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We had been enjoying some snorkeling, hiking and a variety of attractions in Bonaire for about a week when we thought it was time to elevate our vacation with a pleasant sailing experience. While there are several boat operators and excursions to choose from, we went with Epic Tours Bonaire and their “Brunch & Snorkel Catamaran Tour”. We are glad that we did – While we went for the sail and snorkel, we’ll be back for the gourmet brunch!
Our morning excursion started at the “Bonaire Nautico Marina” in Kralendijk, where we were welcomed aboard the “Fly Away” catamaran by Epic Tour’s friendly crew. We left the dock at a decent time, ensuring that we would be the first of the day to snorkel off famous Klein Bonaire, Bonaire’s flat, scrub-brush covered little off-islet. There were about a dozen of us on board, giving us plenty of room to move around the catamaran to obtain a variety of views of the islands and the Caribbean Sea. That said, we eventually settled on a great, padded bench in front of the main cabin, although I occasionally moved to one of the seats at the very front of either end of the catamaran hulls to get closer to the water. One couple lounged on the catamaran’s netting in front of us while another couple settled in with the captain. A large family sat behind the main cabin on a horseshoe-shaped couch. As we got underway one of the crew members offered us beverages while the other was busy in the main cabin preparing brunch.
Once we left the port area, the captain let loose the headsail, allowing the catamaran to be powered by the wind. While it’s always nice and breezy in Bonaire, this morning the wind was blowing hard, churning up the water between the main island and Klein Bonaire a bit more than usual. That said, the ride was super smooth, so we barely noticed the choppy waves beneath us. We moved at a decent pace but were in no hurry. We weren’t on the sea for long before we were greeted by the sight of dozens of incredible flying fish jumping out of the water in front of the boat – The amazing, sea creatures glided for dozens of feet before returning to the water (photo below). What a surprising, wonderful sight that was, especially as we hadn’t even seen a single winged fish on our last trip to Barbados, an island known for flying fish! There was some relaxing music playing at a low volume, giving the journey a nice tranquil vibe. After a relaxing steady cruise, we arrived at our first snorkel stop, on the north side of Klein Bonaire.
Leanora’s Reef is located about a hundred feet or so from the shores of the small islet and is known for its corals, sponges and sea fans in about 30 feet of water, along with the fish and other marine life that call the reef home. One of Epic’s crew members suggested that we first snorkel east into the wind for a while, then drift snorkel back to the boat – Good advice that I followed. Although the water was a tad rough, the incredible underwater world of Klein Bonaire revealed itself as soon as I stuck my face in the water. For over half an hour I snorkelled back and forth between the amazing forest-like area close to shore and venturing out to deeper water where the reef plunges dramatically into the dark, deep Caribbean Sea.
It was a little overcast at the time, so the visibility wasn’t ideal, however, I saw a fascinating assortment of hard lumpy coral structures along with a variety of marine plant life that covered the ocean floor. I spotted plenty of Bonaire’s ever-present parrotfish in their amazing rainbow of colours ranging from white through red-orange to a spectacular variety of blues. I also noticed some blue tang, sergeant majors and a beautiful gold-tinged French angel fish swimming around between feedings on the algae/corals. I also saw a fascinating large multi-hued brown fish on the ocean floor I believe was a checkered puffer fish (photo below). Of course, there were dozens of other fish in a variety of sizes and colours.
Once I was content with my exploration of the underwater world at Leanora’s Reef, I came back on board for some rest and relaxation. While lying on the catamaran’s netting to dry off, I listening to the waves softly washing up on the shore of Klein Bonaire, along with the somehow satisfying creaking sounds of the ropes holding the catamaran in place as we gently bobbed on the Caribbean Sea.
