Snorkling on Castaway Cay?

[Scott AK]

I had a few questions about Castaway Cay that I was hoping to get some answers to. I was wondering how the snorkling was at the lagoon on Castaway Cay? Has anybody done the catamaran snorkling excursion at Castaway Cay, and was it worth the price? Was the snorkling just as good in the lagoon as it is on the catamaran excursion to the north side of the island? I am thinking of booking the catamaram snorkling excursion, but if I may skip it if the snorkling is just as good in the lagoon area.

Thanks for any information.
Scott

 

[Khazid]

On the only time I've been on Castaway Cay I snorkled in both the familiy lagoon and off of the adult beach (open to the ocean).

Both were good experiences, and off of the adult beach I got to see "Barry" the local baracuda that can be seen if you are lucky.

At the time we were on DCL (2000) I don't remember any excursions, but on our next trip I am going to book it. Considering the water conditions around the island, I think any choice you make will be enjoyable.

 

[CMcruiser]

I Love snorkeling on Castaway Cay. Check out the pictures in my blog, address is in my signature....I took lots of pictures on my last trip of the snorkeling lagoon.

Have a great cruise

 

[CrazyBoutDisney]

I did the catamaran snorkeling excursion at CC in October 2007. I had never snorkeled before in my life and thought it was positively awesome! Only disappointment was that most of the plant life and stuff on the floor of the reef was greenish yellow. The multitude of sea fans and brain coral was fascinating but I was sort of expecting more color--like reds and blues. Saw gorgeous little blue fishes and schools of yellow ones, at least. Best part was catching sight of a sting ray "buried" in the sand. I could actually see him breathing and moving slightly. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

I chose the catamaran excursion because I was told the snorkeling lagoon gets pretty cloudy from the sheer number of people in the water stirring up the sand.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

I had a few questions about Castaway Cay that I was hoping to get some answers to. I was wondering how the snorkling was at the lagoon on Castaway Cay? Has anybody done the catamaran snorkling excursion at Castaway Cay, and was it worth the price? Was the snorkling just as good in the lagoon as it is on the catamaran excursion to the north side of the island? I am thinking of booking the catamaram snorkling excursion, but if I may skip it if the snorkling is just as good in the lagoon area.

Thanks for any information.
Scott

If you are going to snorkel do it early as the water gets murky as the day goes on with all the people out there

 

[CanadianDisneyDad]

I just snorkled at the lagoon and though it was very nice. You do not see the rich colours you will see in Cozumel but Disney have provided som every nice "things" to see as you cruise about. I did not have an issue with vis as the water was cooler and not many people were swimming.

cheers

 

[scrapgirl3]

We also snorkeled in the lagoon and it was not cloudy- probably because as the last poster said, it was colder and not alot of people were snorkeling. We really enjoyed it. There isn't a reef but there are lots of fish, especially as you get further out.

 

[Tom _Ryan]

Here's the portion of my post, "Great Snorkeling on a Dime on the Disney Magic," that refers to snorkeling at Castaway Cay:


Castaway Cay

Your whole snorkeling life has led to this moment – the day you get to brave the fantastic waters of Disney’s private Bahamian island. Tom Hanks in the movie Castaway only wished he could have washed up on a beach like this. To me, this is truly paradise found.

Castaway Cay (pronounced “key”) is a small island in the chain of Bahamian islands called the Abocos. Located southeast of Freeport and Grand Bahama Island, Castaway Cay is little over three miles long by two miles wide, but is packed with adventure and tropical allure. Here you can get your picture taken with Captain Jack Sparrow. Here you can soar one-thousand feet high while parasailing. Here you can do absolutely nothing at all in a hammock of your choosing. Or, here you can enter the blue jeweled waters and have a snorkeling experience as fun as Walt Disney himself would have envisioned it.

The island is segmented into three separate beach areas: Serenity Bay Beach (for adults only), the appropriately-named Teen beach, and the Castaway Family Beach. There are also eateries and drinkeries (is that a word?) as well as a spa area, sports beach, gift shop, and post office.

1/16/09. The weather forecast called for cold wind and rain. Heck, it was January. What did we expect? We ate our breakfast at Lumiere’s and filed off the boat like lemmings. It was cold. Sweatshirt and jeans cold. This isn’t what we pictured. A cruise as good as this can’t end like this. It just can’t!

My wife and I, with family and new friends in tow, walked along the beach, cursing our luck for booking a cruise in January. A group of kids by the shore’s edge bravely ventured into the water. Optimists, we thought. Young, foolish, immune-to-cold-water optimists. But wait. What’s this? The sun? It was. It was the sun! We thought it had forsaken us! The cold morning gave way to a warm, sunny, beautiful day, and then it was us who looked foolish in our winter wear. I sprinted back to the ship for my bathing suit and dive bag...

The snorkeling lagoon offers 22-acres of underwater attractions, and is located just beyond the boating harbor and right before the family beach. If you don’t own your own equipment it can be rented at Gils’ Fins and Boats. You have to wear an unseemly, yellow, inflatable snorkel vest (which is provided for free at the entrance to the lagoon), but you don’t have to inflate it.

A quick note on skill levels: The snorkeling lagoon at Castaway Cay is an outstanding experience for the seasoned snorkeler, but also provides a terrific learning environment for beginners. The huge, protected lagoon is great for those who fear becoming lunch to some large, gilled monster, and the multitude of lifeguards on hand, even out in the lagoon, provide piece of mind if someone were to get into a little trouble.

...I entered the water without hesitation. Despite the heat on the beach, the water was still cold, only in the high sixties, which is akin to ice water, even in my wetsuit, and I momentarily considered running back to the shore screaming like a little girl. But wait, I thought, I waited ten years to snorkel here, and nothing less than Bruce the shark was going to stop me. I ventured on. Cold, but ever forward.

Once in the water, the underwater environs are simply amazing. Picture swimming in an immense aquarium designed by Disney imagineers. Actually, you don’t have to picture it, because that’s exactly what it is. The underwater features are clean – Disney clean, with nary a barnacle out of place. The themed areas (this is Disney after all) are not gaudy and are well spaced apart. In addition to schools of colorful fish, here you will encounter sunken treasure chests, a Mickey figurehead, broken ship masts, and discarded submarines from the defunct “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” ride. It’s easy to get caught up with the fantasy here. Sure, these are merely props scattered cleverly along the ocean floor. But for a moment, just for a moment, let the magic of Disney in. If you do, you certainly won’t regret it. That’s what I was doing when reality hit and I heard the seven tones of the ship’s big horns play “When You Wish Upon a Star” calling me back. I guess it has to end sometime. Bummer.

If you’re about to depart on your own Disney Cruise, I wish for you fair winds and calm water. Maybe someday we’ll see each other under the sea (I’m easy to spot: I’ll be the one sporting the Goofy Speedos).



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