Recommendations for snorkeling, US territory

Wife and I are looking for a quick Jan or Feb getaway, about 4 days for
about $1500, or a bit more, maybe.
Want to do a lot of warm water snorkeling, shelling and maybe some small
boat sailing.
Prefer it be a US territory or affiliated (guess besides Florida that leaves
Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands--suppose Hawaii is out due to time and
budget from here on US East Coast?).
FWIW, we did Sandals Royal Bahamian a couple of years ago, and even though
we were told by staff that you had to take a boat to go snorkeling (and see
anything!), there was a pier right on the premises beneath which you could
swim through thousands of silvery fish swirling in a column (delightful and
peaceful!), and there was a barracuda hanging out at the end of the pier
that was neat to see! The rest of the resort was OK, I suppose, but I'd just
prefer to be warm, enjoy the clear water, and not be in a foreign country
right now.
Taking a boat out to snorkel with other people is not what we prefer (we are
busy exploring and enjoying and being a PITA to others who just can't wait
to get back to dry land again). I suppose if we hired a boat and guide just
for ourselves that would be best. Not that interested in nightlife (though
we wouldn't have minded dancing, but the Royal Bahamian seemed back then to
favor Karaoke, which is of no interest to us). Would prefer to have someone
else do the cooking on our quick vacation, but might consider DIY if
everything else was perfect. Did I mention that shelling is important--wife
loves that, and we normally do the Sanibel thing, but I'd like snorkeling
too. Thanks for reading this long post! Any suggestions?

Seems like the $1500 for 2 quick getaway idea is not practical. OK, I'll
double that, or a bit more, and maybe stay a day or two longer to make up
for the travel time. Doing lots of reading, seems like St John USVI will
have some pretty spectacular snorkeling. Would need a wetsuit for Pennykamp
in January or February, wouldn't we?
The Maho Camp seems pretty neat, but one of us will want something a bit
more stateside-like.
Seems like the easiest way to go somewhere you've never been is to do
something like an Apple all-inclusive (hopefully avoiding a real horror
vacation?), and then explore and find something better for next visit, but
Apple has nothing in St John, only St Thomas or St Croix. So far my reading
is definitely pointing to St. John for what we want.
If we went to St. Croix on a package, wondering how much of a nuisance would
it be to day-trip over to St John?
Where is the best shelling on the USVI?

"John Ramsay" <jramsay@mergetel.com> wrote in message
news:43AF6C52.91B771F2@mergetel.com...
> insaprsr wrote:
>
>> Wife and I are looking for a quick Jan or Feb getaway, about 4 days for
>> about $1500, or a bit more, maybe.
>> Want to do a lot of warm water snorkeling, shelling and maybe some small
>> boat sailing.
>> Prefer it be a US territory or affiliated (guess besides Florida that
>> leaves
>> Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands--suppose Hawaii is out due to time
>> and
>> budget from here on US East Coast?).
>
> Our travel agent says there's good deals
> coming mid-January to St Thomas, USVI.
>
> I suggest you contact a travel agency
> in your area to verify.
>
> I hope you meant $1500- each. You really
> have to scramble for a winter vacation on
> your terms at $750- each.
>
>
>
>>
>> FWIW, we did Sandals Royal Bahamian a couple of years ago, and even
>> though
>> we were told by staff that you had to take a boat to go snorkeling (and
>> see
>> anything!), there was a pier right on the premises beneath which you
>> could
>> swim through thousands of silvery fish swirling in a column (delightful
>> and
>> peaceful!), and there was a barracuda hanging out at the end of the pier
>> that was neat to see! The rest of the resort was OK, I suppose, but I'd
>> just
>> prefer to be warm, enjoy the clear water, and not be in a foreign country
>> right now.
>> Taking a boat out to snorkel with other people is not what we prefer (we
>> are
>> busy exploring and enjoying and being a PITA to others who just can't
>> wait
>> to get back to dry land again). I suppose if we hired a boat and guide
>> just
>> for ourselves that would be best. Not that interested in nightlife
>> (though
>> we wouldn't have minded dancing, but the Royal Bahamian seemed back then
>> to
>> favor Karaoke, which is of no interest to us). Would prefer to have
>> someone
>> else do the cooking on our quick vacation, but might consider DIY if
>> everything else was perfect. Did I mention that shelling is
>> important--wife
>> loves that, and we normally do the Sanibel thing, but I'd like snorkeling
>> too. Thanks for reading this long post! Any suggestions?
>
>

Do you need a boat to see good things at John Pennekamp? Good Things to me
being lots of colorful fish--no particular kinds of must-see flora or fauna.
I'm specifically looking for good snorkeling where you don't need to be on
someone else's boat/schedule.