I got up just in time to join my partner as brunch was being served. One of the gracious crew members brought plate after plate of delicious-looking food for us in what turned out to be our own private dining area. While I’m sure that the menu varies depending on what is locally fresh and available, our brunch started off with some plain yogurt sweetened with granola and blueberries, followed by a fresh fruit platter. Then I apprehensively tried the couscous salad – I’m not usually a fan, however to my astonishment, this pasta dish was moist, light and refreshing. We then proceeded to devour samples from the upscale charcuterie board that included nicely seasoned creamy egg salad, thinly sliced savoury beef that was marinated and cooked to perfection, some cheese and other sliced meats, as well as some unique fresh caper-rich bruschetta.
Oh, of course we sipped on samosas and freshly squeezed orange juice throughout the meal. Eventually, I got to try the desserts I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off… I wasn’t expecting much from the pancakes, although the fruit-based Dutch stroop syrup was another delectable stunner – thick and kind of molasses-like, with just the right amount of spice and sweetness. As a perfect finish to the meal, the cheesecake was creamy, light and sweet. It sounds like a lot of food, but when we were done, I wouldn’t say I was overly full, just very satisfied and happy!
Once we completed our feast and the crew cleared the dishes, we were under sail once again. This time we headed northeast to a lovely, remote snorkeling spot off the mainland of Bonaire called Andrea.
Thankfully, the water was much shallower, calmer and clearer for this snorkelling session. WoW, what a treat! This spot has more lumpy hard coral structures as well as some vertical elkhorn-like corals along with an amazing variety of fish – I saw more parrot fish, angel fish and tang, along with several freaky and cool trumpetfish, some grunts, a couple of four-eyed butterfly fish and I even noticed an eel slithering snake-like along the ocean floor.
That said, the highlight of this snorkel had to be seeing not one, but two different types of boxfish! The first one was a small black and white spotted trunkfish, while the second was a beautiful blue species I had never seen before – I believe it was a cowfish (video below). This stop beautifully re-enforces Bonaire’s reputation as one of, if not the top snorkelling destinations in the Caribbean!
Well, all good things must come to an end, so we sailed south back to port to wrap up our amazing sailing, snorkelling and foodie experience. Before the trip was over however, I managed to enjoy some friendly conversation with other passengers as well as the captain. While we may be from different countries, we can all appreciate what Bonaire and this sailing excursion had provided us.
Wow – what a morning – We had such a great time! While samosas, beer and wine were offered, this is no loud party boat. Epic Tours’ Brunch & Snorkel Catamaran Tour is a refined, yet laid back, sailing, snorkeling and culinary experience. This tour is ideal for mature couples and families of all ages. A relaxing easy-going way to spend a morning, and one that will satisfy snorkelers and serious foodies alike! Ahhhhh… Life is Good!
If this sail, snorkel and brunch tour appeals to you, you can contact the friendly folks at Epic Tours directly by clicking on this link –> Epic Tours Bonaire
For an overview of this amazing Dutch Caribbean Island, take a look at our Bonaire Vacations page
For other great Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Bonaire blog
If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Bonaire Adventures blog for some other great ideas!
ACT Staff
Our adventure began with a Stingray City motorboat picking us up right on the beach next to our hotel. It was a nice scenic boat ride out to a man-made dock floating somewhere off the east coast of the island – This is Stingray City. I suspect that we were in or near Antigua’s North Sound Marine Park. What I know for sure is that we were a fair distance from shore – It seemed like we were more than a mile (>km) from the coast. Yet, it was amazing that the water was only waist deep and very calm. As with our other boating adventures in Antigua, the sea off the coast of the island was crystal clear and beautiful.
As soon as the boat was tied-up to the floating dock, we got out and watched the Caribbean’s Southern Stingrays swooping around under us. I’ll admit that the only reason I wasn’t too nervous was because I have been in the water with stingrays before. I recall the guide at my last encounter saying the stingrays weren’t comfortable around me, because they could sense my fear… This time was going to be different – I planned on relaxing and enjoying my experience at Stingray City in Antigua.
