Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on December 10, 2024
Rainbow Bay is a beautiful snorkeling location, which features the usual topography of the Caribbean coast of Eleuthera. Interesting sea life, including angelfish, lionfish and shrimp, can be observed along the rocky coast that begins near the beach. If we add the very easy access, and the fact that we get into the water from one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, this snorkeling is definitely worth the detour.
Halfway between Gregory Town and Governor’s Harbour, Rainbow Bay Beach is a popular beach on the Caribbean coast of Eleuthera. A small car park is available near the beach.
You can enter the water wherever you want from the sandy beach.
The best snorkeling is on the left of the beach.
The very shallow waters facing the beach (zone 1 on the map) are an opportunity, if you look carefully, to encounter small crabs, other crustaceans, and juvenile fish. These are often gathered around the small rocks present here and there on the sand.
Once past these first few meters, you can head towards Rainbow Cay (route 2 on the map), keeping your eyes open for passing American stingrays. After snorkeling around Rainbow Cay (around which snorkeling is just average), you will reach a rocky shore, where you can encounter more interesting underwater life.
As often on the Caribbean side, the coast is made of a small cliff. Dug by erosion, it forms a rocky overhang, under which a shaded area creates a natural shelter for marine life. At low tide, you can snorkel under the rocky overhang, but at high tide, it is completely submerged and you will have to skindive a bit to explore it.
In the shade of the overhang, you can see many species of fish but also crabs and several species of shrimp. Continuing along the coast, you will see a rock that has broken away from the island, which forms an oasis of underwater life.
The fish are shy and tend to hide when approached, but if you are skilled in your stealthy approaches and/or willing to do a little skindiving, you can see Gray angelfish, Queen angelfish, triggerfish, lionfish, and huge schools of small fish. Turtles sometimes visit this area, where many gorgonians have grown.
After the rock, the coast becomes less sheltered and more exposed to the waves. Depending on the sea conditions, you can decide whether to snorkel further or swim back to the beach.
There is no restaurant on the beach but wooden tables equipped with umbrellas allow you to picnic in the shade.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
