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Snorkeling and seeing underwater friends were the primary goals of our Turks and Caicos Islands trip. Our Turks and Caicos snorkeling experiences were some of the best we’ve ever had! We’ll focus on Providenciales (Provo), tell you about our experiences, give some advice based on our trip, and detail the best snorkeling in Turks and Caicos that we found. We want to help you have as amazing of a time snorkeling in Turks and Caicos as we did!
In a rush to book a snorkeling tour? See snorkeling tours to suit all styles. Here’s a popular itinerary. We loved Big Blue Collective’s full-day Edge of the Banks (view on Viator)!
Want to capture your snorkeling adventures? Read about our snorkeling camera setup using an Akaso Brave 4 action camera. Don’t forget your snorkeling sun protection clothing for your trip.
Turks and Caicos snorkeling
The Turks and Caicos Islands are on top of an underwater plateau rising high above the ocean floor (8000 ft-11,000 ft or 2400 m-3300 m depending on sources). An active, vibrant barrier reef shelters the islands. It is the 3rd largest in the world. Coupled with local shipwrecks, this makes Turks and Caicos snorkeling and diving some of the best in the world!
The health and size of the coral reefs were amazing with large fields of fan corals, elkhorn coral, pitcher coral, and more! The steep drop-off of the plateau provides great wall diving opportunities and stunning views while snorkeling. Our trip with Big Blue Collective let us snorkel where the underwater plateau sharply dropped off thousands of feet (hundreds of meters). Swimming over that line into what seemed like the great abyss was awe-inspiring!
Life teemed seemingly everywhere we looked with turtles, brown and spotted eagle rays, parrot fish, jacks, grouper, puffer fish, and so many more! We think snorkeling is one of the best things to do in the Turks and Caicos. Let’s find out why and how to do it.
What Turks and Caicos snorkeling options are available?
There are abundant opportunities for both shore snorkeling and snorkeling tours in the TCI. Each option offers its own advantages. Let’s break down shore snorkeling vs. boat tours available in Provo and why you might choose one or the other.
Turks and Caicos snorkeling tours
Benefits Boat tours allow you to access a huge variety of locations, provide gear, have experts on hand to help and advise, and often include food and other attractions.
Drawbacks Boat tours can be costly. You’ll be going out with a group having some possible strangers. The group dynamics can impact your enjoyment.
Many operators provide Turks and Caicos snorkeling tours to suit all styles. A popular itinerary we saw when researching is a half-day trip including 1-2 snorkeling stops, a stop at Little Water Cay (Iguana Island), and lunch of either bbq or fresh conch harvested by a freediver from the boat.
We wanted to focus on snorkeling so we chose to go with Big Blue Collective’s full-day Edge of the Banks (view on Viator) excursion to maximize our time in the water. It turns out they feed you and provide rum punch too! We got to see stunning sea fan beds swaying in the waves, large elkhorn corals, fish galore (including a shy but ever-curious puffer fish), turtles, southern brown rays, and more. More on that below.
Many of the providers we researched offer van pickups from major hotels and resorts. Check with them if you’d like such a service. They also nearly always provide snorkeling gear for use as well. We chose to bring our own masks and snorkels as we know they fit and function well. Don’t forget to bring your clothing for snorkeling UV protection, a hat, sunglasses, and a towel.
Resources The site Visit Turks and Caicos Islands has a rundown of many tour operators for snorkeling Turks and Caicos. We also found great information searching TripAdvisor.
Turks and Caicos shore snorkeling
Benefits Shore snorkeling allows you to be fully in charge of your day. You can choose the location, timing, duration, etc. No need to pay for a boat.
Drawbacks You’re on your own to plan the day, take precautions, acquire gear, and bring supplies like food and water. You’ll be limited to locations you can access from land or via a swim.
Great Providenciales snorkeling options are available from the shore including
We were so enamored with Smith’s Reef that we never made it to Bight Reef, though it is very accessible and well-regarded. These reefs are close to shore and can be accessed without boats. They are a little ways from Grace Bay where most visitors stay. We chose to stay in Turtle Cove so we could walk to these areas.
Resources The Visit Turks and Caicos Islands site delivers again for shore snorkeling info.
The Bight Reef (Coral Gardens) snorkeling
The Bight Reef (a.k.a. Coral Gardens) is a shore reef. The Bight Reef Providenciales snorkeling area is midway between Turtle Cove to the west and Grace Bay to the east making access fairly convenient for most visitors to Provo. See our TCI Google map to locate The Bight Reef in the snorkeling layer.
