the boat, what time did they go out and how much did it cost?

[Marc Jones]

Thinking about going to Tobago Easter 2005 (March).

3. Interested in recommends for boat trips to go snorkelling and comments on operators.

Frank's Tours for Angel Reef, Cocomotion for Emerald Bay or elsewhere.

Both HIGHLY recommended.