reef snorkelling for weaker swimmers

Nick Robinson · Post by **Nick Robinson** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 4:19 pm

Can anyone recommend a place where we can do a bit of close to shore reef snorkelling, or a similair boat trip? Not all of my party swim too strongly but it would be a real shame to miss out.

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 4:28 pm

Hi Nick

It largely depends upon where you will be staying. However, the best shore-based snorkelling is at Arnos Vale and the bay there is very protected and calm (for Tobago) so is probably the best place to recommend.

Nick Robinson · Post by **Nick Robinson** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 4:42 pm

Thanks Steve,

I'm stayng at the Coco Reef. I'll make it a day out with a hire car so I can take in a bit more of the island as well. Thanks again

Nick

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 4:45 pm

Hi Nick

Well, you're laughing then. The sea wall that protects the Coco Reef's sea wall may be horrendously ugly but it is becoming an excellent artificial reef. The water inside the 'lagoon' is totally calm and swimming in the protected water behind the wall is a great way to learn snorkelling and build confidence before wandering out to more adventurous spots.

Kevin Hampson · Post by **Kevin Hampson** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 3:58 pm

Hi Nick,
I'll agree with Steve I stayed at Coco Reef a while ago and while the breakwater is a bit of an eyesaw above the water under it is another matter, I spent all afternoon snorkeling round it has a host of life on it.

If you make it up to Speyside check with the glass bottom boat operators that work out of the Bluewaters Inn I know one of them supplies lifejackets for the poor swimmers al all you need to do is float along watching the fish.

Regards
kevin

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:22 pm

The breakwater around Coco Reef has some surprises ... I have seen squid, puffer fish, trumpet fish and shoals of 'Doreens'. Got them all on film. Also seen a turtle off Store Bay which is where I swim from to snoop around the breakwater while the Coco residents observe me with intrigue.

Having said all this, Kevin makes a valid point ... most tour chaps come armed to the teeth with lifejackets ... there are some lovely locations along the caribbean coast and Speyside where you can just 'float and watch' with a boat operator nearby to hook you up in the event of an emergency !!

I think the chaps (forgot their name ... Frankies?) that offer tours from the Blue Waters Inn car park in Speyside offer to go into the water with you.

Mark Muncaster · Post by **Mark Muncaster** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:43 am

We snorkled at Bucco Reef and find it very calm. Some of the parrot fish are brill. I kep sea water fish but have never seen them as nice as those.

Julia C. · Post by **Julia C.** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:06 pm

If you can get over to Castara at around 3 to 4pm - snorkel from the main beach opposite the fishermen's cooperative and you are more than likely to see and swim with sting rays (I think they're sing rays?).
I found it an incredible first experience. I was snorkelling along looking at the sand below me for rays and I became aware of something to my left, I looked round and saw a ray swimming along beside me. As it overtook I tried to keep up - no chance. I felt like I was in "Life on Earth"!

The snorkelling is also OK from the beach, near the rocks on the north side of the little north bay in Castara.

Steve Fifield · Post by **Steve Fifield** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:12 pm

If they were about 5 foot wingspan, you probably saw the very same two Stingrays that we saw last year and the year before. They appear to live on this beach.

They are in fact "Southern Stingrays" and are only found in the tropical region extending to Florida. Normal stingrays are considerably smaller, hence nobody believes you when you say how big they were.

Oh I wish I was there right now. This is the nearest I can get until January.

Steve

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:47 pm

Dozens of rays reside in Castara.

It is possible to see several at a time and there are all kinds, even Eagle Rays.

They can be scary for some because they are really big but please be assured that they are quite harmless as long as you do not accidentally tread on them.

They tend to swim along the breakwater when the fishermen are pulling in their nets.

