Snorkeling on the gulf coast?

[tdelano]

Has anyone done any snorkeling on the Gulf Coast? I'm planning a couple days off from Disney and would love for my kids to experience snorkeling. I saw Anclote Key, Caladesi Island, and Edmont Key listed as snorkeling locations, but haven't been able to locate any good information. Thanks!

 

[Steve P]

Egmont key (off St Petersburg, boat accessible) offers cool
spanish american war gun turrets at the south end of the island.
Also, Bradenton beach, there's a sunken barge within reach for
better swimmers, no boat required.

 

[tdelano]

Could you give me any more info. on the area? How long to drive from Orlando? Are the gun turrets you mention sunken? Are there equipment rentals somewhere? Could you reccomend a place to stay etc? I don't know anything at all about the area and would apprecitate any info at all. The last time we tried a beach trip combined with a Disney trip the beach part left a lot to be desired and I want this one to be good!! THANKS!

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

We loved our trip to Egmont Key while we were staying at St Pete Beach. We booked a trip - half a day - dolphin watching (and did we see loads of them ), and then you get taken to Egmont Key - what a beautiful place. You can explore the island and then we went snorkelling around these old ruins, like Steve P says.

Highly recommend it

We stayed at the Holiday Inn St Pete Beach, but the boat we got from Tierre Verde marina, just outside St Pete Beach. I think there's a few trips.

Another one (with the same company) we took the previous year was a half day yacht trip watching dolphins, coupled with 2 hour picnic stay on Shell Island - again from St Pete's. You could snorkel from here, as well and that was great. Only thing if it's a hot day there's not much shade . . . but then we spent most of our two hours ashore shelling in the water

It's no more than 2 hours max from Orlando, easy trip and well worth it. There are dozens of hotels on St Pete's beach, B&Bs to 2,3,4, & 5* hotels.

Shout if you need any more info - I'll look up name of boat co if you need