Reef-safe sunscreen in Turks and Caicos: what to pack for a snorkel day

Best for: snorkelers and the curious

Why does reef-safe sunscreen matter in Turks and Caicos?

Because the reef is right there. A barrier reef runs some 340 miles around these islands, and the most visited stretch for boat snorkeling, off Leeward, lies inside Princess Alexandra National Park. Sea fans sway, parrotfish crunch on coral, and angelfish and blue tang drift past your mask. Turtles and rays are common here, and charters snorkel reefs off Leeward, Grace Bay and Pine Cay.

NOAA, the US ocean agency, lists oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene and several other UV filters among the chemicals that threaten coral. The research is still going on, but the advice is simple.

Best for: packing with a clear conscience

Is reef-safe sunscreen required by law in Turks and Caicos?

No law here requires it or bans an ingredient. Instead, the islands’ environment department asks snorkelers and divers to use biodegradable sunscreen whenever they can, and to let it soak into the skin before getting in the water. Every charter we book lists reef-safe sunscreen on its what-to-bring list.

Best for: your shopping list

What counts as reef-safe sunscreen?

There’s no official definition, so read the active ingredients, not the front of the bottle. The National Park Service’s advice is a sunscreen whose only actives are zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, and it warns that a “reef friendly” label guarantees nothing by itself. NOAA also lists the nano-sized forms of those minerals, so non-nano is the safer pick.

Bring a lotion rather than a spray. The 43ft doesn’t allow aerosol sunscreen on board, and spray drifts onto the deck and the sea. Put it on at the hotel or on the dock, about 20 minutes before your first swim, so it isn’t straight into the water.

Best for: families and fair skin

How do you stay protected on a boat all day?

Let clothing do most of the work. A long-sleeved swim shirt and a wide-brimmed hat cover the most skin, so you need sunscreen only on what they leave bare. NOAA’s advice is to get out of the sun between 10 am and 2 pm, which on a boat is easy: covered decks, sun canopies, and on several yachts an air-conditioned cabin below.

A cap won’t cover your neck, so a wide brim or a light buff wins on the water.

Best for: families with young snorkelers

What sun protection do kids need on a boat?

Little ones burn fastest and stay in the water longest, so dress them first: a long-sleeved rash guard, a hat for the ride and swim leggings if they’ll wear them. Mineral sunscreen on faces, hands and feet does the rest. Then plan the day around them: a morning snorkel, lunch in the shade, and a calm sandbar like Half Moon Bay for splashing in the afternoon.

• Look, don’t touch. Coral is a living animal, so float above it and never stand on it.
• Fins up. Keep your body flat so you don’t kick sand onto the coral.
• Float, don’t stand. Rest on the surface or the boat’s ladder, never on the reef.
• Leave it be. Shells, coral and sea life stay where they are, and the national parks protect them.
• Lotion on early. At the hotel or on the dock, never at the reef.

Where can you snorkel the reef?

From a private boat charter or a group excursion, with masks and fins on board. Our snorkeling charters guide has the best reefs, and what to bring has the full packing list. If you’d like to go with us, pick your boat below.

• Taxes included. The price you see is the price you pay.
• A deposit secures the boat. Every boat shows its free-cancellation window.
• Fast answers. Requests are confirmed within a few hours, nearly always the same day.