Shipwreck Iguana Island Jet Ski Safari Review: Is It Worth It?
Planning a trip to Turks and Caicos? A super popular activity that often pops up is the “1 Hour Jet Ski Safari to the Shipwreck and Iguana Island.” Sounds pretty neat, eh? The pictures look amazing, plus everybody loves jet skis! I’m going to run through my experience with this tour, and I’ll share some things to keep in mind should you choose to book this excursion. Was it as good as it looks on Instagram? You can read on to decide for yourself if it’s something you’d be interested in doing.
Setting off on the Safari
First, it’s really useful to know what the meeting spot is actually like. We met up near a place where several water-related activity vendors operate, close to Leeward Marina. There’s plenty going on, actually it’s a real buzz, and, well it’s quite tricky making your way through the crowd to find the correct people initially. Just a heads-up though, the facilities are basic, like super basic. You have access to loos but I feel it’s beneficial to manage expectations; they’re really nothing fancy. I will add though, that the company representatives seemed friendly enough.
Once we assembled as a group, we had a briefing, more or less giving us important info about how to operate the jet skis safely, the route we might be following, and what we were expected to do at each location. Plus we went through the safety instructions; all really pretty important stuff. Next we donned our life jackets, there was plenty available, which appeared to be in a decent state and fit for purpose.
So, off we went! After having started our jet skis and slowly inching away from the beach, it turns out you have to go out through a channel to reach the open water. This bit is really slow and it’s a no wake zone. After that restriction comes to an end you are able to open her up, plus zoom off at a decent speed which is exhilarating and invigorating. This really is a fun experience, so you feel the salty spray and take in the coastal landscape.
The Shipwreck Stop
Okay, the shipwreck part: this is probably the coolest spot, too. I feel that even from a distance, it’s super dramatic seeing the skeletal remains of the ship sticking out of the water. It really is a photo opportunity hotspot. So that you can see all that it has to offer you go slow around the wreck while our guide shared a bit about the ship’s history. If you have time to listen it’s really very captivating stuff about how it ended up there.
What’s also pretty neat is the snorkeling. So remember to take your gear. Although I believe some of the tours supply equipment, you will often find that your own personal sets are so much better! Now as far as clarity goes the water was reasonably clear but on account of the location so close to the coast it has the potential to be a bit churned up in rough weather. But, visibility was ample enough to make out lots of marine life. So it really is quite interesting watching the various colorful fish swimming around and through the shipwreck, so do keep a look out.
Something I feel needs bringing up. The time spent at the shipwreck was fairly short; it really flew by. Basically you are allocated time to listen, to snorkel and of course take photographs but a bit more time would be greatly appreciated. It’s an exciting area to explore.
Iguana Island Encounters
Alright, the next destination on our high seas adventure was Iguana Island, or, more accurately, Little Water Cay, part of the bigger Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve. That is pretty intriguing, eh? As you arrive, that the first thing that really strikes you is how wild it looks. It looks so incredibly protected, untouched really.
So, naturally this island is crawling with iguanas, particularly the rock iguana which is endemic. It may be because the island is a protected reserve or maybe due to how habituated these magnificent reptiles are to seeing humans, but they really weren’t phased when we arrived. They’re not bothered about wandering all over the pathways. But listen, for your benefit please take heed to not interact with or feed them. Just follow any guidance from the tour leader with respect to the wild life and nature of this special and delicate place.
Again the thing with this leg, too, is that the time there felt short. You are allocated a slot to take photos and explore this amazing little island, it feels a bit rushed and that another half hour would have transformed this trip, it is such a delightful experience, however short lived!
The Jet Skis and the Group Size
With regards to the jet skis, they seemed like decent, up to date machines and, more or less in sound mechanical order. It is quite important that these things get well maintained to keep up reliability, particularly where a tour such as this relies upon consistent delivery. Something worth noting, depending on the size of your tour party or whether it’s just you on your own the jet ski could also be a shared experience. That actually depends upon your requirements and also potentially influences cost per person. However having another person on board could potentially affect speed across the water which would alter the overall enjoyment of the trip, slightly, just something to keep in your thoughts.
It’s almost like a good guide can really create or break your experience. The people working on this tour really knew the waters and local landmarks very well, like super well. That said, I sensed at times the group was perhaps a tiny bit too large. With a big group it is pretty tricky to really pay attention to individual needs, particularly, maybe, with slower jet ski riders that might struggle a bit to maintain the set pace. Perhaps there is potential to think about managing group size a bit.
Value for Time and Money
So, is the 1 Hour Jet Ski Safari to the Shipwreck and Iguana Island worth it? If I’m being perfectly honest it has to be a maybe, verging on yes. The jet ski part really is a huge amount of fun and viewing the shipwreck remains offers striking photographs and there is an incredible story to be heard there too, however briefly. Then seeing the iguanas roaming free on Iguana Island is pretty delightful, arguably magical but I did feel that the brief amount of time on both of those legs felt rushed.
If they perhaps allocated a touch more time to each point of interest or considered reducing the overall party number to smallers amounts then I personally would recommend it, particularly at that price point. When assessing the cost you may want to shop around; it seems, arguably, that the costs do fluctuate with the seasons and different tour operators, so shop smart to avoid paying over the odds for a very similar package.
Don’t forget though, a little bit of that cost I’m sure is to offset fuel costs, running expenses for the machines, upkeep plus wages for all the brilliant members of staff to enable such expeditions to happen, but for most it could be deemed pretty good value when it is all totted up. Just be realistic about how jam-packed it will feel and that may prepare you nicely, maybe, actually.
Overall, this tour does pack quite a punch for an hour’s adventure and is definitely a great way of seeing and experiencing a number of places in a short period. In many respects it also gives people a shot at experiencing such things to ascertain whether longer excursions may then be better placed in the future. Plus the ability to drive a jet ski and feel the cool water of the Caribbean rushing past as you ride is just one of those brilliant experiences in life that must be taken advantage of. Plus with crystal seas surrounding a place as unique as Turks and Caicos is like, very enchanting.
In Short:
- Pros: Fun jet ski ride, see a real shipwreck, iguana spotting, photo opportunities galore.
- Cons: Tour felt short, limited time at each stop, group sizes can vary.