Snorkeling
The Indians
For sheer drama and variety this is one of the highlights for snorkelers when the seas are calm. These four rock pinnacles form a sheer face that drops forty feet to the ocean floor and are covered in varieties of corals, sponges and sea fans. Schools of fish will circle this rock formation and eels will hide in the crevices and sea urchins lodge on the granite shelves, There can be a current on rough days – so it is always good to snorkel with others and keep your boat in view.
The Caves
This is a “family–friendly” site where the waters are mostly calm and the snorkeling is easy.You may want to have a underwater flashlight when going in the longest of the three. Caves which gets dark and you miss the bright orange flower coral on the walls. Two other caves are more open to the sunlight and schools of small Copper Sweepers can be seen at the mouth. This is a popular site and best seen earlier in the day before the crowds arrive.
The Baths
The pools that from these giant granite boulders are home to many juvenile fishes and occasionally a Lizard Fish that blends into the sand or a oval shaped Flounder you mistook for a mound of sand. When not inundated by lots of people – this is a fun snorkel site with many fish to see as you wind your way from Spring Bay to Devil's Bay along the boulders.
Sandy Cay & Sandy Spit
Both of these snorkel sites offer a wide variety of fishes to see. Schools of curious Barracuda can be seen and schools of Blue Tang traveling in a large dark cloud. Many of the corals closer to shore are bleached and cavernous but signs of life are everywhere. Currents can be strong as both sites are open to the sea, so staying within a close range of the island is recommended.
White Bay
About a five– minute swim ff the shore of White Bay Beach leads to this long coral shelf, home to a wonderland of fish. The waters are shallow so you must be careful not to let your fins stir up the sands that can smother the coral. Sea fans wave in the waters alongside an occasional octopus that comes out of hiding. One must look a little harder in this location but there is plentiful marine life to see.
Cistern Point
Buoys for small dingy access mark this snorkeling site just off Cooper Island. At the edge of a tall rock outcropping is a shelf with myriads of corals – both hard and soft and schools of fishes. One can see in just 20 to 30 feet off water everything from sea turtles to schools of Jacks. The shelf drops off to a deeper portion where larger fish are seen and more varieties of hard coral.
Loblolly Bay
Approached from the beach this shallow coral bed drops off to a dramatic depth on the breaking side of the ocean. The inner reef forms an arc that can be navigated easily – as long as one stays horizontal and does not touch or step on the corals in the shallower depths. One can see everything from an occasional Sea Ray or Green Turtle to schools of Blue Tang.