Julie H · Post by **Julie H** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:22 pm

Hi
My 5 year old daughter learnt to swim in Tobago in the summer. But she learnt to snorkel a few days before she learnt to swim, as the sea is a great boyancy aid! We went from pigon pint with Renaldo on "Powers Boat". A glass bottom boat trip with only 6 of us to the coral reef and the nylon pool. It was a small boat, but we were very confident with 2 crew who took their time to ensure the anchored in a safe place (not to damage the reef). They knew their stuff and even had a surf board on tow, which we used once the boat was anchored, to lay across and dip our heads into the water to snorkel. Great fun and safe. My chilrdren are 7 and 5 years and managed the calm surf, with us by their side. I would advise you take some light weight sandals, which you can wear in the sea (you know the kind with velcro straps, not elegant for the ladies but do a great job protecting your feet if you want to stand up). The sea near the reef varies in depth, but where we were you could stand in waist high sea water. We did not stand on the coral reef!! Childrens snorkel equipment is hard to hire (size matters), so we brought the childrens from the sport shop in Scarborough early in the hols and got full use of them.

Powers Boat goes off about 11 - 11.30 am and then again in the afternoon. Everything is Tobago time, so it is not exact, he goes when the time is right! So relax and enjoy the facilities at Pigeon Point while you wait.

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:41 pm

PEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!

forget about the sandals. touching the reef damages it. you should never touch it or stand on it... sad that there are still guides who not only allow it, but even advice people to take sandals to stand on it...

keep floating, and the beautiful sight in best shape possible!

have fun

Julie H · Post by **Julie H** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:16 am

MR TAYLOR

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, read what I said... WE DID NOT STAND ON THE REEF.

I am quite miffed that you suggest our guide was anything but professional and here is why.

The guide did not take us to where we were standing on the reef, we were away from it. In fact HE alerted the REEF PATROL by mobile phone, that there was a large boat with 70 plus people all jumping in the sea and on the reef. The reef patrol came out and dealt with the other large boat. They came past and said Hi to us! The guide used the surf board so 2 people could float over the reef as he towed it slowly along. Not even kicking the reef with flippers as they swam. At that point me and my 2 children were on the boat.

Renaldo knew what he was doing and was professional, it is his lively hood and it is in his best interest to keep the reef looked after. As I said he took along time to make sure he anchored in a safe place, away from the reef. I am sorry you misread my message.

With reference to the sandals. I stood on something while I was waist high in the sea at Pigeon Point Beach. It stung like mad and punctured a small hole in the ball of my foot. My foot was as large as a ballon 5 hours afterwards and we had to call out the doctor. 5 days of treatment (antibiotics and the rest), and £30 cost. Sandals would have protected my feet (I wore them all the time afterwards). The sea is a great place to be and cautious people can take my advise if they wish to.

"Foat over it"!... WE DID.

I see you are a tour guide. You obviously know Powers Boat at Pigeon Point. Competition may be clouding your comments!!

I do not wish to get away from the point we were first here to discuss which was somewhere safe and calm to novice swimmers .

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:56 am

Hi Julie

Sorry, but I must spring to Brain’s defence on this one. My reaction was exactly the same as his and I very nearly posted an almost identical reply.

Your post posed a bit of a dilemma. The moment you mentioned sandals, the hackles sprung up. Yes, you qualified it and stressed that you did not walk on the reef, but with respect, we know what really goes on with so many of these tour operators and your post could so easily give the wrong impression and spread the wrong message to other readers.

Now, I hasten to add that I do not know this Renaldo or “Powers Boat”. I’ve never heard of him. However, as Dr.Owen Day of the Buccoo Reef Trust clearly states in his article on the reefs of Tobago (menus: Out & About/Activities/Diving/Conservation):

Tragically, the Buccoo Reef is today a shadow of what it once was. A combination of pollution from land run-off and physical damage from reef walking and anchors has degraded much of this once majestic reef. If you chose to visit Buccoo Reef on a glass-bottom boat, please do not accept any plastic shoes you may be offered by the tour operator.

The tour operators KNOW they are not supposed to offer reef shoes, but several continue to do so. The problem is, Julie, that fish do not frequent the areas of dead coral. The food is on and around the living coral. Ergo, the tour operator is not going to take you the dead areas because there’s nothing to see. So, they take visitors to areas on the fringe of the reef, where’s there’s a mixture of living and dead coral. Yes, they tell you it’s OK to go there, but the truth is they ARE earning a livelihood from it, so want happy punters who have seen lots of fish. To be totally honest with you, I would ban every boat and unsupervised snorkeller from anywhere within 500m of the reef.

