Snorkeling compared to St John

Divabella

SBH Insider
We go to St John every year and love the snorkeling there. Just wondering if anyone can compare the snorkeling in St Barth's to St John? I won't be devastated if it is not comparable, I just won't lug my full face snorkel mask. We were in St Martin in February (during the trip we discovered St Barth's and fell in love instantly) and I knew the snorkeling wouldn't measure up so I didn't bother bringing it.
 
Bring your mask!! I've snorkeled St John as well-- Trunk And Cinnamon Bay. ST Bart's is as beautiful underwater and often you won't see another fellow-snorkeler! My favorites are Colombier (both to left and right sides), Lorient (calm and close to shore to the right and also frequent sea turtles over grasses), Shell Beach to the left and follow rocks around the bend, and Petite Anse des Flamands (to left , when calm waters can stay out for hours and see lots of variety). Have fun!!
 
As much as I love St. Bart, I would rate the snorkeling here as sub-sub-par. You will see fish, and schools of fish, and a few coral species, but generally the abundance and diversity is quite low. Corossol (to the right of the beach) is at the top of this list for me, followed by Colombier (right seems to be a little better than left). And if you get a calm day when Marigot is clear...in the center you will likely find a few turtles. But it is nothing like St. John, Belize, FL Keys, Cozumel, Grand Cayman.... If space is tight, the snorkel would be the first thing I would toss. You can always rent one if you change your mind when you get here.
 
Although as an island in it's entirety- restaurants etc. we prefer St. Barth, St. John's definitely has a clear edge in the snorkeling category!
 
Even on a good day its still pretty average for both snorkeling and diving in St Bart's compared to many other Caribbean sites but particularly the USVI and BVI

For my money the best of the best is Turks and Caicos and Bonaire
 
We've been dragging our snorkeling equipment around for years and found that we use it only for two or three days on the island, especially on Columbier. It takes up a lot of room in your carry on. We think next time we will just rent it on SBH, and not worth the hassle. There's a shop in St Jean that rents.
 
Even on a good day its still pretty average for both snorkeling and diving in St Bart's compared to many other Caribbean sites but particularly the USVI and BVI

For my money the best of the best is Turks and Caicos and Bonaire

Can't agree with Mike when it comes to diving. Depends on what you want, but diving in the SBH marine park areas has a lot to offer including crystal clear waters, relatively shallow depths (hooray for more bottom time!), a good variety of reef vistas and wrecks to explore, and more. I have been diving for almost 40 years all around the world. I still get a charge every time I go down at le pain de sucre
 
Divabella...if you do go in search of snorkel gear, you need go no farther than Hookipa in St Jean, on Route de Salines near Piment (590.590.27.71.31).
 
Can't agree with Mike when it comes to diving. Depends on what you want, but diving in the SBH marine park areas has a lot to offer including crystal clear waters, relatively shallow depths (hooray for more bottom time!), a good variety of reef vistas and wrecks to explore, and more. I have been diving for almost 40 years all around the world. I still get a charge every time I go down at le pain de sucre

I dont think it's necessarily bad....I just don't think it's anything special.....I ve been fortunate enough to dive with humpback whales in South Caicos ( when I delivered and set up the Sea Dancer live aboard dive boat for the boat company I was working for at the time - which is still there ) and have dove with Hammerheads at the El Bajo site in the Sea of Cortez, so my bar is set pretty high ....but it certainly is worth diving in SBH if you haven't done it ...

Sea Dancer is an awesome adventure BTW.....I oversaw the refurnishing and did the delivery from New Orleans

http://www.skin-diver.com/departmen...Bermuda/Turks&Caicos/SeaDancer.asp?theID=1283
 
everything about SBH is special for me...I hope that never changes...

thats good.....I don't know any place in the world where I could say everything about it is special ...certainly some things are special for me in SBH, but no where near everything ...especially these days

But as always - YMMV
 
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