According to the Visit Turks and Caicos page, Coral Gardens Turks and Caicos is the most popular snorkeling spot in the TCI! Coral Gardens snorkeling is found right off of the shore, making this a great area to try out snorkeling and see what is on offer! There are vendors in the area who rent equipment and access is easy with parking nearby.
We’ll refer you to the link above for all of the details about Coral Gardens on Grace Bay! From what we read on visittci.com and other reviews, this is a solid area for snorkeling. The convenience is hard to beat as well.
Smith’s Reef snorkeling
Smith’s Reef Turks and Caicos is another shore reef in Providenciales located west of The Bight Reef in Turtle Cove. Access is reasonable, though beach access points are slightly less obvious than at Coral Gardens. See our map to locate Smith’s Reef in Providenciales.
The Smith’s Reef snorkeling area is larger than the Coral Gardens snorkeling area. It is comprised of 1 major reef area out on a point between the west and central beach access, multiple smaller shoal reef areas to the east of that main area, and a small reef close to the shore to the far east. Check out this map on visttci.com for a great depiction of the area.
Smith’s Reef was the best snorkeling in Providenciales from the shore that we did. It was simply the best shore snorkeling we’ve ever experienced! On multiple occasions, Amie described Smith’s Reef as “an embarrassment of riches” and I completely agree! The fact that we saw turtles, spotted eagle rays, brown rays, jacks, grouper, a reef shark, and lovely corals so close to shore is still amazing!
How to access Smith’s Reef
We stayed close to Smith’s Reef and followed a map from Visit Turks and Caicos Islands to guide our trip. There are 3 beach access points: west, central, and east. We tried all 3 and made some mistakes so you don’t have to. The west access point is our recommendation for Smith’s Reef. That location is easy to find and was the shortest walk on the beach to get to the main reef. It also provides some parking. Our TCI Google map shows all of these areas in the Snorkeling layer. Here’s a simplified Turtle Cove map. The Smith’s Reef snorkeling area is in the middle offshore from the point.
Note When you enter via the west access area, you’ll see a large sign for Smith’s Reef. That’s not where the snorkeling is! We made this mistake and started swimming right there. That area doesn’t have much to see and can pose risks with boat traffic. A nice man in a tour boat stopped and told us where to go. Don’t be like us! Enter at the west entrance and walk east (to your right) along the beach until you reach the point shown on the map. You’ll likely see other snorkelers. In March 2023 the section of the reef closest to shore was protected by large red buoys.
Other access points
You can also enter via the central and east access points. Those provide closer access to the 3 shoal reef sections shown on the visittci.com map. The central access can be hard to spot. You’ll walk east along the large beautiful residences of Coconut Road until you hit a cul-de-sac. At that point, look for hedges on your left. Just past the hedges, you’ll see a gravel/sand walkway that looks like it could be a private path. A few feet down the path, you’ll see a tiny “Beach Access” sign hanging in the bushes telling you that you’ve got the right place. There are maybe 1-2 parking spots at this point. If you’re driving, I’d recommend the west access.
Snorkeling at the main area of Smith’s Reef
OK, so you’ve read our tips on how to get to the reef and aren’t swimming near the boat lane like we did, right? Congrats, you’re doing better than us on our first visit! We hope you have an experience like we did! This area of the beach is somewhat rocky so you’ll need to find a good entry/exit path. Near the point is a smaller sign. Near there, you’ll see a break in the rocks which is a great option. If you choose elsewhere, take care with rocks and waves. Water shoes, booties, etc. are a good thing to consider for shore snorkeling.
The reef here is split into 2 areas: one closer to shore and one further away. They are separated by a 100 ft (30 m) wide and 18 ft (5.5 m) deep channel. We’d recommend exploring both reef areas and the channel as they provide a variety of sights.
When we visited, one of the closer reef areas was surrounded by buoys to help protect it from traffic. That makes the area very easy to identify! The buoys don’t obstruct your view and the ropes give you a place to hang on in the case of currents.
The swim out to the reef area
Each of the 3 times we visited, we were greeted by a few sea turtles on our swim out to the reef! So pay attention on your way out! The swim out to the reef area is pretty short and mostly covers a sandy area with some sea grass. The water felt lovely!