As we approached Stingray City, I was concerned to see a large ring of buoys in the water, however I soon realized that there were no nets attached to them. The buoys were there to mark the area that we were supposed to stay within, so the guides could easily keep track of us. That is, the people are corralled, while the Stingrays are free to come and go as they please. We were the second boat to arrive this morning, so there was only a handful of people there when we started out, however a couple other boats and more people were soon to join us.
Once I was in the water I quickly relaxed. I put on my mask and dropped to my knees in order to get a good look at the pre-historic creatures up-close and personal under the water. Wow – These guys are pretty big! Actually, the females are about 5 feet in diameter while the male of the species are about half the size. The females are very sociable as they slowly swim around and gently brushed up against our legs. I say swim, although watching their large round wing-like bodies rippling along or near the sea bottom, they appear to be flying underwater. Meanwhile the males swiftly dart around and through the crowd of people and female stingrays.
It was wild to touch the gentle giants as they effortlessly glided past us… They felt to me kind of like a mushroom – soft and almost furry, especially their underside. We were told that it’s OK to gently hold them, as long as we kept them in contact with the sea. The friendly Stingray City guides were in the water with us, and one-by one they helped us get face-to-face with a southern stingray. So, I spread out our arms fairly wide and softly held the ray in my hands – What an experience!
To think that these majestic animals, a distant cousin of the shark, have changed very little in the millions of years they’ve been on the planet, is just incredible. As land-based animals, stingrays look so foreign to us, yet they seem well designed to thrive in their equally alien underwater world.
After watching and interacting with the stingrays for a fair amount of time, I started to look around and explore more of the aquatic environment that we were visiting. I noticed several clumps of coral at the edge of buoys, so I snorkeled around in the shallow water and saw a number of different kinds of fish swimming around. I could never get tired of swimming and snorkeling in Antigua’s warm clear waters…
Eventually, our once in a life-time experience had to come to an end. We returned to our motorboat for a nice cruise along Antigua’s east coast. It’s great to get a different perspective of the island, viewing it from sea. The multiple shades of Antigua’s clear blue waters isn’t too hard on the eyes either. This boat ride took us to Stingray City’s land base, where we were to meet their sister company, Antigua Nature Tours, a little later in the day for more off-shore activities.
ACT Staff
Want to see more? Check out our Antigua’s Stingray City video on YouTube!
For more information about Stingray City, including material to help plan your own Antiguan adventure, you can contact the good folks directly by visiting their website (just click on the link) below:
For an overview of the “land of sun and sea”, feel free to check-out our Antigua & Barbuda Vacations page.
If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Antigua Adventures blog for more great ideas!
For popular Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Antigua and Barbuda blog
Always on the lookout for fun and active “things to do” while on our Caribbean vacations, one constant theme kept popping up throughout my research on Barbados – swimming with turtles and snorkeling over shipwrecks. With all those white sand beaches and close-to-shore reefs along the south-west and west coast, I was really looking forward to getting into the water and exploring the marine seascapes! So, here’s what we did…
Carlisle Bay is about a mile (2km) south of Bridgetown, and about 4 miles (7km) north of where we were staying. We donned our bathing suits and reef-friendly sunscreen, grabbed our snorkel masks and hopped on a local bus for the 15-minute ride. Carlisle Bay has some of the most famous beaches in the Caribbean, and I must say, it is a beautiful sight. Like all beaches in Barbados, Brownes Beach, Pebbles Beach and Bayshore Beach are “public” beaches. This means that anyone can just lay down a towel and stake a claim to a piece of sand, regardless of the hotel or bar/restaurant you happen to be in front of (or is it behind?). Anyways, the gorgeous white sand beaches of Carlisle Bay stretch for about a mile (2km) along the shimmering blue sea that beckoned us in for a swim and snorkel. The beaches are just about perfect – with no stones or pebbles and there’s no sea-weed in the water. The only potential downside is that it was fairly busy by Caribbean island standards. But… understandable considering what the area offers.