The golden rule is that you should NEVER touch bottom and/or stand up in these waters – so, shoes are irrelevant. Sadly, the offering of shoes is generally an indicator of a cowboy tour operator, hence the strong reaction to your post. We are desperate to get over the message that you should NEVER NEVER NEVER accept or use protective shoes.

The fact is that if you are going to float over the reef, you do NOT need shoes. Yes, they are damn good protection (believe you me, I’ve been laid up with a spine from a sea urchin, so I know the score) but only in the right place and that is not Buccoo Reef. From a conservation point of view there’s every reason NOT to wear protective shoes. A good sharp sting will stress the point that you have probably just killed hundreds of years of coral growth.

Please understand that my comments are not meant as a criticism of your actions during your trip to Buccoo Reef, but more stressing a message that we MUST get over to visitors if the reef is to be protected. We MUST contradict any message that it’s OK to wear reef shoes.

Marc Jones · Post by **Marc Jones** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 11:20 am

Isn't the message more about being in water shallow enough to stand on the bottom?

My initial reaction to Julie's post was that she went with an operator that DID care about the reef.

I appreciate the point about depth, but that's the issue, not whether you wore shoes or not.

I never even went to Bucco Reef, I preferred 2 visits to Angel Reef, deep as you like, although I swam down I never got anywhere near the bottom. Especially after my dances with barracuda experience!

Peace to all, don't want to join a flame war, just hoping to add to the debate in a non-confrontational manner.

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 11:23 am

hi julie
sorry, did not mean to offend you!

must have read over the part in the sudden rage, wich is not business related. the only people that we would like to keep away from the reef is not the competitors, but the guides who really damage the reef every day...
we know the reef well enough to go in areas that are not so shallow, that you have to touch the reef sometimes, and we always advice not to touch.
hope you understand that it makes us angry to see what some people do to this beautyful place. luckily it is only a few bad ones in the bunch.
really hope they get them out and some polution stopped and there is a future for the reef...
sorry again, and keep floating

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 11:28 am

Hi Marc

Sorry, I obviously didn't get my point over. My criticism is not IN ANY WAY of Julie - it was entirely about these disreputable glass-bottom boat operators who take unknowing visitors out to the reef and continue these practices which they have been constantly advised not to do. They are being so short-sited and are largely to blame for the ruin of the reef. The poor unwitting tourist comes along and meets a friendly face who tells them it's OK, and naturally they believe him. However, Dr Day is one of the team charged with the welfare of the reef, so I think we should take his advice seriously. Pity that his organisation simply lacks the authority or resources to actually police the reef and enforce the rules.

So, Julie, please do not take our comments personally - it is not about you becuase your comments showed that you clearly understand the implications of walking on the reef or even touching it.

Marc Jones · Post by **Marc Jones** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:05 pm

Lovely, all friends again

That's much better.

Let's put it down to the fact that clearly many of us have a love for this little island that is incredible given how short some of us have experienced it for.

I guess that what makes it so emotive is that we see a part of the world we'd love to stay just the way it is?

Julie H · Post by **Julie H** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:44 pm

Edited Post!

I thank Marc Jones for his comment and putting things in perspective.

Steve, maybe you should included your own web page link "Guidelines for Safe Coral Reef Snorkeling" http://www.myTobago.info/diving05.php it would be more productive than having a go!

I hear what you say about it not being personal and luckily I am not going to loose sleep. We are all on the same side, "Preservation of the Reef" and all aspects of the Caribbean and its other islands.

I hope Nick (original post) enjoys his holiday whatever he chooses to do while he is at CCR and enjoys the sea life in all aspects. END END, enough!!

Thanks again Marc and Steve Fifield.

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 1:00 pm

Sorry Julie

Like I say, I was NOT having a go at you. You were just unfortunate enough to touch on a subject that brings out very strong feelings and in which the average visitor is just an unwitting victim.

Again, my apologies if I seemed to be having a go at you - that was not my intention. I was simply trying to explain why Brian had the same reaction.