Abacos water clarity and snorkeling

[nancyr84]

Hi,
Iam new to this board and would like to see if anyone has any answers to a few questions. I have never been to Abacos, visited Bahamas years ago on cruise. How clear is the water ? We have been to St John numerous times and love the clear water and great snorkeling. Iam ready to try somewhere different and Abacos caught my eye. Is there good snorkeling from shore or do you have to rent a boat. Anyone who has been to both how does the water compare.
Nancy

[AbacoPeach]

Don't call it "gin clear waters" for nothing... :D

[WaltOKC]

The water quality around places like Foul Cay are about as good as it gets.

[Jerry S]

That is Fowl Cay..

[tmccaffery]

Just came back from BVI and while the water clarity is okay in the Virgin Islands, I think it is clearer in Abaco. In addition, there are a lot of great snorkeling spots right off the beach which, with the possible exception of Anegada, are rare in the BVI. The bottom line -- we are coming back to Abaco this year.

[PatW]

Nancy, if you read the Honeymoon Couples trip report by Elcahun on page two is some awesome pictures of the clear water in Abaco.,




Hi,
Iam new to this board and would like to see if anyone has any answers to a few questions. I have never been to Abacos, visited Bahamas years ago on cruise. How clear is the water ? We have been to St John numerous times and love the clear water and great snorkeling. Iam ready to try somewhere different and Abacos caught my eye. Is there good snorkeling from shore or do you have to rent a boat. Anyone who has been to both how does the water compare.
Nancy

[tim abbott]

Nancyr84,

You don't say where you want to stay, but the best chances for snorkleing from the beach would be Green Turtle, Guana or Elbow I believe.

[Baltimore Bob]

We've been to both the Abacos and St. John. The water is clear off both. That said, there are far more shore snorkeling sites on St. John.

[Aardvark]

The Bahamas don't do rivers. No river = no sediment = clear water.

[WaltOKC]

Sorry about the typo on Fowl Cay. I knew that, but just didn't type it :).

Foul Cay sure puts a perspective on it that isn't at all accurate :). We didn't get to do a lot there last March. We are bringing our scuba gear this coming March and will do it justice.

[SamFamAustin]

No problem and have fun ... just don't "Fowl" your anchors!

[CaywannaBay]

Walt, who is my best friend, but being from OKC, I have to correct him on a lot of things, but he means well. I let him handle a lot of the technical things on our trips, and we seem to do just fine. Really looking forward to another trip to Guana Cay and being able to snorkle, and dive, at Fowl Cay again. We also were thinking of going North of Guana Cay on our next trip. Does anyone have any great spots that they like?

As always thanks to all for their input.

[Rock Steady]

Hi,
Iam new to this board and would like to see if anyone has any answers to a few questions. I have never been to Abacos, visited Bahamas years ago on cruise. How clear is the water ? We have been to St John numerous times and love the clear water and great snorkeling. Iam ready to try somewhere different and Abacos caught my eye. Is there good snorkeling from shore or do you have to rent a boat. Anyone who has been to both how does the water compare.
Nancy Nancy,
We were in St. John's in March, and while nice, it doesn't compare to Abaco.
Fish still live in Abaco.

[elcahun]

There are amazing snorkel spots around Green Turtle Cay.

[toledopirate]

Nancy,
We were in St. John's in March, and while nice, it doesn't compare to Abaco.
Fish still live in Abaco.

Yup yup! And coral and rays, too.

[Tuna Loco]

Nancy,

I recently took my first trip to the Abaco's. I have traveled extensively in the carribean and mexico. I used to live in Jamaica and have been on private cruises through the Virgin Islands and some others that you mention.
Without a doubt...Bar none....the Abaco's are byfar the most beautiful water I have ever seen.
While passing through Man O War channel on a clear, calm and bright sunshiny day, you will see every color of turquois, blue, clear, crystal, green, etc.
Imagine all of the most beautiful water you have ever seen anywhere in the ocean, over your entire life. NOW....imagine all those colors in one place. To say it is Gorgeous ....is an understatement. It is as if there are neon lights on the bottom shining up at the surface that give the water with all it's colors a flourescense that a camera can simply not capture. I think maybe God reserved this from film. You literally have to see it with your own eyes, to believe it. Pictures , however pretty....do no Justice.
How clear is clear?.....in excess of 100 to 150 feet easily.
Looking over the side of the boat you think you are in 20 to 30 feet, but check your sonar and you are in 60 to 75.
GO....You will not be dissapointed.

[kthacher]

Nancy,

I have travelled throughout the Caribbean, and tried the Abaco's for the first time in late April of this year. I suspect that the people who speak about the clarity of the water are correct, but you should be aware that the Abacos seem more susceptible to winds that are strong enough to make snorkelling impractical. The best sites are pretty exposed to the Atlantic, and it can blow pretty good there for days at a time. Our ten day trip was pretty much a wipeout from a diving and snorkeling perspective due to this. This has never happened to us anywhere else.

If you catch a few days of calm, I bet it would be gorgeous. We need to go back to see if we can catch such a stretch.

[Tuna Loco]

Kthatcher,

What a shame that the weather did not coopreare on your trip, you truly missed out. It is unfortunate when the weather interfears, it has happend to me multiple times in several places. Actually the weather can interfear anywhere, and any island in the world can be susceptible to wind generated waves for days on end. You should definetly go back, and not let the weather from your last trip keep you from returning.