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4 Snorkeling Trip Surprises in Guadeloupe and Martinique

Sometimes an ordinary activity you’d do on any vacation can turn into something special.

On my trip in the Caribbean, I took two snorkeling trips, one in Guadeloupe and one in Martinique. I like snorkeling from a boat, since it usually means fewer people and better sights. All I expected was a pleasant, relaxed morning visiting two or three different places to see the fish and the corals. 

Text: 4 snorkeling trip surprises! (and the Rachel's Ruminations logo). Image: the tail of a whale extending up out of the sea.

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It turned out that the snorkeling wasn’t as good as in other places I’ve been, such as Bonaire or the Red Sea. Nevertheless, these trips turned out to be special in a way that more than offset the mediocre snorkeling.

Snorkeling trip in Guadeloupe

On the west coast of the western island of Guadeloupe, an area of sea has been set aside as the Cousteau Nature Reserve. That was the first stop on La Rand’eau’s half-day snorkeling trip, and that was why I signed up for it: to snorkel in the reserve.

a view of the bay where La Rand'eau is based, taken as the snorkel trip was leaving the shore.
Leaving La Rand’eau’s home base on Guadeloupe

But first we had to get there. After suiting up in wetsuits and claiming our snorkels, fins and masks, we—about eight of us—piled into a small motorboat. It was one of those open outboard boats that have a hard floor but the sides are inflated like tires. Most of us had to sit on the sides and hang on for dear life.

To read about all the best things to do in Guadeloupe, see my guide to Guadeloupe!

Special experience number 1:

Once we got going fast, it was a very rough and wet ride, but exhilarating. I’m generally afraid of high speeds, but this was great fun, despite the battering I felt in my spine with all the jolting, combined with my general fear of losing my grip and falling overboard. It was loud, it was bumpy, it was wet, but I loved it. Below is a ten-second clip. I didn’t manage more because I wanted to go back to holding on with both hands.

We moored the boat off two small islands, called les îlets Pigeon, inside the reserve. The guide led us on a snorkeling tour around one of the islands. While there were some pretty fish—parrotfish in particular—the corals were not in good shape: many looked bleached.

Special experience number 2:

Our next stop was Malendure Beach, a pretty bay with a bed of sand and seaweed. Our guide told us we might be able to spot some turtles and, indeed, we did. That was a thrill for me, since in all my snorkeling and scuba diving, I’ve never seen one clearly in the wild before. They were slow and moved in a ponderous way, but they were also quite shy, so spotting one usually meant driving it away.

photo shows a turtle on the snorkel trip
This picture was taken by one of the other people on the trip, Laurent Diehl.

Special experience number 3:

There was one more stop to this tour, one I certainly never expected: a hot water swim. You may remember that I also climbed the volcano on Guadeloupe, which is still active and smells of sulphur. Some of the water that is heated by this active volcano drains into the ocean at Bouillant, whose name means “boiling.” The water, according to our guide, is harnessed for electricity, then released into Bouillant’s bay. We didn’t snorkel here, but it was fun to take a swim in the warm, suphur-smelling water, after being cautioned not to get too close to where the outlet is.

Taken in the water, this shows just my head and shoulders sticking out of the water on a snorkel trip in Guadeloupe.
Me, swimming in warm water. That wetsuit was hot!

Snorkeling trip on Martinique

On Martinique, the snorkeling trip I chose included a promise that we’d see some dolphins. Apparently, there are dolphins all year, though the species varies depending on the season.

The problem with promising dolphins is its appeal to children. Sure enough, the Schéhérezade carried about 30 passengers, at least half of them children. When I saw all those children, many quite little, at the meeting point, my heart sank. I was going to spend half the day surrounded by the noise and whining and crying of all of these children. (As any parent knows, when it’s other people’s children, you’re much less tolerant than if they’re your own.) And I was afraid they’d spoil the snorkeling with their splashing and noise.

We sailed straight out from Fort de France toward a spot in the open ocean where the dolphins had been sighted. Soon we were able to spot the dorsal fins of a number of dolphins,  swimming in twos and threes. 

If you’re planning a trip to Martinique, you might also enjoy reading about Fort St. Louis and the Rum Battle or about the best things to do in Martinique.

Special experience number 4:

And that’s where we spotted something special: a humpbacked whale was swimming lazily along with the dolphins.

view of a whale's tail sticking out of the water in the distance on my Martinique boat trip
a whale’s tail

The whale’s appearance led to another surprise: quiet. All of the talking and fussing and general noisiness that so many small children in a small space can produce, simply stopped. Everyone just watched. Some parents talked about whales quietly to their children, many took pictures, but that was all: just a hush, children included.

