Top 5 Snorkeling Spots in the Caribbean

Today we're talking about the top snorkeling spots in the Caribbean. Clear waters, beautiful fish, what could be better?

As I was driving the kitties back from their shots yesterday, my mind started wandering. Random thoughts. So totally random. Seriously, who has their mind making a list of all the places they've snorkeled while sitting at a stoplight on an April Monday morning in Idaho? And who starts putting  them in alphabetical order in their head? Well, me. (I didn't finish the ABC order. I wasn't at the stoplight that long.)

Bahamas
Belize
Grand Cayman
Grand Turk
Aruba
Bonaire
Cabo San Lucas
Cozumel
Costa Maya
Curacao
Dominica
Hawaii
Playa del Carmen
Roatan, Honduras
St. Thomas
St. Maarten

I've snorkeled most of the list several times over. Don't worry - my drive wasn't long enough where I was assigning tally marks of how many times I snorkeled in each place.

But I did assign a ranking.

1. Bonaire
You can snorkel from shore - the beach itself is made from coral so you'll definitely need water shoes - but the best snorkeling is somewhere else.

See that island out there? That's Klein Bonaire, an uninhabited island. No chairs, no toilets, no services. But there is a water taxi that can take you out there so you can snorkel from shore. Tours also take snorkelers out for drift snorkeling. The absolute best snorkeling in the Caribbean, hands down. (Check out Woodwind tours. The best!)

2. Roatan, Honduras

If you head to the West Bay you'll have easy access to the reef  right from the beach. There are even fellows in kayaks working for tips who will tow you out to the back side of the reef for even better snorkeling. Water clarity is amazing, coral is in pretty darn good shape, and fish are abundant.

3. Grand Cayman
There are a couple spots in Grand Cayman that are my favorite. If you've never snorkeled or swam with stingrays, this is the place. No, their barbs aren't removed. Head out to Stingray City on a boat or jet ski to see something like this.

Those dark blobs are the stingrays. They congregate at the sandbar and are fed by tour operators. You get up close and personal. And yes, you should go in the water with them.

Otherwise head to the Paradise Seaside Grill and snorkel right from the shore to the reef. It's within sight of the ship.

4. Bahamas
You can see the clarity from the shore.

 From the air.

 And from the water.

And the fish are pretty cool, too.

5. Belize

Belize has its own barrier reef. You'll need to take a boat to get out there, and the current can be a bit strong depending on the weather, but the clarity, fish, and coral are amazing.

Belize was my first snorkeling adventure - before I had an underwater camera. And the next Belize visit was after my underwater camera busted. So no pictures. But I'll be back again some day!

Easy to Sew Sleep Mask Project - Tutorial Tuesday

“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?” 
― Ernest Hemingway

I like my sleep. It's great in the winter when it's dark early but in the spring and summer? Not so easy to sleep late. Which is where my second sleep mask in a year comes into play. When I don't like something I have I just make another.

So a sleep mask is what we have as today's tutorial. And I get to sleep in because I'm wearing it. Score!

For this project you will need:

•  main fabric
• lining fabric, something soft like fleece or flannel
•  piece of batting
• 1 piece of elastic
• Iron
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting ruler
• Cutting mat
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread
• Template downloaded from pattern

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you sewing and crafting content.

The pattern is now available in my Etsy shop as a digital download with the written directions, step-by-step photos, and printable template. Click to get your copy today!

Looking for more travel ideas? Check out some of my other projects!

Check out the step-by-step how to tutorial and make your own homemade fabric sleep mask:

You can find the directions in a PDF here.

Sunday Sew-In

“I hate Sunday, and I don't think I'll ever get over it. But I'm going to try.” 
― Frank D. Gilroy, The Subject Was Roses

I used to hate Sunday. Sunday meant Monday, and Monday meant work. Now Sunday means I get to sew. And Monday means I get to sew some more. Or cut fabric. Or film a tutorial. Or write for upcoming books. In other words, not work.

Today's Sunday was filled with two projects. Actually, four. Two from an upcoming travel crafts book and two cute little black and white foster ones from Simply Cats.

Cutie patooties Cami and Sami.

Cruise Ports - Tendering

It's Cruise Ship Saturday! Today we're talking about tender ports.

“To reach a port we must set sail –
Sail, not tie at anchor
Sail, not drift.” 
― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Unless your ship is at a port that requires tendering.

In some ports the ship may not be able to dock at the pier. The channel may not be deep enough for the ship or the piers could be full with other ships. The ship instead anchors offshore. Passengers are then shuttled back and forth from ship to shore in tenders. The boats used to tender are typically the ship’s lifeboats and in some cases, local boats.

Lifeboats are quite safe and stable.

Tenders, being small boats on ocean waters, can bump and move. The crew does a great job in assisting passengers with entering and exiting the tender. Follow their instructions. The movement felt on the tender will be more than is felt on the ship. Tendering can be a challenge for people with physical difficulties as tenders require steps to enter and exit and are not wheelchair accessible. Passengers with collapsible wheelchairs and foldable walkers and scooters who can navigate steps may be able to access the tenders. Full sized mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs are usually not allowed.

Don't want to take a tender to shore? Stay onboard the ship. Some of the most peaceful and quiet times can be had when everyone else is off the ship. While onboard shops are closed the pools are open, the buffet is empty, and the decks are clear. It’s like having your own private yacht for the day.

A private yacht day.

Excerpt from Cruising with Confidence: How to be a First Time Cruiser without Looking like One, 2nd edition.