Bahamas Snorkeling by Catamaran: the Nassau 3-Stop Day

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Five and a half hours, and why the extra time shows

Every other Nassau departure runs three or four hours. This one runs five and a half, and the difference is not spent on transit — it is spent at the stops. Athol, Rose and Green Cay come in turn, with a proper snorkel over the reef and a separate stop at the turtle grounds, and nothing is hurried between them.

The trade is the start: this boat leaves from Montagu Beach, out past Fort Montagu, rather than from a downtown dock. Twenty minutes in a taxi buys you a quieter departure and the longest day on the water available at this fare.

The catamaran, and what a wide hull changes

A catamaran sits on two hulls, which means it rolls far less than a monohull and bounces far less than a speedboat. If anyone in your party is unsure about the sea, this is the boat to put them on.

Practically it also means space: an upper deck to lie on, a covered area when it rains, a washroom, and enough room that thirty travellers do not feel like thirty. Board early if you want a particular seat, because the good spots go first.

Athol, Rose and Green Cay

Athol Island is usually first, ten minutes out, flat water over a seabed of wrecks and film props grown into artificial reef. It is the gentlest introduction there is.

Rose Island follows, for the beach stop and the reef along its northern side. Green Cay is the turtle stop, over the seagrass beds where green turtles feed. Turtle sightings are never guaranteed, because a turtle is a wild animal grazing a seagrass bed — most mornings deliver, and no honest operator promises more than that.

What is in the price, and the one thing that is not

Who this suits — and who should book something else

This suits you if you want the calmest boat and the longest day, you would rather eat a hot lunch aboard than buy one on a beach, and shade and a washroom matter to you. It is the strongest choice for anyone prone to seasickness and for parties who want to spread out.

Book something else if your call is short — five and a half hours needs a port day of nine hours or more — or if the pigs are the whole point, in which case the three-islands speedboat day includes them. The listing also states that it is not suitable during pregnancy, or for travellers with back problems, epilepsy or mobility impairments.

Meeting at Montagu Beach

Departure is from Montagu Beach on East Bay Street. Coming from downtown Nassau, head east past Fort Montagu and turn left into Montagu Beach at the traffic light just before the fish market. A taxi knows it.

Arrive thirty minutes before the scheduled start — the operator asks for it in writing, and a boat with thirty people aboard does not wait. Hotel pick-up is not included on this departure.

Know before you go

• Arrive half an hour early. Departure is from the beach itself, not a marina, and boarding takes time.
• Bring a beach towel, especially December to March. The operator names those months specifically; towels are not carried.
• The pig interaction costs US$30.00 per person. Decide before you sail, and carry a card if you want it.
• Islands are reached by anchoring where there is no dock. Walking ashore is not guaranteed at every stop.
• A waiver is signed before boarding. Bring photo ID.
• Not wheelchair accessible, and not recommended with back or heart problems. The Grand Bahama sea-scooter day asks far less of a swimmer.

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