West End Ecology Tours
West End Ecology Tours
5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
West End Ecology Tours based in West End, Grand Bahama Island can provide an educational ecology program featuring marine life, snorkel and fishing excursions that are simple, pure and natural! Guests can easily customized half and full day tours with sharks and rays, pelicans/sea birds, snorkel reefs and fishing. Our signature tour features "The Sandy Cay Experience Tour" that provides visitors the opportunity to learn about marine life in their natural element. The Sandy Cay Experience is a once in a lifetime excursion and truly off the beaten path. A short distance from the cay is a sunken boat wreck in 6 feet/2 meters of water. and is an add-on option. The wreck is filled with thousands of fish and marine life. Customized options available and perfect for nature lovers, snorkelers and fishing enthusiasts!
West End, Bahamas
Features animals

Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours and Tickets by West End Ecology Tours
Travelers talk about
(20 reviews)
(11 reviews)
(2 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

5.0
135 reviews
Excellent
135
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Paige L
Pompano Beach, FL5 contributions
May 2022
We did the Stingray Tour which was absolutely wonderful! Keith is extremely knowledgeable about Stingrays and the local environment in which they live, breed, and feed.
Keith does a great job getting everyone acclimated to the idea of touching a Stingray and helps keep whatever anxieties they may have brought with them, completely behind. Even swimming with sharks which is quite visceral in most people but these are young adolescents and are quite harmless.
All in all, we had an excellent Stingray experience. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this eco tour to anyone who appreciates ecology, marine wildlife, and interacting with these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat.
Written May 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shawn Rhodes
3 contributions
Mar 2022 • Friends
Spent an amazing day with Keith, the stingrays and juvenile lemon sharks! This is the second time I have been out with Keith (mom and I live in Alaska) and if you are going to do one big thing in the Bahamas, you need to do a tour with Keith!

Met some wonderful people from LA the day before and got them set up with Keith. My mom (almost 81 years old) and I decided to join them for the afternoon and we are so glad we did! The rays are always amazing and feel like silk when they brush their "wings" over you. Keith has really ramped up the educational side of this business over the years and we learned so much about the rays during our tour.

This adventure is for everyone! Young and old will enjoy the experience of feeding these wild creatures and interacting with them in their natural environment. Having the juvenile lemon sharks show up was a huge bonus while snorkeling in 3' of water. There were several sharks and some came within arms reach. They display no agression and seemed to accept us into their environment with mild curiosity. It was wonderful having Keith right there snorkeling in the water with us filming all the interactions.

Truely, this is an experience of a lifetime so don't miss it! Make sure you call Keith far in advance to schedule a tour as he has become so popular over the years that he books up quickly. I can't wait to do it again next year!
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jo Neary
Fort Myers, FL6 contributions
Dec 2021
We were referred to Keith by a mutual friend. We arrived on Grand Bahama Island just a few weeks after Dorian hit. After spending two weeks passing out medication and supplies, we wanted to see some of the beauty that GBI offers. We booked the stingray experience. We drove out to the west in in the morning and were greeted by Keith at the gate of the Old Bahama bay resort. He took us to his boat and gave us a safety talk. We boarded on the most beautiful day. As we rode he told us some of the history of the area and talked about the native fishes. We arrived at Sandy Key excited to begin the water part of the tour. Keith gave a talk on the stingrays and how he came to be their biggest protector and fan. Several 11 I believe showed up including big Mama. After our amazing visit we asked if we could do something special it was my husbands best friends birthday. Sadly he had passes away a few months before. We said a few words about the important person he was in our lives and released some flowers into the tide. Just as we did this a school of lemon sharks appeared right in front of us. We could not have asked for a more perfect day or a better host.
Written February 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Karin
World4 contributions
Jan 2023
Fantastic Day on Grand Bahamas island with Keith Cooper! We learned a lot about Stingrays, got to touch them and to swim with them, as well as the lemon sharks who joined us. It was amazing, especially considering that these animals are wild. This tour is unique, kept small (max 6 people), always keeping safety for animals and people first. Bring a 32 mb usb stick - the underwater videos Keith shares are incredible! Highly recommend.
Written February 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stephanie H
Newport News, VA1 contribution
Dec 2021
Keith Cooper is absolutely fantastic! He is down to earth, funny, kind, knowledgeable and so passionate about what he does! We had the most wonderful, amazing time with him during our private tour swimming with sting rays and lemon sharks. He was so patient and taught us so much. I never imagined I would ever be able to do anything like this and he made my dreams come true! I can't wait to do this again. I highly recommend this tour! It was truly an experience of a lifetime!
Written January 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

