# Negril.com Message Board Forums > Negril Message Board >  Lion-fish, Tiger-sharks, and dolphins...oh my!   Snorkeling stories please....

## gailco

What's the coolest / strangest thing you ever saw snorkeling / diving in Negril???


Will be on Bloody Bay next week - really looking forward to some snorkeling.

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## Craig123

One time I went snorkling at Xtabi. I never saw any sharks..no dolphins....no lion fish (God I suck at this). That's my boring snorkling story.  :Frown:

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## gerryg123

I've snorkeled quite a bit in Negril. Stingrays are usually the most exotic, but there are schools of fish, starfish, eels, nice coral, octopus, puffers, ocassional lobsters .... There are a bunch of good little shallow spots they take you to, all a close boat ride ....

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## Craig123

Seriousli I also went out with Famous Vincent one morning. The experience shouldn't be missed. He's an awsome guide.

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## gailco

I'll remember that name...you never know.   The best trips are always with a local guide.

The reason I posted this is because I have been reading reviews of folks spotting dolphins, sharks etc while snorkeling, and allthough it's been five (long) years since I've been to Negril, I snorkeled almost daily in various places and didn't see one dolphin or shark.  It would be cool, however, I won't be disappointed - I'm happy to just be in the sea!   :Smile: 

Thanks guys!

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## gerryg123

Sometimes (rarely, actually) you see Dolphins on the horizon, swimming along, but not usually when snorkeling. There's a shark sighting very rare, maybe once a year.

But compared with most of the easy spots like Cancun, Hawaii, Cabo, Bahamas, I think Negril is right there with most of them. It's very lively ....

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## gailco

Possibly the reviewers failed to mention they were at the Dolphin Park lol.  In fact they stated they walked in to snorkel from the shores in front of Breezes Grand.  Brownies for Breakfast?  :Smile:

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## robcurry

i was snorkeling in a small mountain stream near savanna la mar when i spotted somthing floating with the current in this beautiful mountain stream, i grabbed  it and realized it was a condom, gross, soon come

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## Rum-polephoreskin

I've seen dolphins on the horizon but never while snorkeling.
I tried to swim out to them once.
I got about half way and then I let my imagination take over.
What does Hemingway say about cowardice?
"It's the product of a fertile imagination."

The absolute best and easiest snorkeling I've done is over the very shallow, very rich reef beyond the old Negril Yacht Club.
Four or five feet of water and fantastic diversity.
Lots of very showy eels.
That was in '98 -don't know if that reef is still intact.

To check it out enter the beach by the German Bar/Canoe and head N-NW.
It can't be more than a few hundred yards out.

Good luck!

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## Clarity

I'm a newbie snorkeler. I saw a lot of different fish but these are the sightings that thrilled me the most on our last trip: 
We saw a green murray eel when we snorkeled at Catcha Falling Star. It was on the bottom of the ocean floor and it kept sticking it's head out of the coral to look around. I was absolutely captivated. 
We also saw a Lesser Electric Ray. It was swimming along the ocean floor in front of Banana Shout. 
These were both new experiences for me. This is was my first time seeing an electric Ray or a Murray eel outside of an aquarium. 

I'm hoping next time we can go out with the Famous Vincent and see more.
I think we'll also check out the reef beyond the old Negril Yaught club to see if that reef you described is still intact. That sounds very cool!

Didn't see any sharks or dolphins though....

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## Mr. Twister

On my first trip to Negril, while snorkeling off the cliffs of Blue Cave Castle, I found a real gold chain with a gold Egyptian anch pendant on it at about 30 feet deep. I had fun trying to get it...lol.....but I did. My wife wears it regularly.

I've seen some awesome things scuba diving in Negril.  I've scuba dive after several tropical storms and hurricanes and found lots of hotel stuff out to sea. Billiard balls, ceramic tiles, silver cups.......and lots of trash that I picked up. On a night dive I saw TWO sea horses. The divemaster, Armin, said he had waited 10 years to see a seahorse on a night dive and we saw TWO! You wont see them during the day. I've seen monster lobsters, octopus, turtles, eals, etc. Nothing really that I havent seen elsewhere.......other than the seahorse. That was the only time I've ever seen a sea horse.

