Snorkeling the Buck Island Underwater Trail: A First-Timer’s Guide

Ask anyone who has snorkeled at Buck Island what they remember and you’ll usually hear about the underwater trail. It’s a marked snorkel route over the reef inside Buck Island Reef National Monument. It’s easy to follow, the water is usually calm, and it’s shallow enough that first-timers can enjoy it. Here’s what to expect and how to make the most of it.

What is the Buck Island underwater trail?

Buck Island is ringed by a barrier reef. According to the National Park Service, an elkhorn coral reef surrounds about two-thirds of the island. That reef forms a lagoon between the reef and the island, and the NPS says the lagoon’s wide, shallow waters seldom exceed 12 feet deep, with the reef softening the waves. The underwater trail runs through this lagoon.

The trail has underwater signs that tell you what you’re seeing, so a snorkel here doubles as a lesson in how a coral reef works. The NPS gives the maximum water depth in the coral grottoes as 12 feet.

The reef has been protected for a long time. In 1961 President John F. Kennedy established Buck Island Reef National Monument to preserve what his proclamation called “one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea”. The monument was expanded in 2001, and the NPS describes it as a marine protected area, with protection for all park resources from the island’s highest peak to 5,000 feet below the water (basic information).

What you might see

Elkhorn coral is the main builder of the barrier reef, and the NPS notes that the reefs you see today formed within the past 7,000 years. In the calmer lagoon water, brain corals grow larger, nearly reaching the surface. You’ll also see sea fans and plenty of reef fish, like the yellowtail snapper in our photo above.

Sea turtles are often seen around Buck Island, in the shallows near Turtle Beach and from the overlook above the reef. Wildlife is never guaranteed, but it’s one of the highlights when it happens. Read more in our guide to Turtle Beach.

How a guided trail snorkel works

The trail is reachable only by boat, and it’s closed from sunset to sunrise. On our Half Day Snorkel, the day goes like this:

1. Turtle Beach first. Your crew gives a snorkel lesson with all the tips and tricks, and you can practice in the shallows. The NPS recommends exactly this: practice in shallow water at the beach before heading to the trail and reef.
2. The guided trail. A crew member snorkels with you and guides you along the trail.
3. Free time. Then you have time to explore on your own. That comes to about an hour of snorkeling in total.

Snorkel gear, the lesson and the guided tour are included, and you’re welcome to bring your own mask if you prefer it.

Tips for first-time snorkelers

You don’t need to be a strong swimmer to enjoy the trail. The NPS says all Buck Island concessioners can teach anyone, especially kids, how to snorkel, and that the water behind the barrier reef is typically calm. A few things help:

• Use the safety ring. Not-so-strong swimmers can hold on to a safety ring while the guide swims them along the trail.
• Get your mask right on the beach. A mask that fits and doesn’t fog makes all the difference. Ask the crew to help you adjust it.
• Relax and float. Salt water is buoyant. Breathe slowly through the snorkel and let the guide set the pace.
• Snorkel with a buddy and, as the NPS asks, stay in front of moored boats.
• Bring a life jacket your kids like. Ours meet U.S. Coast Guard rules, but they may not be comfortable for young children, who need to wear one for most of the tour.

If you can’t swim at all, you’re still welcome. We’ll teach you, a guide is in the water with you, and you can always stay on board or relax on the beach.

Protecting the reef (and yourself)

Corals grow slowly and are vulnerable to pollution, sedimentation, warming seas and boat damage. The NPS also notes that coral disease and hurricanes have hit Buck Island’s reef hard in recent decades, and its regrowth is being closely monitored. Every snorkeler can help:

• Wear reef-safe sunscreen or a sun shirt. Sunscreens containing oxybenzone are prohibited on our trips, and guests wearing them can’t enter the water. Reef-safe sunscreen is sold in our shop on the boardwalk. See our environmental notice.
• Look, don’t touch. The NPS warns that the shallows hold sharp corals, fire coral, spiny sea urchins and stingrays, and that cuts from marine life infect quickly. Never stand on coral.
• Take nothing. Buck Island is a “no take” zone: no fishing and no collecting shells, rocks, plants or animals.

Which trip is best for the underwater trail?

• Half Day Snorkel (3.5 hours, from $75): the classic, with a lesson, the guided trail and Turtle Beach.
• Snorkelers in Paradise (5 hours, Tue & Thu, from $105): two snorkel stops on the reef with a guide, then Turtle Beach.
• Full Day Sail (6 hours, from $105): an hour-plus sail, a guided snorkel of the trail and the most beach time.
• Private charters (from $900 per boat): snorkel the trail on your own schedule with just your group.

The Beach & Hike and Sunday Funday trips don’t include a reef snorkel stop, so skip those if the trail is your priority.