X6168SOandreab
4 contributions
Nov 2022
We had the chance to book a half day trip to the smmll island on West end of Freeport.
We have been very friendly welcomed by Keith, with a cup of Coffee as we started very early in the morning.
After a around 30 minutes boat trip , we arrived on a unique little island with the perfect white beach, and some pelicans relaxing in the water.
Immediately the first curios stingrays already swam to Keith to say hello.
We had the chance to spent time in the water and to see the stingrays very close. Also some curious lemon shark babies came to see us.
It was a very , very unique experience and I can highly recommand this tour.
Thank you Keith for that very special day:-)
Written December 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Joe Mac
Memphis, NY28 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
My brother and his wife came to visit from California and having been on a previous tour with Keith we knew we had to go again and bring my brother. The seas were calm and we had the joy of swimming with 10 stingrays and 3 lemon sharks. Fun was had by all! We then headed over to a shipwreck for snorkeling and the fish were amazing. Already looking forward to our next adventure with Keith.
Written June 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

unityfm
Miami, FL39 contributions
Jan 2021 • Couples
First and foremost I want to thank Mr. Keith Cooper for his incredible insight into the ecology of the Bahamas! We met Keith at Old Bahamas Bay for our initial briefing before boarding his boat to Sandy Cay. The entire time his professional insight and years of experience were apparent; especially the 1st class experience from start to finish! He is doing what no one else is in the world! Bar none, his research into the Southern Sting Rays and their habitat is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. A trip to West End, Grand Bahama wouldn’t be complete without a trip out with to the Cay’s with Mr. Cooper. After our Sting Ray experience (which included some very in-depth knowledge, safety briefing and opportunity to feed these majestic creatures) we snorkeled over a wreck teaming with more fish and sting rays then we had ever seen. Do yourself a favor and BOOK NOW! We truly can’t wait to go back for another tour and some fishing with the best guide and local West Ender!
Written January 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evan and Jill, I want to thank you both for allowing me the opportunity to share the amazing Stingrays with you. Having nature lovers like you two really make the work I enjoy worthwhile. It would be a pleasure to welcome you back with friends and family for another opportunity to meet the rays and enjoy the fantastic coral reefs, boat wreck and fishing offered in West End. All the best, Keith
Written January 22, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Amy H
Ruislip, UK82 contributions
Me and my boyfriend booked this trip on our second to last day in Grand Bahama. We wished we had met him earlier because his knowledge of the island is outstanding and we wished we could have done another trip with Keith

From start to finish Keith was friendly and accommodating and is Very easy to talk to

The boat trip to the cat was fantastic and hope it has not been destroyed in the late hurricane

The trip itself was insane, the remote Cay is breathtaking and the rays are also mind blowing. We ended up snorkelling with the rays and some baby lemon sharks.

Having a beer on the boat on the way back was also a highlight for me as the sun slowly began to go down

You have to experience this trip- it made our entire holiday.

We both fell in love with grand Bahama and will be back for sure!
Written November 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Amy, Thank you for the fabulous review. I enjoyed having your both on the Stingray Experience Tour and look forward to seeing you and more friends in the not to distant future. All the best, Keith
Written March 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Emily A
Florida1 contribution
Jun 2014 • Family
This trip was AWESOME. Mr. Keith took us out to the islands where we got to feed massive stingrays and even chase around a baby shark for a while. It was my senior trip after I graduated high school, and I couldn't have imagined a better way to top it off than to attend this snorkeling adventure. WORTH EVERY SECOND.
Written November 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 125

West End Ecology Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go