Level: Resort nearby
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Last updated on January 7, 2024
Access to this spot seems to be reserved for guests of the Galley Bay Resort & Spa. Although Antigua’s beaches are, in theory, public, access to Galley Bay is restricted as it is surrounded by fences, making access to the beach very difficult for visitors.
The northeastern end of the beach has a small embayment which does not form part of the resort but this cannot be accessed except through the nearby Galley Bay cottages.
Do not hesitate to inquire when you arrive in Antigua (at your hotel or the tourist office, for example) to find out if the access conditions have recently changed.
You can snorkel over the whole beachfront but the best areas in Galley Bay are the reefs found at either end of the beach.
The western reef (on the left) has more exposed conditions and greater wave activity, and is recommended only for confident snorkelers. The eastern reef (on the right) is generally calm and ok for beginners.
The first area of the eastern reef, encountered on the right, has numerous hollows with sand patches and overhangs. These are ideal snorkeling conditions, in which you can find many species of fish in and around the reef. The surface of the reef is fairly featureless with a covering of silt over much of it.
Closer to the headland, the reef surface becomes more varied with impressive growths of the Encrusting White Zoanthid over the rock and covering some of the former Elkhorn coral outcrops. This is the area with the greatest variety of marine life, including angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, grunts, and porcupinefish.
In the sandy areas adjacent to the reef, you might also be lucky enough to spot a southern stingray resting on the seabed.
This spot has the Galley Bay Resort & Spa‘s house reef.
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.