I'll post some cool photos later  :-)

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## gailco

cool!  I heard about a night snorkel - I think I will check that out  :Smile:

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## Rum-polephoreskin

Once I had the opportunity to snorkel with local fisherman near Chetamal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
They were meat fishing with spear guns off the Belize reef.
The tides were horrendous and the fishermen hung their kills off ther belt loops.
The day before a tiger shark had been seen in the area we were covering.
Scary.
 I was doing a story though so I stuck with it - in spite of my fears.

Point is the only thing the Belize reef had that Negril doesn't have is purple finger coral.
If the reef behind the Negril Yacht Club reef is intact it's every bit as good as the section of Belize reef I saw.

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## Crusher

Snorkeling in Ocho Rios!  :Smile:

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## Marblehead

I was snokeling with my wife at Secret Paradise (closed, expansion stalled years ago) on the far westend.  My wife got tired and went back to our cottage.  I had a disposable Kodak camera for taking underwayer shots on my wrist so I continued to explore and as I went further from shore the fish got bigger and bigger.  I was really enjoying myself when I spotted something in my right periferal vision.  I swung my head and saw a 2 meter long Barracuda.  I took one look at the mouth full of teeth, gasped, sucked in a bunch of sea water, retched, sputtered and started swimming hard on my back.  I wanted to keep and eye on that sucker, but of course, with me head out of the water that was hard to do.

I got back to shore and laughed at myself for panicing and failing to get a photo of my swimming companion.  I looked up Barracuda in my Peterson's Field guide and learned that it wasn't uncommon to have the same experience, but not to worry because I was too big to trigger its attack response . . . unless I had something bright and shiny on me.  Like my golves or the bright yellow Kodak hanging off my wrist?!

My friend Junior later told me that, "If you don't trouble him, he don't trouble you.  But if you trouble him, he gonna trouble you."  He also said that Barracuda was the sweetest fish in the sea.  I pointed out that as a top of the pyramid predator that Barracuda aslo tended to accumulate toxins and could be poisonous and cause ciguatera.  He said they put the fish on an ant hill and "dem lick it, it OK to eat."  That's pretty much nonsense because we don't have much in commen with ant digestion and physiology.  The same goes for other poisonous things we might eat.  Birds love Poison Ivy berries for instance, but that doesn't mean we can eat them.  Anyway, years later my friends caught a large barracuda and had Wen cook it up.  It was a lovely meal at his home just beyond Out Of Town Pastry.  Towards the end of the meal somthing caused a tingling sensation in my mouth.  I started to panic a bit, but was apparently the only one experiencing it.  Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that Barracuda isn't out to get you!  --Marblehead

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## Fred Stripe

*I was snorkeling in St John,Trunk Bay by a reef....I see something in the reef hole,I look closer,closer....Then this octupus comes out of the little hole.....Scary....
I dont know what hotel your at on Bloody Bay but you can snorkel from the beach at either the far left end off Breezes(walk to the end of the beach and swim to the left by the nude beach,dont let them stop you,or go to the farthest right end at Negril Club and snorkel out and to the right...... *

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## negrilaholic

I have seen dolphin off the cliffs of Negril off in the distance at places like Sunset on the Cliffs, but the closest I saw dolphin was during a Talk of the Town Tours "dolphin search" tour and we left from Treasure Beach on an outboard motor boat with Captain Dennis and went to Pelican Bar, and we saw a good six or seven dolphins, all pretty close up to the boat, and some were jumping and playing alongside it..I was sooo tempted to jump in and try to swim with them, but didn't, lol..and then on my last trip last November I went on a snorkeling trip with Famous Vincent and it was amazing and I even got to see a manta ray, and that sucker was HUGE..here is some pics from that including the Manta pic, which doesn't do it justice, see for yourself:



a few more pics from that trip:



here's one of a stingray:



and a sea cucumber:

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## Mr. Twister

> Point is the only thing the Belize reef had that Negril doesn't have is purple finger coral.
> If the reef behind the Negril Yacht Club reef is intact it's every bit as good as the section of Belize reef I saw.


