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Kakao at Orient Beach

There is great snorkeling on several beaches. Mullet Bay has an interesting reef near the ruins of the large units at the north of the Bay. Cupecoy has a reef near Sapphire Beach Club that has some interesting fish. Bay Rouge has David's Hole on the right as you enter. Grand Case has Créole Rock. The islands at Orient (Pinel, Green Cay, and Tintamarre, plus smaller rocks) offer some interesting sights (so does the nude beach for that matter!). Seriously though, there is a reef running SE from Pedro's at the northern end of the nude beach that is full of fish and even an eel or two. It is best to approch it from the south and swim with the current. Galion and Dawn boast the best reefs on the island, but require a fairly calm day for their exploration.

There are lots of snorkeling trips. If you like sailing and small groups, consider Random Wind. She sails from Simpson Bay around the western edge of the island to a couple spots on the French side, notably Créole Rock, serving drinks and lunch on an all day voyage. The motor cats (Scoobidoo, Lambada, Tango, Bluebeard) also leave from Simpson Bay or Philipsburg and by virtue of a motor, can go all the way to the far side of Anguilla for snorkeling on Prickly Pear, Sandy Island, or Little Bay. They are larger and take more passengers, motoring most of the way, but it's still an all day voyage with drinks and lunch included. If you just want a few hours of snorkeling on a great reef, consider Créole Rock via Snorkel Trips out of Grand Case Beach Club. They will take you out to the rock in a matter of minutes and, if you wish, have a dive master accompany you, pointing out sea creatures that most people miss. Afterwards you can have a nice lunch at Sunset Café and a loaf on the beach. Another shorter boat ride to a rather nice spot can be had from the Tiki Hut Snorkel Park tour. They take you from Great Bay off Philipsburg to Little Bay, about a 15 minute boat ride. You arrive at a 80 ft by 20 ft platform with a tiki hut (bar and grill), some sun chairs and umbrellas, and a salt water pool. It's anchored in a the middle of a roped off area offering interesting snorkeling. You get snorkel gear and instruction and can stay as long as you like. Drinks and food are available.

For something totally different, try BOB, the Breathing Observation Bubble. It's an battery-powered, underwater scooter with a diving helmet. You get a 40 minute underwater guided tour and will have the time of your life. Check out Bob's Underwater Adventures. BOB
We have a guidebooks in our bookstore to help you identify your newfound friends, but if you mouse around this photo, you should find 16 fish hiding in the water and an identification quiz (with answers).

water fish1 fish2 fish3 fish4 fish5 fish6 fish7 fish8 fish9 fish10 fish11 fish12 fish13 fish14 fish15 fish16