Bahamas Reef Snorkeling in Nassau
Your Reef Adventure Starts Here
This is snorkeling in the Bahamas without the long boat ride. Our reef begins just fifty feet off the beach: swim straight from shore into clear Bahamian water, where colorful coral and tropical fish are waiting. Most Nassau snorkeling tours spend an hour getting you to water like this. Ours is a short ferry from Paradise Island and the reef starts where the sand ends.
What's included
✓ Included
- Roundtrip ferry transfer from Nassau
- Guided reef snorkeling tour
- Snorkel gear: mask, snorkel, fins and flotation vest
- Traditional Bahamian lunch served on the island
- Access to two white-sand beaches
- Beach chairs and shaded decks
- Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (first come, first served)
- Floating water mats
- Access to the iconic Pearl Island lighthouse
- Full bathroom facilities and fresh-water showers
- On-site gift shop access
✕ Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Beverages (available at the island bars)
- Locker rentals (available as add-on)
- Aqua Park (available as add-on)
How the Day in Paradise Unfolds
From your first ferry ride across Nassau Harbour to your last look back at the lighthouse, here’s how your Reef Snorkeling & Beach day unfolds.before you board.
Where Your Journey Begins
- 📍Paradise Island Ferry Terminal
East Dock, behind Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, on Paradise Island, Nassau. - 🕐Please check in 15 minutes before your selected departure time. Our ferry departs on schedule.
- 🚶Easy to get here: Walkable from most Paradise Island hotels; a short taxi from downtown Nassau or the cruise port.
- ❓Not sure how to reach the terminal?
Click here to see how to get to Pearl Island.
What our Guests say
"Usually I spend half a snorkel trip on a boat. Here you walk in off the sand."
"Small group, no rushing, clean gear. Our guide found a moray eel I'd have swum straight past."
"Came for the reef and stayed all afternoon. Proper Bahamian lunch, not tourist food."
Snorkeling in Nassau: Common Questions
Everything you need to know before you grab your mask, fins and head for the reef.
Just a swimsuit and the ability to swim. Mask, fins, snorkel and a flotation vest are included, and a certified guide leads every tour. Bring reef-safe sunscreen if you have it, and leave the rest to us.
Not at all. First-timers are very welcome. Before entering the water, we'll fit your gear, walk you through a safety briefing and make sure you're comfortable. A certified guide leads your group and stays with you throughout the snorkel.
You don't need previous snorkeling experience, but you do need to be a confident swimmer and comfortable in open water.
The minimum age for all snorkeling tours is 8 years old, and every participant must be able to swim confidently.
Traveling with younger children? They're still very welcome on Pearl Island and can enjoy the beaches and other island activities with a supervising adult while you explore the reef.
Every snorkel is a little different and that's part of the fun. Depending on the day, you may spot parrotfish, sergeant majors, blue tangs, yellowtail snapper, trumpetfish and occasionally a moray eel tucked into the reef.
The coral reef is protected and full of marine life, but this is the ocean, not an aquarium, so we can't promise which fish will show up for your visit.
Yes. We provide everything you need: mask, snorkel, fins and a flotation vest, all cleaned and sanitized between uses.
We also recommend bringing reef-safe sunscreen or a rash guard. It helps protect both your skin and the coral you're coming to see.
This experience is all about nature: a living coral reef and the marine life that calls it home.
The Sunken Sculpture Snorkel is a completely different underwater experience, taking you past submerged sculptures, a sunken plane and a boat. Think living reef versus underwater adventure, both are worth getting your mask wet for.
Yes. Your experience includes a traditional Bahamian lunch served on the island, with grouper fingers, BBQ chicken, peas n' rice and creamy coleslaw.
- ✓Best price guaranteed when you book direct
- ✓Mobile ticket, nothing to print
- ✓Secure checkout, your card details stay with the payment provider
Complete your booking
Your date, departure and guests are selected. Add your details and we’ll take you to secure checkout.
Who’s booking
Your confirmation and mobile ticket go to this email.
Who’s coming
Every guest is named on the ferry manifest, so we need full names.
Anything else
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More Ways to Discover the Water
All-Inclusive: Pigs, Snorkeling & Beach
Experience the same reef, plus the famous swimming pigs and the full island day.
Sunken Sculpture Snorkeling & Beach
Swap coral for a sunken plane, statues and a boat. Nowhere else in Nassau.
Private Ocean-View Cabana
Your own shaded cabana with a personal server, lunch brought to your daybed + Snorkeling
The Reef Is Fifty Feet Away. You're One Click Away.
Swim a protected reef with a guide, enjoy a Bahamian lunch, then spend the rest of the day your way. Book direct for the best price and cancel free up to 24 hours before departure.