Snorkeling at Casuarina Point

Reef at Casuarina Point (15)Snorkeling is GREAT at Casuarina Point.  You can snorkel the shallow waters  and see some sea life – especially in the areas with a grassy bottom.  You might see small fish, crabs, sometimes a turtle, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, etc. – a variety of sea life.

The best snorkeling is out on the reefs in front.  Take the small boat and either leave a ‘captain’ in the boat, or anchor in the sand.  Someone would need to swim down and set the anchor in the sand.  Do not anchor on the reef – it can damage the reef!  While you are snorkeling check the boat often to be sure it is still securely anchored.

910633-R1-14-11AYou will find a hand drawn map in your package that I mail with the keys to give you an idea of where to look for the closest reef areas.On a sunny day, with sun overhead, it is easiest to spot the reefs from the surface.    Another good way to find the reefs is to notice where the waves are breaking at low tide.  There is a LARGE reef to the left of the first little island out front – and a little bit farther out than the island. DSCF0061 You can see waves breaking on it at low tide – and then you will know where to look when you go out in the boat.  There are LOTS of other reef areas, too – as you will see on the map, and you might discover some we don’t know about, too.   You will find some GPS coordinates on the hand drawn map, too – so if you have a hand held GPS – bring it.

This is a blue hole!
This is a blue hole!

My map and GPS coordinates include 3 of the blue holes we have in the Casuarina Point area.  They are fun to snorkel over, too.  They are labeled on a large aerial photo at our houses, and you can study the photo to know where to look for them, too – using the islands as landmarks to get your bearings on the water.

You can see the darker spot in the center in the picture on the right.  I wish I had a better picture – one on a day when the surface is glassy.  I also would love to add some underwater pictures of the blue holes.  If any one has some -please send them to me.

This is a good picture of a Lionfish on a spear.
This is a good picture of a Lionfish on a spear.

Before I continue with pictures of our reef, I want to be sure that everyone knows about Lionfish and how poisonous they are!  They have invaded our waters, so you MIGHT see one on the reef.  They are beautiful to look at – but DO NOT TOUCH!  It won’t kill you, but it is VERY PAINFUL!  This is a Lionfish.  They are not indigenous to the Bahamas or Caribbean, and some believe they were introduced to the waters when Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida.  They multiply rapidly and eat the small fish on the reefs.  There are efforts to eradicate it – with many Lionfish Derbies being held in the US and Bahamas.  If you see on – kill it if you can, but do not touch it without gloves.

For information about renting snorkeling gear in Abaco click on this link:  Where to Rent Snorkeling Gear

I do not have a very good underwater camera – as you can tell in these pictures, but I still want to show more (below) of the reefs at Casuarina Point. Reef at Casuarina Point (14)

Reef at Casuarina Point (13)

Reef at Casuarina Point (4)

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Snorkelers on the surface
Snorkelers on the surface

 

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