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CoCo View Resort Welcomes Snorkelers

Although CCV is primarily a dive resort, snorkelers are welcome and encouraged to enjoy the abundant marine life found on and around the resort. Many of the same attributes that make CoCo View a haven for the dedicated SCUBA diver also make it a snorkelers paradise. True shore diving/snorkeling, short boat trips, convenient gear storage, as well as our
professional & friendly staff combine to make this resort the best destination for a relaxing and wonderful vacation.

We hope you make CCV your next choice when planning a snorkeling trip!

Here are some things we’d like you to know:

Snorkelers are always welcome on the dive boats.

Boat trip destinations are posted by the weight counter at the dock area each morning & afternoon. 

With the exception of a few sites, most are excellent for snorkeling right around the boat mooring, and even better just a short swim toward shore from the boat.

CCV’s famous Front Yard offers a tremendous variety of marine beauty and seascapes just a few steps from our clubhouse. Reef, wreck & coral walls, are easily accessible and offer a diverse and abundant showcase of some of the most beautiful and interesting creatures of the sea.

There are colorful dive-site placemats located in the clubhouse and on the dock that are wonderful visual aids for planning your outings.

Here is a list of some sites, reef top depth, and marine life or coral growth you might find interesting during your stay at CoCo View Resort.

Boat Snorkel

Missing Link: Moored in 20’, Reef Top ranges from 20’-30’. Large mounds & hedges of hard corals cut to the edge of the reef top with the wall dropping off to 80’. Watch for schooling fish on this site.

Gold Chain Reef: Moored in 25’, Reef Top ranges from 10’-30’. This is a slopping wall fingering out to a large sand slope. The wall top is thickly populated with Elkhorn, Staghorn, and Lettuce corals. Keep an eye out for surge on this reef top.

Little French Cay: Reef Top ranges from 25’-30’. Lush out cropping with several sets of overhangs, and is thickly populated with hard corals.

French Cay Cut: Moored in 20’, Sandy basin with shallow corals leading to the cut. This is a very shallow wall top lined with mounds of Star & Elkhorn corals. Keep an eye out for wave action.

photo by: Randy Widaman

Mary’s Place: Moored in 35’, while having a deeper mooring, this system of crevices has a prolific wall top. An added bonus is the amazing ‘Liquid Silver’ view as the divers pass through the crevices & their bubbles filter up through the wall top.

Doc’s Retreat: Moored in 20’, Reef Top is populated with very healthy hard & soft corals, a series of sand chutes & mounds of hard coral.

Too Tall Too Small: Moored in 20’, Shallow wall with a slopping bottom. Gorgeous Sea Fans top the edge of this wall . Watch for East/West surge.

Anka’s Place: Moored in 20’. A very shallow meandering wall with cascading corals. Magnificent Rope, Tube & Barrel Sponges.

Castle Canyon: Moored in 20’, Shallow yet thick reef top. Lush covered points displaying sponges & Gorgonian.

Chimmney’s: Moored in 25’, shallow top with sand patches & large coral boulders that reach to within 5’ of the surface. The wall is steep & dramatic when it drops off.

Inside Outside: Moored in 25’, Edge is prolific with Lettuce Coral and deep narrow cuts. Corals reach within 5’-10’ of the surface.

Parrot Tree: Reef Top 10’-20’ and covered with Lettuce, Staghorn, and Elkhorn forming hedges separated by deep cuts. Dramatic Ledges & Overhangs.

Neverstien Bight: A shallow wall top with a prolific coral life and an abundance of marine life visiting the cleaning stations. This site gets better & better the farther toward shore you snorkel, and Reef Tops come within 2’ of the surface in several places. Be careful you don’t snorkel yourself into a corner. Turning around can be a bit tricky when it gets shallow.

Front Yard Drop Off / Shore Snorkel

CoCoView Wall: Reef Top is within 5’ of surface in most areas and thickly covered with Lettuce, Staghorn & Elkhorn corals. Keep your eyes open for the resident Green Moray often found swimming from CoCoView Wall to the Wreck of the Prince Albert. This wall is excellent for snorkeling, both to the East & the West of the cut. The shallow top, with it’s cleaning stations, can make for hours of entertaining marine life.

Newman’s Wall: Reef Top within 5’ of surface and is lushly covered. Well worth the extra effort of crossing the channel on a calm day. Be aware of wave action to ensure you don’t get pushed in too shallow if the seas are up, and keep an eye out for boats when crossing the channel.

Wreck of The Prince Albert: Generally considered a ‘Dive Site’, most folks don’t realize this can be an excellent snorkel when visibility is good. Certain times of the year over 85% of the wreck’s 140’ length can be visible from a surface snorkel. As it is in the channel, keep an eye out for boats when snorkeling this site.

The Chain: Beginning at the Front Yard Platform, follow the chain out to the cut through Coco View Wall. Many folks overlook the abundant marine life to be found off the chain in their haste to get to Coco View Wall. A pair of Jaw fish located about 3’ South & West of the platform, numerous Damsel Fish & cleaning stations, Big Eye Squirrel Fish, a variety of Parrot Fish, Rock Beauties, Sergeant Majors, Eels, Barracuda, Flounder, Eagle Rays, Squid & much more can all be found off the chain when a leisurely pace is used.

Equipment Sales & Rental

Available at DockSide Dive Center located on our dock area. The shop offers a full range of snorkel equipment including masks, fins, snorkels and wet suits. Fish/Coral identification books, and charts are also available.

Photographic equipment, as well as a number of photographic services, available at the photo center located within Dockside Dive center.

Gear storage: Our gear lockers and rinse and fresh water showers area are conveniently located on the dock by the boats and Dockside Dive Center.

photo by: Randy Widaman