Small Hope Bay Lodge Snorkeling Report

June 2001 and March 2003 Rich playing in the divers' air bubbles, June 2001

Intro:

In general SHBL sends out a morning dive boat at 9:30. The first dive is deep-- 90 to 120 feet or more. The snorkelers can watch the divers far below and spot an occasional ocean-going fish-- perhaps a barracuda. Snorkelers can also cavort in the clouds of air bubbles that the divers send up. After 20-30 minutes the divers surface and we're off to a second shallow dive spot, also ideal for snorkelers. However, during our visit, snorkelers far outnumbered divers, so we had snorkeling-only boats for our other three days. This is a real plus, because novice divers often touch down on the sandy seafloor, thus spoiling the otherwise perfect visibility. Each stay is 60-90 minutes--plenty of time to lose oneself in the incredible beauty and variety of the reefs. All of the following sites are only 10-15 minutes by boat from the Lodge.

Love Hill Channel

remains among the loveliest of all the Andros snorkeling destinations, named for the village directly across from the site. Just a 10-15 minute boat ride to the north of the lodge, Love Hill delivers a great mixture of diverse corals as well as large stoplight parrotfish and huge numbers of juvenile grunts, sergeants major, and other little beauties. Patch reefs rise up 10-15 from a sandy bottom in which we spotted one small ray hiding. Adult angelfish, blue tangs, foureye butterfly fish, two small barracuda, a three-foot grouper, and much more greeted us in the reef's many nooks and crannies. An abundance of both intermediate and juvenile yellowtail damselfish, blennies, and bluehead hogfish grazed on many coral heads. Speaking of coral, Love Hill ahs a jumble of tubes, brain coral, small, delicate staghorn, elkhorn, and the only yellow pencil coral we saw on this trip. Further out from the reef, Maxine explored patch corals and found a filefish. We also delighted in seeing many queen triggerfish. Here one swims along sandy bottom, surrounded on two or three sides by huge elkhorn and other corals that rise up 15-20 feet from the bottom. Fish in profusion-- grunts, wrasses, an occasional needlefish, parrotfish, and some of the biggest triggerfish we've seen (18-24 inches). This is an incredible wonderland--our favorite site accessed from SHBL. In sum, when you visit DEMAND a trip to Love Hill, easily combined with our other favorites, Aquarium and End of the Reef (see 2001 trip report on the latter sites.) Parrot fish at Love Hill Channel

Trumpet Reef

might need to be renamed Grunt Reef. This small area of interesting corals likes south from the lodge. While a few trumpet fish do appear, this area, like most of the shallower reefs (less than 15 feet) has been turned into a yellow mass by huge numbers of grunts. A large school of blue tang often wanders across the reef as well. We had flat, very clear water to enjoy the fish and mostly hard corals.

Central Park

likewise has tons of grunts as well as a variety of fishes and corals. It is not a spectacular site, but it's only about 10 minutes out by boat, compact, and one can easily swim on both sides of the reef. With the past five years bleaching and some malady that wiped out the spiny sea urchins has degraded these shallow reefs.

China Point

lies to the south of Central Park, just inside the reef and north of Goat Cay. In a more politically incorrect time, someone observed that the site had as many fish as China had people, hence the name. This is among the shallowest snorkeling sites on the reef, where you operate in 5 to 10 feet of water. Thus watch any ocean swells so that you are thrust down onto the patch reefs. The site also features a great variety of hard and soft corals, in patches separated by a sandy bottom. You'll enjoy a rich mixture of elkhorn, staghorn, pencil, brain, and soft corals. Here you'll find a great range of fish, with many big-eyed squirrel fish, a variety of tangs, damselfish, parrotfish, banded butterfly fish, blue and gray angelfish, grunts, and much more in both juvenile and intermediate varieties. However JD and I scored several wonderful sightings: a pair of graceful queen triggerfish, one some 20 inches long, a pair of small squid, and a huge three-foot porcupinefish (the maximum size), lurking in a coral cavern. Visibility remained good, despite the shallow depth and prevalence of sand.

Red Shoals

lies another 15 minutes further south, between platforms (towers) constructed by the Navy. It is very compact, taking only 5-10 minutes to swim around, but it certainly earns its name, with a rich variety of red corals, from bright to rust to purplish. Again, grunts predominate, but we also saw plenty of wrasses, sergeants major, parrotfish, and a large school of silvery fish with red-tipped tails. This nursery reef lies at the mouth of Fresh Creek lying to the west, so it is loaded with juveniles. After enjoying this small reef, swim back to the north where you'll find a great variety of soft corals spread over the sandy bottom, where turtle grass thickens as you glide inland.
Maxine, JD, and Rich at Small Hope Bay March 2003

The Ledges

between Trumpet Reef and Red Shoals, just south of Goat Cay. At first glance, this looks grim for snorkeling, because the water is 15-30 feet deep. However, on closer inspection, the Ledges offers excellent free diving. Hovering well above the flat, layered corals, one soon spots a wondrous variety of brilliantly colored fishes. We enjoyed watching a pair of very large French Angelfish. Maxine and Rich both spotted barracuda. Rich spotted a four-foot fish, perhaps a grouper, lurking in a crevasse below. One can free dive down 15 feet or so and snap closeup pictures of these beautiful fish. Rays are sometimes spotted lying in the sandy bottoms that surround the Ledges. We did get lots of stings from plentiful upside-down jellyfish. Spray vinegar (available on the dive boat) to lessen the sting. Apply topical “sting kill” medication later if the stinging persists. A small price to pay for a visit to underwater paradise.
  • I am more impressed with the snorkeling sites to the north of Small Hope Bay—End of the Reef and Aquarium in particular. However, all of these sites are engaging. Regrettably, this reef, like its cousins worldwide, shows signs of stress, storm damage, degradation, and a decreased number and variety of fishes. Nature and humanity seem to be conspiring to injure some of the most entrancing sights in the world.
  • We haven't exhausted all snorkeling sites from Small Hope Bay Lodge. Remaining are The Islands, Peter's Paradise, and, I'm confident, more great spots waiting for discovering and naming. Don't forget to enjoy snorkeling from the dock, around the solarium, and from the beach. You'll find small patch corals, a variety of fish (including an occasional visit from a large 5 foot-wide sting ray, lobsters, and large (12-18 inches across) cushion sea stars (starfish) in a kaleidoscope of colors. The lodge library has extensive reef reference books, but to add to your fun, purchase a plastic reef life identification card and Snorkeling Guide to Marine Life: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach. You can use these inexpensive, handy guides on trips throughout the Caribbean.