Captain Marvin- Snorkeling and Stingray City
We went on a boat trip with Captain Marvin on our first full day. There were probably about 30 or so people on this trip. That was plenty of people—but I know that in high season/cruise ship days, those trips are more packed. But having 30 people was more than enough to get in my way while snorkeling! We specifically chose a day that there was only one cruise ship in port (that was a really good thing, because we would have only been able to go on one other day, because the trip was cancelled on the other days we were there due to rough water from a nearby tropical storm). We went to two snorkeling spots—and they were really nice with lots of coral and fish—but it would have been much better if the water hadn’t of been as rough as it was, and other snorkelers bumping into me! Even though the water was rough, it was still very clear. We went to two areas in the coral gardens. I believe they usually go somewhere else, but that was too rough that day. We then made our way to the Stingray City sandbar, and that was definitely the highlight of the trip. We had done something similar in Belize in a place called Shark and Stingray Alley, but this was much better than that. There were stingrays everywhere. One accosted me and almost gave me a hug around my back—it scared me a bit! My husband even held one. The trip was definitely worth it.
Rum Point and Drive Around the Island
We drove up to Rum Point on our second full day. It was really nice to get a self tour of the island. Rum Point was a nice place—pretty with all the trees around and lots of chairs and hammocks for lounging. We were hoping to be able to snorkel, but the water was just too rough. We spent about three hours here. It was and relaxing, not crowded at all, but with not being able to snorkel we got a bit restless. On our drive back we drove around Cayman Kai, The Reef Resort, and Boddentown looking for good snorkeling, but the water was too rough everywhere. That was a bit of a disappointment. We actually drove back this way later in the week to see if we could find a calm place to snorkel after hearing great reviews, but had no luck.
Botanical Gardens
The only reason we went here was because there was one day that the water was too rough for good snorkeling. I really didn’t think we would enjoy it as much as we did. The flowers were beautiful. We also encountered quite a few iguanas, so that was really fun.
Turtle Farm and Hell
We drove up to the turtle farm, and on our way stopped at hell. It really wasn’t that interesting, but everyone had said it was a must see. At least it was a good photo op. Once we got to the turtle farm, we decided not to go in. Just a little too touristy and I think it was more geared towards kids. I was tempted by the snorkeling lagoon—but I prefer real snorkeling experiences to a "fake" one.
Red Sail West Bay Snorkel
This was a great trip. It was a huge boat that holds 80 people or so. And there was a total of 7 people on the trip! It left from the Hyatt and we went snorkeling at Eden Rock and the Wreck of the Cali. We were a little disappointed because we had already been to Eden Rock on our own, and we could have just gone to the Wreck of the Cali on our own. But the sail was nice, and it was nice not having to swim out to the reef- we could be a little more lazy. I thought Eden Rock was better than when we had snorkeled there another day. The Wreck of Cali was interesting too—lots of huge tarpon to see.