Private snorkelling from Grand Baie or Pointe d’Esny
Compare two private-boat options by departure point, time commitment, equipment and onboard support, with the questions to settle before booking for your group.
Snorkellers in the Grand Port Lagoon seen from the boarding ladder of a boat
Choose Grand Baie if you are staying in the north and want a private half-day or full-day outing. Choose Pointe d’Esny for a southeast departure with shorter duration options and guided snorkelling with equipment supplied. Start with your accommodation location, then consider your group’s needs. Boat duration is not a promise of time in the water.
Good to know
FAQ
Which option is better if I am packing light?
Pointe d’Esny is the more straightforward choice for avoiding snorkelling equipment in your luggage. Still confirm suitable sizes. Choosing Grand Baie means planning how you will bring your own kit.
Should I choose the earliest departure for better visibility?
Do not assume an earlier start guarantees clearer water. Choose a workable schedule, then ask what conditions may mean for the planned route on your date.
Does a longer excursion guarantee more snorkelling?
No. Ask how the additional time is intended to be used. A longer booking should suit your group’s appetite for being out on the boat, independently of swimming expectations.
Can we plan lunch around the excursion?
For an outing spanning lunchtime, confirm your food arrangements before booking. Fruit snacks should not be treated as a meal. Ask whether bringing food is permitted if that matters to your group.
What should we ask about a weather-related change?
Confirm how you will be contacted, what cancellation or rescheduling terms apply to your chosen trip, and how any separately arranged transfer will be handled.
For an otherwise similar choice, favour the departure nearer your accommodation. A shorter boat trip is not necessarily a shorter outing once you add hotel pickup, road travel and boarding. Before comparing durations, ask for a transfer plan from your actual hotel rather than relying on a broad north or southeast location.
If your group is split between keen snorkellers and less enthusiastic companions, agree on an acceptable total time away first. That gives you a practical limit before choosing the boat schedule.
Compare the five timing choices
Use these schedules to plan the rest of your day, not to calculate swimming time. Ask how travel between stops and time at anchor fit within the excursion. Source details checked 14 October 2026.
From Grand Baie, the half-day option runs from 08:00 to 12:30 and the full-day option from 09:00 to 15:30. Choose the shorter outing if you want the afternoon for other plans, allowing for the journey back to your accommodation.
From Pointe d’Esny, choose two, three or four hours. The listed two-hour starts are 08:00, 11:00, 13:30 and 16:00. Three-hour and four-hour outings list 08:00 and 13:00 starts. These describe the programmes. Check the booking calendar for departures on your selected date.
Grand Baie requires your own snorkelling equipment. Mineral water is included; meals and other drinks are not. Pointe d’Esny includes a skipper, marine guide, snorkelling gear, safety briefing, cold drinks and fruit snacks.
If you do not already own suitable equipment, consider that difference when booking rather than a packing detail. For supplied gear, ask about sizes before travelling, especially for children. For your own kit, check its fit and condition before departure.
Guidance and teaching are different requirements. If someone needs an introduction to snorkelling, describe that need explicitly and ask what support can be provided rather than assuming a guide means a lesson.
Choose duration without assuming a fixed route
At Pointe d’Esny, reef choice depends on tide and visibility, while weather and sea conditions can change or cancel the outing. Grand Baie’s captain may also adjust the route or reschedule. Wildlife encounters and underwater visibility vary with natural conditions.
The southeast listing covers Grand Port Lagoon, not a promised Blue Bay Marine Park tour. If a particular location matters to you, obtain confirmation before booking.
Choose extra boat time because your group wants a longer outing, not because you expect a proportional increase in swimming. Ask what changes between durations: the planned stops, the pace, or time available at each stop.
Pointe d’Esny accommodates one private group of up to nine guests. The Grand Baie listing records a maximum group size of twelve. Share your complete party composition with Andeor, including children, so the booking matches the selected option and the partner can confirm any specific requirements.
For non-swimmers, request explicit confirmation of whether they can join, remain aboard or participate in any water activity. A private booking does not automatically settle those questions.
Share children’s ages, swimming confidence and any boarding or mobility needs. Ask about suitable flotation equipment, supervision and getting back onto the boat. Resolve these points before inviting someone on the assumption that they can simply sit out the snorkelling.
Arrange hotel transport separately
The meeting points are Sunset Boulevard in Grand Baie and Pointe d’Esny Beach in the southeast. Hotel transfers are excluded from both excursions; the southeast listing says they can be arranged on request.
Andeor can arrange hotel transport separately through Seke. Match the pickup to the confirmed departure and requested arrival time, not just the advertised start. The transfer requires a separate quote and confirmation. Keep the return meeting point and contact details with your excursion confirmation in case the boat schedule changes.
Give everyone in your group the same meeting instructions, particularly if guests are travelling from different accommodation.
Prepare one request stating your accommodation, date, group size, preferred duration, equipment needs and any suitability questions. Resolve essential requirements before committing to a departure rather than leaving them for the skipper on arrival.
Book your chosen private snorkelling trip through Andeor once those essentials are confirmed. Andeor arranges experiences through its partners; it does not operate these excursions.
Before you book
Confirm the departure point and requested arrival time.
Set a maximum total outing time, including land travel.
Resolve equipment sizing and any instruction needs.
Obtain explicit confirmation for non-swimmers and access requirements.
Keep transfer confirmation separate from the boat booking.
