Snorkel· Sandy Cay· Bahamas — North
Sandy Cay Reef (Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park)
26° 24.1′ N · 76° 59.3′ W
A healthy shallow reef off the southeast side of Sandy Cay that rises from about 30 ft to the surface, with good coral along its outer edge, sea fans, abundant fish, turtles and spotted eagle rays - widely called the best snorkel in the northern Bahamas.
Practical
Small-boat moorings (6-12 balls reported historically; ActiveCaptain notes only two remained in March 2024) are for boats up to roughly 24 ft only - larger boats anchor behind Sandy Cay (Pelican Cays Anchorage) or off the reef in calm weather and dinghy over. Bottom at the moorings ~30 ft, thin sand over limestone. Go at slack tide: current runs up to about 3 kt; swim up-current and drift back. Any easterly wind or Atlantic swell through North Bar Channel makes it rolly to unsafe. Strictly no-take park. Coordinate is the ActiveCaptain snorkel-mooring marker. ActiveCaptain community reports date from 2011-2019, before Hurricane Dorian (Category 5, Sept 1, 2019) hit Abaco; re-check bottom, markers and businesses locally.
Best for
The must-do snorkel of South Abaco on a calm slack-water day
Season
Calm, swell-free days only; not in E wind or ocean swell
Nearby
- Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park0.2 NM away
- Ocean Swell in the Cuts (Rage Season)0.5 NM away
- Pelican Cays Anchorage (behind Sandy Cay)0.6 NM away
- North Bar Channel Barge Wreck0.8 NM away
- Channel Cay Bight Anchorage (Pelican Cays)1.1 NM away
- North Lynyard Cay Anchorage1.8 NM away
- Pelican Harbour Anchorage (Pelican Point)1.8 NM away
- Black Point Anchorage (Pelican Harbour)2.1 NM away