Beach chair and umbrella rentals are available all along the beach. There’s even a couple of facilities that feature a bar, restaurant and bathrooms – Harbour Lights and the Boatyard Club also conveniently turn into nightclubs for continuing the party when the sun goes down. We ended up near Bayshore Beach which has public washrooms (Lockers are available – just bring your own lock). Vendors in the parking lot offer everything from water to large home-cooked meals. Later in the day, I had what I think was the largest, tastiest meat patty I’ve ever had, outside of Jamaica.
Enough of the logistics – It’s time we got in the water!
We started at an area that at first seemed devoid of life. No coral, just a sand bottom 15-20 feet below… then, I saw something moving down there… There were several stingrays cruising along the seafloor. Apparently, these creatures are fairly new to this spot, although it’s easy to understand why they’re here. Like other marine animals in the area, they’re here for the food. Local boat/tour operators drop fish scraps into the water to attract turtles – The Crowd Favourite. There were several boatloads of people occupying the same space, so when a turtle was spotted, everyone converged on the area. Even with several legs thrashing around, we managed to see a couple of the fascinating reptiles. It was really fun to watch a turtle, enveloped in a swarm of “entourage” fish, swim up for an easy meal. After surfacing for some air, it gracefully descended, mysteriously disappearing into the depths.
Next stop – The shipwreck. Strong swimmers can access this spot right from the beach. Fortunately, there were fewer people here and were more spread out. Snorkeling over the shipwreck was incredible – It absolutely blew me away as I’ve never seen so many fish congregating in one area like that. The top of the ship is less than 15 feet (4.5m) from the surface, so clearly visible by snorkelers. The top and sides of the wreck were covered in corals, sponges and sea fans, however I was really fascinated by the large variety of tropical fish. I viewed the ship from stern to bow and back again – I just couldn’t get enough. Along with schools of sergeant-majors, the trumpetfish, blue-tang and angelfish really stood out to me. I watched as a snorkeler dived down to the surface of the ship and even into one of the openings – Hhmnn… I’ll need to try that next time! This may be as close to a scuba diving experience as I’ll ever get.
Now that I know where the hotspots are, the next time I’m in Barbados I’ll try to get to Carlisle Bay before 9am, rent a kayak and check out these locations before the crowds arrive.
Want to see more? Check out our Barbados Snorkeling with Turtles and Rays, and Barbados Snorkeling over Shipwrecks videos on YouTube!
A couple of days later we got on another bus and ventured further up the west coast to check out Folkstone Marine Park. Snorkelers can explore a large area of shallow sea here, protected by buoys and rope fence. From the beach, we could see several scattered rows of reefs close to shore – So exciting! Unfortunately, the water was rough that day, with waves breaking right over the reefs, so the beach was closed to snorkelers. We were there on a Sunday, so the Information Centre / Museum (lockers available) was also closed. Disappointed but not defeated, we wandered south along the beach looking for somewhere else to get into the water…
Just north of Holetown, I could see a dark shape in the water really close to shore, so I assumed it was a reef and a potential place to snorkel. The warm salty water was easy to float in, even with the small waves that day. Here’s where things got a little interesting… As I neared the “reef”, I was surprised to see that it was actually a meticulously stacked/assembled rock-pile. It was as if a Giant played a game of Granite Tetris undersea… I assume that all the reefs along Barbados’ west coast are like this. Unlike most of its neighbouring islands, Barbados is a coral island, so I was expecting lots of natural coral at the bottom of the sea – Well, this was a learning experience.
Regardless of their composition, these rock barriers provide a sanctuary for sea-life. This little reef had several different fish swimming around it, so I was motivated to check-out the larger reef at the north end of Holetown – Wow, I’m sure glad I did! Just a few feet from shore I disturbed a flounder and then I found the rock-pile area full of life. I saw a variety of fish species on the east side of the reef so I rounded the south end to see what was on the other side. Well, I was in for a treat – I almost immediately encountered a large school of Blue Chromis (I think). So cool!
I was told that further offshore from Holetown beach there’s a sunken barge resting in 20 feet (6m) of water that is home to plenty of colourful fish and other marine life including turtles. Locals offered boat rides to get to the spot.
