Snorkeling Trips in St Maarten: 6 Worth the Crossing

1.Captain Bob Speed Boat, Snorkeling, Beach Tour & Lunch St Maarten

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,336 reviews · from $139Our pick

Join Captain Bob’s small-group speedboat tour from Dock Maarten for five stops around Dutch and French St. Maarten. With guides such as Brett and Dillon, you’ll snorkel near turtles, stingrays, fish, and coral, eat lunch at Pinel Island, relax on white-sand beaches, and watch aircraft pass over Maho Beach. Lunch, drinks, gear, and a cruise-ship return guarantee are included.

“Great experience visiting multiple spots around St Maarten. Would recommend to adults and kids and would do it again if we were there.”

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2.Mini-Speed Boat 3 Hour Snorkeling Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 752 reviews

Drive your own Rhino mini-speed boat from Cole Bay across Simpson Bay Lagoon and along St Maarten’s coast. A guide leads the group to Creole Rock or Happy Bay for swimming and snorkeling. No boating experience is required, but you must be 18 or hold a valid license to drive. Max: 45 people.

“Driving the boats are easy and sooo much fun. The beach that we stopped at for snorkeling has some really good food and drinks so make sure you bring money with you. This was one of my favorite excursions not just in Sint Maarten but In my travels around the world”

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3.Billy Bones St. Maarten Getaway , Snorkeling with Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 689 reviews · from $139

Spend about seven hours on Billy Bones’ powerboat with stops at Tintamarre, Creole Rock, and Pinel Island. Snorkel with provided gear, look for turtles and tropical fish, eat grilled Caribbean food in Grand Case, relax at Mullet Bay, and watch planes near Maho Beach. Crews vary, with guides such as Junior, Lucas, Sammy, and Noah.

“This was a great experience for the money! The food and drinks were very good, and we got to see so much of the island. Sammy and Jay were our guides and they were great and very knowledgeable of the island. We saw sea turtles, manta rays, and lots of very pretty fish. The timeline is also very well planned out giving you time to explore the area you were at but not too much where it got long, it was an all day activity but it flew by. Definitely a must do if you want a snorkeling boat tour.”

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4.Captain Alan’S 4hr -3 Islands-snorkeling-turtles-beach Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 431 reviews · from $99Best value

Join Captain Alan’s crew for a four-hour, small-group speedboat trip from St Maarten to Tintamarre, Creole Rock or Green Key, and Pinel Island. You’ll get snorkeling gear, sandwiches, beer, soda, and water, with possible turtle sightings and time to relax on the beach. The boat holds no more than 12 people.

“Great experience! Beautiful snorkeling and fun captain (Marcus) and first mate (Alina). Swam with turtles, saw cool reef with many fish, enjoyed a great sandwich! Highly recommend.”

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5.Tropical Catamaran Snorkeling & Sailing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 353 reviews · from $132

Spend about six hours aboard a spacious catamaran from Bobby’s Marina, sailing St Maarten’s French and Dutch sides. You’ll snorkel at spots such as Little Bay, swim from calm beaches, watch planes near Maho Beach, and enjoy barbecue lunch, snacks, and an open bar. Crews may include Captain Josh, Charlie, Fritz, JP, and others.

“Captain Josh and Fritz were amazing! We have done many catamarans and this was by far the best! Service, beautiful turquoise water and overall experience! Snorkeled with plane wreck, saw beautiful fish and relaxed! Thank you so much for making this so memorable for my family! Btw all other charters were booked and our charter had least amount of people made it almost seem private!”

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6.Speed Boat & Snorkeling Tour Pinel & Tintamarre Islands for Cruise Ship Guests

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 133 reviews · from $139

You’ll spend about six hours with a small group of up to 16, cruising from Philipsburg to Tintamarre, Creole Rock, Pinel Island, and Maho Beach. Captains such as Nico, Sammy, Frankie, and Junior combine island stories with snorkeling, lunch, floating gear, and unlimited beer, soda, and water. Bring a towel, swimsuit, and cash for the $10 marine fee.

“Ensure your tour operator knows what boat you are on as ship time and local time were different for us - our cruise gangway down was 8:30am which was 9:30 local time and same time of our departure. They confirmed they would wait. Read more”

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