Having a Whale of a Time Snorkeling
Vacationers come to the Turks and Caicos Islands mostly for scuba diving and whale-watching. But did you know that these islands are also home to some of the worlds most beautiful snorkeling spots? Yeah, I know, divers get all the attention, and they love to lug around their precious equipment and flaunt their certifications. Every island in the Caribbean boasts of its dive sites but snorkeling, as far as I can see, seems to get a raw deal. We snorkelers love the sea and marine life just as much but prefer to see the amazing underwater formations in the coral reef in shallower waters.
Snorkeling in the Turks and Caicos is excellent, particularly around Grace Bay Beach, on Smith’s Reef, and Bight’s Reef, close to the shore in Princess Alexandra National Park. Snorkeling trails here provide a stunning view of the underwater coral gardens. The best part of it is, you can just wade out from the shore and snorkel in some the best reefs in the Caribbean. What is amazing is the level of visibility and how clear and gentle the water is. The warm waters are absolutely soothing after a walk in the hot sun. Underwater signs describe how corals grow and the delicate eco-system that supports the reef. Three Mary Cays in North Caicos and Dragon Cays in Middle Caicos are also great places to go snorkeling.
You bet we tried SNUBA in the Turks and Caicos with our kids and they really enjoyed it. It took all of their willpower and some rather ineffective parental glaring through the masks to stop them from touching the pretty coral. They were fascinated by the turtles and schools of fish and quite disappointed that they couldn’t catch a fish or a turtle to take home as pets!
