Post by ostrow on Jan 4, 2019 14:23:14 GMT -5
Hello!
Great information here; it was extremely useful. I just returned from 10 days where I stayed near Rum Point, at the Sea Lodges. While this guide is tremendous, I can update.
Unfortunately there was an unusual front that came through midway into our stay that messed up the winds and the chop. But I got enough diving and snorkeling in to make some additions.
First and foremost, the Rum Point area is possibly the best fringing reef left in the Caribbean. Bonaire in 2013 outpaced what we saw at Rum Point now, but I wonder if the decline in Bonaire parallels what the rest of the basin has experienced.
From Sea Lodges all the way to the second bouy at Rum Point (going east to west) the variety and health of the goegonians, sea whips, sea fans, and LPS like brain corals, was fabulous and continuous. Stony corals was more mixed. The Elkhorn forest is gone....all dead remnants. There are maybe 5-6 small patches of both Elkhorn and Staghorn left. Also isolated patches of various purple and plating montiporas.
Large boulder formations were thriving. Saw a wide array of sponges and tunicate, and even a few purple tipped anemones. There are turtles and rays all over (did not see any.spottes eagle rays though). Saw also octopus and squid and all the expected reef fish. The Rum Point area is fabulous.
Starfish Point is sadly, now, gross. Too many ships and people destroying the Starfish, removing from the water. One jerk busted open a large conch then tossed the snail, defenseless, back into the water. Loud music. Just unpleasant. But there are Starfish, and pearly jawfish, there in abundance.
Spotts Beach is much nicer, turtles and rays abound. Sadly the currwnt was too rough but others report very large healthy fringing reef to the east, out from the first large point (facing the water it's too the left), maybe 150 yds out from the point. But I couldn't swim against the strong current from the west side and didn't much want to brave the rocks on a straight out attempt.
There were zero other good spots on the south end of the island. And as for snorkeling, zero else accessible from land.
What once were Barefoot and Queens Monument - Connelly are gone. There is no remaining beach, there are warning signs and chains, and trash/branches everywhere. People go to look but nothing much to see. There's no access. I am sure there is good fringing reef out there. Need a vessel to access.
There is absolutely no way now to snorkel out to the reef from either location or from Turtles Nest. This from both the dive shop I used and locals. Too dangerous. Too far. And this was not due to the weather. It's too dangerous and too far. You can snorkel it. But have a boat at the mooring.
East end is worse. Zippo to snorkel.
The diving, that's another matter. I think the dives I did with Ocean Frontiers surpassed Belize and Roatan, the only non-Pacific area that could compete is Bonaire and that is because Bonaire is mostly shore dives.
I plan to return and will recheck these areas. But if you want to snorkel healthy reef from the beach on GC, I would say it's pretty much limited to Rum Point and perhaps Spotts.
Great information here; it was extremely useful. I just returned from 10 days where I stayed near Rum Point, at the Sea Lodges. While this guide is tremendous, I can update.
Unfortunately there was an unusual front that came through midway into our stay that messed up the winds and the chop. But I got enough diving and snorkeling in to make some additions.
First and foremost, the Rum Point area is possibly the best fringing reef left in the Caribbean. Bonaire in 2013 outpaced what we saw at Rum Point now, but I wonder if the decline in Bonaire parallels what the rest of the basin has experienced.
From Sea Lodges all the way to the second bouy at Rum Point (going east to west) the variety and health of the goegonians, sea whips, sea fans, and LPS like brain corals, was fabulous and continuous. Stony corals was more mixed. The Elkhorn forest is gone....all dead remnants. There are maybe 5-6 small patches of both Elkhorn and Staghorn left. Also isolated patches of various purple and plating montiporas.
Large boulder formations were thriving. Saw a wide array of sponges and tunicate, and even a few purple tipped anemones. There are turtles and rays all over (did not see any.spottes eagle rays though). Saw also octopus and squid and all the expected reef fish. The Rum Point area is fabulous.
Starfish Point is sadly, now, gross. Too many ships and people destroying the Starfish, removing from the water. One jerk busted open a large conch then tossed the snail, defenseless, back into the water. Loud music. Just unpleasant. But there are Starfish, and pearly jawfish, there in abundance.
Spotts Beach is much nicer, turtles and rays abound. Sadly the currwnt was too rough but others report very large healthy fringing reef to the east, out from the first large point (facing the water it's too the left), maybe 150 yds out from the point. But I couldn't swim against the strong current from the west side and didn't much want to brave the rocks on a straight out attempt.
There were zero other good spots on the south end of the island. And as for snorkeling, zero else accessible from land.
What once were Barefoot and Queens Monument - Connelly are gone. There is no remaining beach, there are warning signs and chains, and trash/branches everywhere. People go to look but nothing much to see. There's no access. I am sure there is good fringing reef out there. Need a vessel to access.
There is absolutely no way now to snorkel out to the reef from either location or from Turtles Nest. This from both the dive shop I used and locals. Too dangerous. Too far. And this was not due to the weather. It's too dangerous and too far. You can snorkel it. But have a boat at the mooring.
East end is worse. Zippo to snorkel.
The diving, that's another matter. I think the dives I did with Ocean Frontiers surpassed Belize and Roatan, the only non-Pacific area that could compete is Bonaire and that is because Bonaire is mostly shore dives.
I plan to return and will recheck these areas. But if you want to snorkel healthy reef from the beach on GC, I would say it's pretty much limited to Rum Point and perhaps Spotts.