"Jeremy" <jeremy@dcnet2000.com> wrote in message
news:43AF3697.7BDE8659@dcnet2000.com...
>
>
> insaprsr wrote:
>>
>> Seems like the $1500 for 2 quick getaway idea is not practical. OK, I'll
>> double that, or a bit more, and maybe stay a day or two longer to make up
>> for the travel time. Doing lots of reading, seems like St John USVI will
>> have some pretty spectacular snorkeling. Would need a wetsuit for
>> Pennykamp
>> in January or February, wouldn't we?
>
> I have snorkeled and done free diving to 50 feet on Pennecamp in
> January, but all the other people on the boat seemed to get hypothermia
> with their wet suits and tanks. I spent more time on the bottom than
> most of them and the surprise to find me at that depth in speedos was
> something to witness. Got back on board after the last dive and found an
> extra shivering heap on board, a girl lost by her fiancee at 50 feet.
>
> Went out of Taverner Key dive shop, great rooms, good boat and
> knowledgeable Captain.
>
> JJ

"insaprsr" <cmxlusegrp@xemaps.com> wrote:

>Do you need a boat to see good things at John Pennekamp? Good Things to me
>being lots of colorful fish--no particular kinds of must-see flora or fauna.
>I'm specifically looking for good snorkeling where you don't need to be on
>someone else's boat/schedule.

You can't access the park except from a boat as I understand it.

If you are requiring that it be in the USA because of a passport
issue, you will have to have a passport or similar to go to the USVI
because of the proximity of the BVI and the many people who come in by
boat from various other countries and places. If that is not it, you
might consider the BVI for snorkeling from shore. Some of the resorts
there include self-drive boats so you would be on your own schedule.
You could even charter a boat with a crew for about $3K to drive you
around to various places to snorkel.
>
>"Jeremy" <jeremy@dcnet2000.com> wrote in message
>news:43AF3697.7BDE8659@dcnet2000.com...
>>
>> insaprsr wrote:
>>>
>>> Seems like the $1500 for 2 quick getaway idea is not practical. OK, I'll
>>> double that, or a bit more, and maybe stay a day or two longer to make up
>>> for the travel time. Doing lots of reading, seems like St John USVI will
>>> have some pretty spectacular snorkeling. Would need a wetsuit for
>>> Pennykamp
>>> in January or February, wouldn't we?
>>
>> I have snorkeled and done free diving to 50 feet on Pennecamp in
>> January, but all the other people on the boat seemed to get hypothermia
>> with their wet suits and tanks. I spent more time on the bottom than
>> most of them and the surprise to find me at that depth in speedos was
>> something to witness. Got back on board after the last dive and found an
>> extra shivering heap on board, a girl lost by her fiancee at 50 feet.
>>
>> Went out of Taverner Key dive shop, great rooms, good boat and
>> knowledgeable Captain.
>>
>> JJ
>

grandma Rosalie

In article <43B1F5D6.62ADE5FF@mergetel.com>, John Ramsay
<jramsay@mergetel.com> wrote:

>There is also beach snorkeling at Biscayne Park about
>1/2 - 1 hour drive north of Key Largo.
>
>
Any good snorkeling around mid-Keys, like Key Colony Beach or
Marathon??

--
"Distracting a politician from governing is like distracting a bear from eating your baby."
--PJ O'Rourke

kurtullmanm (Kurt Ullman) wrote:

>In article <43B1F5D6.62ADE5FF@mergetel.com>, John Ramsay
><jramsay@mergetel.com> wrote:
>
>>There is also beach snorkeling at Biscayne Park about
>>1/2 - 1 hour drive north of Key Largo.
>>
>>
> Any good snorkeling around mid-Keys, like Key Colony Beach or
>Marathon??

Sombrero Beach in Marathon is supposed to be good. Sombrero is one
of those unknown gems - it is free, and has outdoor showers and
bathrooms. But it was too cold for me to stay in long without a
wetsuit to check. On the internet somewhere there is a list of wrecks
to snorkel near Marathon.

There is some snorkeling off Pigeon Key but you have to be aware of
the current through there (considerable sometimes) and the boat
traffic through 7 mile bridge. You have to pay to take the train out
or even if you walk out along the bridge. There is snorkeling at Bahia
Honda State Park, but again, there is current.

Out at Sombrero Light there is good snorkeling but there is current
out there too and it isn't something you could swim to from the beach.
I think there is probably snorkeling around Indian Key and Lignumvitae
Key (both State Parks) but you probably have to get there by boat
because there's no land access.

There are canals around Fat Deer Key and Grassy Key and those areas
which can be kayaked or canoed and you might possibly be able to do
snorkeling there too.

grandma Rosalie

Canada most certainly has an official language, two in fact. The country is
officially bilingual with English and French as the chosen languages.



"Jeremy" <jeremy@dcnet2000.com> wrote in message
news:43B35E88.F89B70AC@dcnet2000.com...
>
>
> Jere Lull wrote:
>>
>> In article <43B1973D.61D13566@dcnet2000.com>,
>> Jeremy <jeremy@dcnet2000.com> wrote:
>>
>> > The only other option I would suggest is San Pedro, Belize where
>> > everyone speaks English (only New World country where English is the
>> > official language)
>>
>> Slight correction: The US, Bahamas, USVI, BVI, Antigua, Barbados and
>> Canada, at a quick glance, are part of the New World. ;-)
>>
>> Think you meant to say Central or South America.
>>
>
> Canada and the USA do not have English as the official language, and I
> meant on the continent. The US does not have an official language and in
> Canada the same applies while the french and the english fight it out.
>
> JJ