Where did you do in Belize? I am surprised at this statement as Belize has some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. The second largest barrier reef in the world. I did my Advanced Dive training there and from my experience....Negril's reefs are not even in the same league as anything in Belize. Nothing against Negril being as if I didnt enjoy Negril I wouldnt go.....but I certainly dont go for the quality scuba diving. Negrils reef have been in rough shape for years and in recovery mode. I've seen some improvement over the years but there is a long way to go.

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## cassidygirl

We used to to stay at Catcha before Ivan and kids.  Dolphins used to swim by almost every day.  One day a school came by so I grabbed a mask and jumped in.  I swam out to where I thought they were, but didn't see anything.  People on the cliff were yelling at me that they were right behind me.  I looked under the water and I could see three of them swimming and one came right at me full speed!  I had the sudden realization that these are huge, wild animals and Holy S---, what am I doing?  The next thing I knew,  he swam under me and disappeared. Then two more swam around me, just kind of checking me out.  I began to relax and just take in the moment, knowing full well that this would never happen again.  The next thing I knew a guy swam up next to me and they were gone.  It was a once in a life time moment for sure.

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## negrilaholic

That is so cool, Cassidygirl! that is indeed a once in a lifetime experience.

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## gailco

awesome stories and pics everyone!!  Thank you!

Last year we were snorkelling in Mo-Bay and my new underwater camera broke 10 minutes in... I have a new one this year, hopefully it holds up.  That trip we saw a gorgeous spotted ray and I'm sort of glad I had no camera, I would have been messing with the camera too much to enjoy watching it.

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## SouthernRust

Make sure you take a trip out to the reef. It is an experience of a lifetime! You feel like you are in a scene from Finding Nemo! Our guide told us that the fish are so friendly that they will even eat bread from your hand! If you are near Coco La Palm, look for Rhondal....he will take good care of you!

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## Lido

There are so many cool things you see snorkeling. Some of which you'll see even before getting in the water!
This ray was taken off the shore of BGN in May 2011.

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## Lido

Same place, different day. 
Baby shark!

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## Rum-polephoreskin

Mr. Twister, 
A. I was in Mexico in '03 - Xcalak to be specific, not Belize.
B. I was Snorkeling - not scuba diving
C. I was talking specifically about the reef behind the Negril Yacht Club and I was talking about 1998.  Is that reef still in that condition?  - I don't  know, there has been at least one major hurricaine batter Negril since '98.  But if that shallow water reef is still intact it is amazingly diverse and swarming with life - more per square foot than the section of the Belize reef I saw near Xcalak.

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## Mr. Twister

I see....lol. Sorry...I misread your post  :Smile:  

The storms did damage the reefs but thanks to an active effort in the Negril community its being protected and gets better every year. It seems as the reefs were damaged lot of marine life left but I've seen a lot return in recent years. The Negril Coral Reef Preservation Society was helpful with this but I am not sure if they are still around. Maybe someone else can clarify as their website is no longer functional.

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## Fred Stripe

This is was my first time seeing an electric Ray or a Murray eel outside of an aquarium. ???????? I guess it was a Jewish eel Clarity?

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## Mr. Twister

I posted these in the lionfish thread but figured I'd put them here too  :Smile: 

Here are some various underwater photos I have taken in Negril. Dont worry about the shark.....he's from Belize  :EEK!: 

I have more photos uploaded on my negril.com profile for those curious....

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## gerryg123

While snorkeling in Cancun a while back, I got 'inked' by an Octopus I was messin with .... That was good stuff.

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## gailco

> There are so many cool things you see snorkeling. Some of which you'll see even before getting in the water!
> This ray was taken off the shore of BGN in May 2011.


Lido, amazing pic!  We will be at BGN next week!!

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