Based on my experience with the beach at Holetown, I suspect that snorkeling up at Folkestone would be outstanding. I imagine that I could have spent hours just floating around examining the reefs and their marine life in their entirety. Unfinished business – Well, now I have an excuse for coming back to Barbados 😊
Want to see more? Check out our Barbados Snorkeling – From Holetown video on YouTube!
There are more than a dozen beaches along the west coast of the island and several of them are good for a little snorkeling… I understand that the beaches at Alleynes Bay, Paynes Bay and Batts Rock are good spots.
On our last day in Barbados, we went for a walk along the Richard Haynes Boardwalk and came across a couple of spots that looked like they might be good for snorkeling. This half-mile (1km) long wooden walkway straddles the beachfront between Hasting’s Coconut Court Beach Hotel and Rockley Beach. Even if there’s no snorkeling, you can always relax in the tidal pools that are created on calm sea days!
ACT Staff
For more information on snorkeling in Barbados, including a list of tour operators who will get you to the hot spots, check out our Barbados Snorkeling page
If you’re looking for other ‘active’ things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Barbados Adventures blog for some great ideas!
For an overview of beautiful Barbados, take a look at our Barbados Vacations page
For an overview of great Tourist Attractions on the island, including tour operators who will take good care of you, check out our Things to Do in Barbados page
When vacationing in the Caribbean, it’s great to get off the resort and really explore the island you’re visiting. We enjoy nature, so when we were looking for things to do in Antigua, we knew we just had to kayak the island’s rich mangroves and snorkel over one of their many reefs to see the natural treasures beneath the waves. We chose Antigua Nature Tours to show us around.
Having spent some time with the Stingrays in the morning, we had an hour or so to chill-out before the much anticipated Antigua Nature Tours’ Kayak – Snorkel – Beach – Hike Excursion was to get underway. Luckily for us, the Stingray City land based facility is a nice place to hang out. We checked out the colourful parrots, then sat down for a snack while watching the chickens running around wild at our feet.
Our nature adventure started with a motorboat ride out to Antigua Nature Tours’ floating kayak dock in the heart of Antigua’s mangroves located in the North Sound Marina Reserve. This protected area is located offshore of a north east section of the island, just south-east of the airport. As soon as the motorboat was tied to the dock, we climbed aboard our kayaks. We paddled around a bit in the lagoon, getting comfortable with our new mode of transportation. We left the protection of the mainland’s mangrove clusters and kayaked across a small channel that separates Guiana island from Antigua’s main land mass. There was a slight wind and a bit of a current, but it was fairly easy paddling across to reach the more protected west side of Guiana island.
We were part of a nice small group, maybe five double kayaks in all. While our guide was helping some of the inexperienced folks get going, the rest of us kayaked around in the amazing clear blue waters that Antigua is famous for. Unlike Antigua’s mainland, Guiana Island has no white sand beaches, instead the shoreline is a deep hedge of mangroves. Once our guide re-took the lead, we hugged the shoreline of the island, staring into the water and the thick network of mangrove roots looking for signs of activity.
Our guide knows exactly where the marine life hangs out, and as we kayaked along the shoreline, he took us into real shallow water where he literally just reached down into the sea-grass and sand to scoop something up to show us. First he gave us a couple of different varieties of sea cucumber, then he pulled up some more familiar marine invertebrate, a jellyfish, followed by a gorgeous starfish. The sea cucumbers were foreign to us – The first one looked like a giant slug (or brown cucumber), real soft and squishy, while the second one looked more protected under it’s thick hard black skin. The starfish was bright orange with yellow features – Just like something you would see on TV watching a nature show. While he explained the “ins-and-outs” (literally) of the marine animal’s eating and digestion routines, our guide ensured that the starfish was constantly kept in water so as to not harm him, or her.
We also saw a few species of fish, who our guide explained raise their young in the protection of the mangrove roots, away from larger predators who can’t penetrate the dense tangled roots of the aquatic trees.
