Is snorkeling good in the Exumas?

Yes, snorkeling in the Exumas is exceptional: visibility often exceeds 100 feet, and most reefs sit in 5 to 15 feet of water, shallow enough for first-timers. The headline site is Thunderball Grotto off Staniel Cay, a domed cave swirling with sergeant majors that starred in the 1965 James Bond film. Time it for slack tide. The Sea Aquarium near O’Brien’s Cay packs reef fish onto a single coral head, and the surrounding Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park has been a no-take marine reserve since 1958, so the coral stays healthy. Water runs about 75°F in winter and 84°F by summer. Many crews add the nurse sharks at Compass Cay and the swimming pigs at Big Major Cay to the same day. See Bahamas yacht charters for itinerary ideas.