Snorkeling in the inner reef area
Once you arrive at the inner reef area, take care as some parts are quite shallow. We circled this area multiple times to see who was around. You’ll see many vibrant smaller corals in the area along with some beautiful rocks. In this area, we came across multiple sea turtles, smaller brightly colored fish, and a few smaller rays. The topography of the coral here is stunning! Next, make your way around to the far side where you’ll find the channel. This area of the reef and the channel itself are great places to see larger life!
Snorkeling in the channel
The channel is 100 ft (30 m) wide and 18 ft (5.5 m) deep with a sandy bottom. It is where you’ll have the best chance of seeing larger ocean friends! We always saw turtles in the channel. Every visit brought some rays including southern brown rays and spotted eagle rays swimming through! We also saw a few rays on the floor of the channel who had covered themselves with sand for a little rest. The channel was also home to multiple schools of yellow-tailed jacks and we got to see a passing reef shark. Riches indeed.
Snorkeling in the outer reef area
Swimming across the channel will lead you to the outer reef area. I thought that this area had even more impressive corals with sea fans, elkhorn, and others I don’t know the names of. The corals were the stars for me out here and are not to be missed! This is also a larger area to explore giving you more time to enjoy! I saw a larger grouper, some parrotfish, and multiple more schools of jacks that pivoted as one to watch me pass.
Spotted eagle rays
Our pinnacle experience snorkeling at Smith’s Reef was swimming with spotted eagle rays. We saw 3-4 during our time out. They are majestically beautiful swimmers who glide through the water. The patterns on their backs are nothing short of stunning! On our second day out, a pair swam by when we were hanging out on the channel side of the inner reef. As they passed below us, we saw them angle their heads to have a closer look at us. They then circled back around to pass us again! For the next 10-15 minutes we took turns swimming around the reef area with each other. They seemed as curious as we were. Swimming with these creatures was a truly magical experience and one of the reasons we won’t stop gushing about Smith’s Reef!
Snorkeling in the shoal reef and smaller reefs
The other shoal reefs and a smaller reef are off to the east. We spent a morning exploring these areas. From the shore, you can spot the reefs to target your snorkeling. Look for dark patches of seagrass broken up by lighter sandy areas. You’ll see a third color/pattern that marks the reef areas. These are definitely worth a look as there were some other critters here like larger grouper and sea cucumbers that we didn’t see in the main area. The easternmost reef is also extremely close to shore and a great option for newer snorkelers.
The current and other tips
The main reef area of Smith’s Reef is right on a point which can mean that currents build up. When you arrive, there will likely be a few others on the beach or out snorkeling. Ask them how the current is on that day to plan your outing. Every time we went there was a significant west-to-east current. It was possible to overcome the current with fins, but Amie was stuck trying to swim against it a few times without fins. I highly recommend bringing your fins!
Start upcurrent and plan to be pulled with the direction of the current somewhat. I was able to stay stationary using my fins with manageable effort. The ropes on the buoys also provide a great place to hold on while watching the inner reef and the channel.
Lastly, note again that there’s a boat channel coming from the marina near the west parking area and sweeping out beyond the outer edge of Smith’s Reef. Watch a few boats go by and you’ll have a sense of the path they take. Take care to avoid their path.
Turks and Caicos snorkeling tour with Big Blue Collective
We decided to go with the full-day Edge of the Banks trip with Big Blue Collective for our Turks and Caicos snorkeling tour because it was a full-day excursion prioritizing snorkeling and exploring in the water.
The day started with us being picked up by their van driver who was on time and friendly. We circled around gathering up others and arrived at their location in Leeward Settlement. Their shop is great with many products in case you need sunscreen or a rash guard for sun protection. We hung out with the others in our group as the boat was readied and then headed down to the dock to meet the captain and crew and get fitted for fins. Big Blue Collective provides high-quality Cressi full-foot fins which were wonderful.
After that, we ditched our shoes, boarded, and stashed our belongings below deck where there was ample stowage. The boat was a little on the older side and a bit loud below deck but was otherwise very comfortable. Above deck, many comfy areas were set up with fenders for cushions and backrests to enjoy the stunning views.
The barrier reef at Grace Bay
Our first stop was at the barrier reef right in Grace Bay. When you stand on the shore and look out, you’ll see waves breaking in the distance. That’s the barrier reef! Here we saw a large variety of beautiful corals. It was some of the healthiest I’ve ever seen. We got to swim around an expansive area and saw some other ocean friends like grouper, jacks, parrot fish, and the common plethora of smaller fish. This was a beautiful start to the day. We then boarded the boat and headed out for our second stop.