Eventually we made our way back to the kayak base – We probably paddled around for about a mile (>km) or so in total. It was fun to kayak through a narrow ‘natural archway’ in the mangrove clusters near the mainland. Being one of the best things to do in Antigua, I could have spent more time exploring the mangrove inlets in the comfort of these calm waters… however there was more to see and do – We were soon off for the next portion of the excursion.
After a water break, we re-loaded the motor boat and off we went. Our next adventure with Antigua Nature Tours was to snorkel over a reef amidst some of the off-shore islands. First we motored past a number of islands, including Rabbit Island which is a breeding ground for the majestic, prehistoric looking pelicans seen all along the shorelines of Antigua.
Apparently these Antiguan motor boats only have two speeds – Stop and full throttle :). Seriously, not living near water myself, it was fun motoring around and it was great to get a different perspective of Antigua – Observing the island from the sea, we could better appreciate the landscape features. Oh yah, it helps when you’re cruising over such clear, multi-shaded blue water – We couldn’t get over just how beautiful the water is here! One attraction we saw from a distance is a little island, known as Hell’s Gate, which is not much more than an interesting round coral archway protruding from the sea.
Eventually we stopped just offshore of Great Bird Island. We were south of the island and somewhat exposed to the Atlantic Ocean currents. As the water was a little rough, our guide advised us to swim east against the current, then drift back to the boat – This worked out quite nicely. Sticking my face under the waves to see below is always exciting, and I was not disappointed.
The place was brimming with sea-life including tons of elkhorn, brain and lettuce-like coral as well as sea fans and tropical fish. It was fascinating to watch the fish navigating the currents in order to munch the algae clinging to the coral. Some small fish were successfully hovering in the nooks and crannies of the coral, making it difficult to see them.
While there were no large schools of fish, there was plenty to see. I was fascinated in particular by these little blue fish with a single dark blue lined white stripe. They seemed to be swimming with the more numerous Sargent-Major fish – Not sure if they were friends, or what their relationship is. As a temporary visitor to this underwater world, I’m always surprised and amazed at nature’s beauty and biodiversity. The world’s oceans are such a huge part of the planet, however it’s landscapes and marine life is so foreign to most of us. While I’m not that comfortable in the water, I was glad to have snorkeled – It is one of the best things to do in Antigua!
Once back on the boat, we motored a couple hundred yards to Great Bird Island to enjoy the un-populated ‘south beach’. By un-populated, I mean there was no-one there except us. Part of the group took a short stroll to the top of little off-shore island.
We were rewarded with spectacular views of the multi-hued blue waters shining between us and Antigua’s east coast. We peered over the dramatic cliff-sides on the east coast of the island to see a blowhole in action. What was really cool was this natural vertical shaft cut through the island’s rock, which allowed us to glimpse sea water splashing dozens of feet below us.
Mesmerized by the stunning blue waters surrounding the island, I wasn’t paying much attention to the flora and fauna on the island itself – Apparently Great Bird Island is an important conservation site, especially for rare plants and nesting birds. After enjoying some rum-punch on the beach, we were back on board and motoring to Stingray City’s land based facility where we dropped off the other folks in our party.
For the final stage of our nature adventure, our motorboat cruised down the coast back to our hotel. Once again, it’s always a great experience to view the island from sea – We could never tire of motoring over the multiple shades of blue that is Antigua’s waters. We had a great afternoon with Antigua Nature Tours and would recommend others visiting the island to enjoy the experience as well.
ACT Staff
For more information about Antigua Nature Tours, including material to help plan your own Antiguan adventure, you can contact the good folks by visiting their website (just click on the link) below:
Want to see more of Antigua’s underwater world? Check out our Snorkeling Antigua’s Great Bird Island video on YouTube!
For an overview of the “land of sun and sea”, take a look at our Antigua & Barbuda Vacations page
If you’re looking for more active things to do in Antigua, click on our Antigua Adventures blog for more great ideas!
For great Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Antigua and Barbuda blog
