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Snorkeling in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

With pristine coral cays, protected bays and shallow reefs, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the Caribbean’s snorkeling hot spots. The Tobago Cays, a group of 5 small coral islands circled by a horseshoe-shaped coral reef, is by far the best snorkeling spots in the country, but there are dozens of other great spots to explore around the 32 islands composing the archipelago.

World Caribbean Islands Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island chain laying on the southern part of the Lesser Antilles arc, just south of Saint Lucia.

It is made up of a main island, Saint Vincent, and 31 smaller islands and cays, the largest among them being Bequia, Union Island, Canouan and Mayreau.

Snorkeling with sea turtles in the Tobago Cays — The Tobago Cays, especially Baradal Island, are one of the best spots in the Caribbean to swim with sea turtles

Excellent snorkeling spots can be found all over the islands. Mayreau and Canouan, fringed by coral reefs, are some of the best islands of the Grenadines for shore snorkeling.

It is also possible to snorkel from the beach in Union Island, particularly at Chatham Bay, where cushion sea stars abound.

If you stay in Bequia, don’t miss the short boat trip to Devil’s Table, a shallow reef full of sponges, sea fans, lobsters and tropical fish.

Snorkeling in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — (left) Blue tang at Chatham Bay (right) View of St Vincent island, at the northern end of the archipelago

However, if you are visiting the archipelago, you should not miss the trip to the Tobago Cays.

Home to protected reefs and sea turtles in huge numbers, these 5 picture-perfect, idyllic islands are the ultimate snorkeling destination in the Grenadines.

When to go snorkeling Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Snorkeling in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is great year-round, as it enjoys a tropical climate, tempered by trade winds.

The temperature stays fairly constant throughout the year, with an average temperature of 80°F/27°C.

A dry season, from January to May, can be distinguished from the wet season (May to November), with July experiencing the most rainfall.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Warm and humid

Warm and sunny

Where to spot them?

Discover on which snorkeling spots you are most likely to see your favorite species

Green sea turtle

Unmissable in the Tobago Cays

Great barracuda

Occasionally spotted on all spots, including the Tobago Cays

Atlantic blue tang

On all reef spots, sometimes seen in huge schools

French angelfish

Occasional sightings on all spots, especially juveniles

French grunt

On all reef spots

Caribbean cushion sea star

Common in Chatham Bay, occasional sightings throughout the islands

Stoplight parrotfish

On all reef spots

Smooth trunkfish

On all spots, including sandy and grassy areas

Best rated spots in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Tobago Cays

Marine reserve with seagrass meadows and sea turtles

Level:

Chatham Bay

Fringing reef with colorful fish and sea stars

Level: Free shore access Resort nearby

Wallilabou Bay

Cliffs and reef drop off with colorful fish

Level: Free shore access

Palm Island

Shallow lagoon with colorful fish

Level: Resort nearby

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