Humpback whales
As we mentioned in our main TCI post Turks and Caicos whale watching season is from January through March depending on who you ask. The whales come to the warmer waters to breed, give birth, and raise their young. We didn’t intentionally go whale watching in Turks and Caicos. But while in transit one of the crewmembers spotted a water spout so we stopped and looked around. It was a mother and her calf! We got to spend some time in the boat watching them surface multiple times! Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to get in the water with them as some few lucky trips do. It was still an awesome surprise for the day!
Sea fans galore and a shy puffer fish
Our second stop brought us to a deeper area whose name I unfortunately forget. For me, the star of the show here was the huge sea fan bed. Imagine sea fans like a forest spreading in front of you all swaying in the waves. It was gorgeous and mesmerizing! The fact that we had some chop on the water only served to make the scene more beautiful.
Amie’s delight in this area was a puffer fish who was trying her best to hide and still peek out at us. The waves kept washing her out of her hidey hole. Every time she’d scurry back in a frenzy to go hide again after being washed out. It was adorable to watch!
We saw a lobster and some of the usual suspects here. It was a great time. There were large, beautiful coral formations and the topography of the area was beautiful.
West Caicos: The wall and gorgeous rock formations
We arrived in West Caicos after a long boat ride to the uninhabited area. The island has gorgeous cliffs and rock formations where cliff jumping is popular. We anchored and lunch was prepped while we had time to snorkel around the beautiful cliffs and through gaps between the cliffs and other rocks. After a great lunch, it was time to head to our last destination off of West Caicos at a site with one of the dramatic walls the TCI are known for!
We moored in water that was about 45 ft (14 m) deep and extremely clear. A bunch of jacks immediately settled under the boat. Here one can often see bigger ocean friends and we saw some huge pitcher-shaped corals and a couple of rays! The water was deep enough for practicing free diving as well.
However, the star for me was the wall area where the underwater plateau supporting the islands has a sheer drop of thousands of feet (hundreds of meters). You can swim across the line where the wall drops and completely lose sight of the ocean floor. It was awe-inspiring to see the vastness and swim into it! I swam across that line several times and was transfixed looking into the deep blue beyond.
The ride home
The ride home took us around the southern part of Provo and back to the shop at Leeward Settlement. We saw many less-inhabited areas of the island with stunning views.
Other information
We really enjoyed our day out! The lush corals, wonderful sea fans, our puffer friend, the whales, rays, and the wall made for a fun-packed day! We also spent several hours in the water just as we wished.
Big Blue Collective kept us very well-fed throughout the day. Snacks or a meal were provided after every snorkel stop including grapes, veggies with hummus, and lunch of a sandwich, jerk pasta salad, and chips. They also had fresh drinking water and rum punch for the adults. Big Blue Collective appeared to be genuinely concerned for the ecosystem in the area and ensured that we had reef-safe sunscreen and respected the environments we entered to preserve them for the future.
A few tips based on our experience:
- You’ll be out all day. Make sure to bring good clothing for snorkeling sun protection as well as reef-safe sunscreen.
- Make sure to also have sun protection for the boat like a hat, sunglasses, and something to cover your legs and feet. Staying below deck works for avoiding the sun but it’s loud and you miss the views.
- Bring towels and any of your own personal snorkeling gear you’d like to use. They also had all gear available. The fins were fantastic.
- Don’t forget about the van service if you need that.
Ready to book your snorkeling tour?!
Sites like Viator and TripAdvisor can be a great place to find Turks and Caicos snorkeling tours. Check to see if you’ll save money booking directly with the operator. However, a direct booking sometimes has less flexible cancellation policies, etc. Rakuten sometimes also has rebates on sites like Viator.
Note Viator also has a lowest price guarantee to get flexibility with the lower rate.
Wrapping up
Now you know why snorkeling was our favorite of the Turks and Caicos activities! It’s one of the things that I would say is a must-do for anyone who is an ocean lover or lover of the water. The best snorkeling in Turks and Caicos was at Smith’s Reef for us. What do you think? Will you be snorkeling in Turks and Caicos on your trip? Have you already? Tell us about it below!
Want to capture your snorkeling adventures? Read about our snorkeling camera setup using an Akaso Brave 4 action camera. Don’t forget your snorkeling sun protection clothing for your trip.
Disclaimer: I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you make purchases via links on this site. Thanks for supporting me in creating content like this! See the privacy policy.
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