The whale didn’t seem in a hurry. It stuck its back out of the water, spouted water with a funny breathy sound, and flipped a tail lazily from time to time. We watched: silent, fascinated, while the boat, its motor turned off, bobbed on the waves. It was magnificent.

a view in which the whales back can be seen, on the Martinique snorkeling trip
the whale surfaced to breathe

Later, after the whale swam away and the spell was broken, we also went snorkeling, but, honestly, that didn’t really matter after the thrill of seeing dolphins and a whale. The tour organizer told me that they normally see whales in February, March and April. Yet this was the first time this year—it was late April—that they’d seen one. 

a view of the beach with a few small buildings and palm trees, with mountains behind them
a view of Anse du Four beach in Martinique, taken from where we snorkeled

A fast boat ride, turtles, a hot bath, dolphins and a whale. My snorkel trips turned out to be about other things than snorkeling, and that’s what made them special.

In case you were wondering, this is not a sponsored post. I paid full price for both trips.


The trip I took with La Rand’eau (the trip to the Pigeon Islands to snorkel, looking for hawksbill turtles, and a stop at the hot water area) cost me €40 ($46). It is located on the N2, 3 km south of Bouillant in a small village called L’Anse Duché. This is in the middle of the west coast of the western “wing” of Guadeloupe. Don’t just show up, though. Contact them first through their website to book a trip.

My trip on the Schéhérezade cost me €48. It leaves from Marina Pointe du Bout in Trois-Ilets in Martinique. That’s on the southern side of Fort de France Bay. You can take a ferry there from the city of Fort de France. In this case, you can book through the website or take the chance of just showing up, as I did. A number of such boats leave from the same marina, so I just went early in the morning and asked at the various booking offices at the marina until I found one leaving soon. There’s a beach nearby where you can hang out while you wait.

Have you ever taken a tour and ended up with something completely different than you expected? Add a comment below!

My travel recommendations

Planning travel

  • Skyscanner is where I always start my flight searches.
  • Booking.com is the company I use most for finding accommodations. If you prefer, Expedia offers more or less the same.
  • Discover Cars offers an easy way to compare prices from all of the major car-rental companies in one place.
  • Use Viator or GetYourGuide to find walking tours, day tours, airport pickups, city cards, tickets and whatever else you need at your destination.
  • Bookmundi is great when you’re looking for a longer tour of a few days to a few weeks, private or with a group, pretty much anywhere in the world. Lots of different tour companies list their tours here, so you can comparison shop.
  • Get a Priority Pass if you fly a lot so that you can use airport lounges while you wait for flights. Plan your visits around meals and/or drink times and it’s definitely worth the investment!
  • I’m a fan of SCOTTeVEST’s jackets and vests because when I wear one, I don’t have to carry a handbag. I feel like all my stuff is safer when I travel because it’s in inside pockets close to my body.
  • Airalo is an e-sim card. You buy it through an app and activate it when you need it. I tried it on my trip to Thailand and it worked just like any other sim card, but without my having to fuss with physical cards.
  • I use ExpressVPN on my phone and laptop when I travel. It keeps me safe from hackers when I use public or hotel wifi.

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about Rachel

Hi, I’m Rachel!

Rachel’s Ruminations is a travel blog focused on independent travel with an emphasis on cultural and historical sites/sights. I also occasionally write about life as an expatriate. I hope you enjoy what I post here; feel free to leave comments!  Read more…
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Great post, Rachel. Yes, indeed. I think that often we take a tour or an adventure with a preconceived notion, and then find it turns out to be quite different than our expectations, which can turn out to be good — or bad! The key is to enter any situation with an open mind. If we do … we may find ourselves in the adventure of our lives!

Wow!

That Humpback would make it all worthwhile for me!

Such a treat!

Hello,
Great post. Whales and dolphins are exciting. I have always wanted to go to the Caribbean for a dive trip. Your post makes me think it is time.

A what a great experience Rachel!!
I was thrilled while reading your post. I’m big enthusiast of snorkeling, turtle, dolphins and whales… All in one trip, that´s a dream!
đŸ˜€
Safe travels
Nat

Great post, Rachel! My one snorkeling adventure was in the Galapagos. Once I got the hang of snorkeling, I loved it!

So much snorkeling! That’s one of my favorite things to do in a tropical location. What a bonus to see whales and dolphins! Sounds like a great trip!

Oh, your post makes me want to go to the Caibbean even more!

So cool! I love sea turtles! đŸ˜€

May I ask who you booked this trip with? My boyfriend and I are heading there next week. We are getting so excited. Thank you for your blog post entries. I have enjoyed reading them while we gear up for our trip.

Rachel, the hot water swim at Bouillant’s bay. I would imagine because of the toxic sulphur, there wouldn’t be any sea life in the immediate area. What an experience to splash around in such a massive size hot spring. Must have been a lot of fun, and a day you will always remember.

snorkeling is one of my biggest passions.
The main reason I love snorkelingis the adventure, because you never know what you will found below the water surface.
The second reason would be the wonderful diversity of the marine life.
thanks for your post