West End Bay Snorkeling

Northwest of Freeport on Grand Bahama Island, the snorkeling at West End Bay offers sand flats with plenty of small reef fish to observe. While the West End had been known for numerous underwater snorkel trails in the past, current reports indicate that the West End snorkel trails are not longer maintained by the local resort. The snorkel trails were known to be accessible from the beach and pass through healthy coral formations and wrecks.

Beyond those snorkel trails, another good local snorkel site is Memory Rock. There you can explore the star coral, but it should only be attempted when the wind and surf are calm.

A good place for an apres snorkeling drink is at The Red Bar at Paradise Cove. Alternately, you could check out Smith Point on Taino Beach.

To reach the snorkeling at Grand Bahama Island, most travelers will fly commercial airlines into Grand Bahama International Airport (FPO) in Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. There are regular flights from Florida (Orlando, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale) directly into Grand Bahama International Airport (FPO) in Freeport on Silver Airways (a United Airlines partner). Alternately, there is a high-speed ferry from Ft Lauderdale to Grand Bahama Island known as the Balearia Bahamas Express (3 hours) that runs six days a week. It departs from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and heads to Freeport on Grand Bahama Island.

Tip: Keep in mind while snorkeling West End off Grand Bahama Island, the water temperture is known to vary greatly from summer (78F-84F) to winter (68F-76F). If you happen to be snorkeling at Tiger Beach, keep in mind that it is called that since the area is known for its tiger shark population.

Overall, West End Bay is the 4th most popular snorkel dive spot of all 11 snorkeling dives in Grand Bahama Island.