Blue Bay Snorkelling: One, Two or Four Hours — Which Trip Is Worth It?
5 min read
For most travellers, the Blue Bay Half-Day Snorkelling Trip with Creole Picnic Lunch is the strongest buy: four hours, €60 per person, 4.5 stars from 306 reviews, two snorkelling areas and lunch on Île des Deux Cocos. Short on time? Take the one-hour Marine Park excursion for €25. Compare €50 for the two-hour excursion with €60 for the half-day programme and picnic.
The three Blue Bay trips compared
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating · reviews | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Bay Marine Park 1-hour Snorkelling Excursion | 1 hour | €25 | 4.4 · 155 | A first look or a tight schedule |
| Blue Bay Marine Park 2-hour Snorkelling Excursion | 2 hours | €50 | 4.2 · 80 | More snorkelling time, with two spots when tides allow |
| Blue Bay Half-Day Snorkelling Trip with Creole Picnic Lunch | 4 hours | €60 | 4.5 · 306 | A half-day outing with a picnic on Île des Deux Cocos |
| All three meet at Totof Tours on Blue Bay Public Beach. Check any transport arrangements separately before booking. |
One hour: enough to see whether you like it
The one-hour trip uses a glass-bottom boat and includes snorkelling in Blue Bay Marine Park. One hour is useful on an arrival or departure day, or for somebody uncertain about spending a morning on the water. The boat window also gives non-swimmers something to see; confirm whether staying aboard throughout suits your needs and ask how the hour is divided between boat viewing and snorkelling.
This is a sampler. Boarding and moving to the snorkelling spot both sit inside the hour, so do not expect sixty minutes with a mask on. It has 155 reviews.
See availability and prices for the one-hour Blue Bay excursion
Two hours: more snorkelling time and a choice of departures
The longer Marine Park excursion also uses a glass-bottom boat. Its route follows Pointe D’Esny and offers two snorkelling spots when tidal conditions allow. If the first stop is not possible, the description allows more time at the Marine Park stop. It costs €50 per person and has 4.2 stars from 80 reviews; the one-hour trip costs €25 per person.
Choose it if you want more snorkelling time than the sampler and one of its available departure times fits your day. The half-day alternative costs €60 per person and includes a Creole picnic on Île des Deux Cocos, with snorkelling near Île aux Aigrettes and in Blue Bay Marine Park.
Check dates for the two-hour Blue Bay snorkelling excursion
Four hours: snorkelling and an island picnic
The half-day boat first offers snorkelling near Île aux Aigrettes, then serves a traditional Creole picnic on Île des Deux Cocos, before another snorkelling opportunity in Blue Bay Marine Park. Lunch has chicken, fish or vegetarian options. The published half-day programme starts at 10.30am and returns around 2.30–3pm, so leave some margin beyond the headline four hours. The reserve name does not mean this is a guided landing inside Île aux Aigrettes; the published programme describes snorkelling there. That distinction matters if its restored forest is your goal.
Compare €60 for the half-day trip, €25 for the one-hour sampler and €50 for the two-hour option. It has 4.5 stars from 306 reviews. Choose it if the picnic and island time appeal; a shorter trip may fit better if you tire quickly on boats or have limited time.
View availability for the Blue Bay half-day snorkelling trip
Our recommendation
Choose the four-hour trip when Blue Bay is one of your main days and you want snorkelling near Île aux Aigrettes and in the Marine Park, plus a picnic on Île des Deux Cocos. Choose one hour when time or confidence is limited. Choose two hours when you want more time snorkelling than the sampler, with two spots if tides allow, and a departure that fits your schedule.
Book the Blue Bay half-day snorkelling trip with Creole picnic
