RHINO RIDERS

We really struggled with what to do here this time around. We have been here multiple times and the last time, we had our very own personal tour guide (Kia), who used to live on the island for years, take us around to every location possible around the entire island. I mean, who can top that right? So what is there left to do?

I searched and searched and found a tour online (boating) that looked interesting and posted it on here and didn't find anyone that had ever done it. I thought that was extremely odd. While I'm very grateful for the suggestions that people on here mentioned, I had either already done it or didn't interest me. So back to checking out the boating again and decided to throw caution to the wind and blindly book. We needed something "different" to do this time around (since we didn't get a chance to do any dune buggies and I had to endure listening to Kendra the entire cruise talk about it).

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This tour was called "Self-Drive Boat Tour and Snorkel from Simpson Bay" The cost was $75 a person, so not bad at all. You book it using Trip Advisor (and I will say there are TONS of great reviews on there...which is what convinced me to book). It is your responsibility to get yourself to the place however.

We caught a cab and off we went to Simpson Bay to the "Rhino Riders"

Once we arrived, we checked in (which is a building located along the water and you walk from the front of building that is a restaurant (outside) to the back.

After checking in, they gave us life jackets and fitted us with fins and anything else we needed...including giving us a bag to use to put all of our things in that we were taking with us. All items we didn't want to get wet went in totes and stored in a locked building.

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We were given a quick lesson on how the boats worked and how we were to follow each other in a line in certain places, the no wake zones and most importantly the hand signals. Then everyone was assigned their boat.

Now these are "blow up" LOL boats (using that term loosely). They have a hard bottom so it's easy to get in and out of and not at all what I had pictured (honestly it was hard to picture anything about a "blow up" boat).

We had a 3 person boat (but they also come in 2 people boats). We were able to add Shawna with no problems and they switched one of their 2 person boats for a 3 person. We managed to be put in the fastest boat they had and oh was it fun!!!

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We first had to do some circles in front of the place to get used to how the boats handled. 

They also had us stop and pose for pictures for the paparazzi (which happened to be their photographers that sit on the second floor of their building).

Then off we went. As you can see, some of the pictures are Kendra's...which she ended up handing the camera off to Shawna at some point. Shawna took some very nice pictures of the floor, shoes, peoples legs and ....well you get the picture (well actually, you don't get the picture itself lol).

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These boats could really move!

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​Now the 3 person boat is like this...2 people sit in the back (this includes the driver and a passenger) and then the 3rd person sits in a middle chair (which is where I sat). The only issue I had with this is that there's no back on that chair and of course the faster you go, the more it throws you back and you have to keep your balance since there's nothing to lean against. But weight distribution it is....

We came to an area that was a no-wake zone and it was really cool cruising in that area.

Kendra kept turning around looking for Billy and Brayden and they were no where to be found.

We had made it pretty far before we finally seen a spot coming up behind us. Finally, here came Billy and Brayden!!!

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​I guess their boat had broke down in the beginning and they had to be switched out. But, they managed to catch up to us with another one of the guides.

We took off and was having so much fun! Our boat was really moving. I did end up in Sakari's lap once when we jumped a huge wave and I had never laughed so hard. I think my jaws were hurting so much from the laughter and smiling going on that day.

Billy was jumping one of our waves and they were going back and forth trying to pass us...it just couldn't keep up with our 3 person boat.

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Kendra had finally noticed that Billy was with us and was relieved.

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At one point we slowed down to let Kendra pass...just so I could get some pictures. Then we felt bad for Billy and let him and Brayden pass as well.

Hey at least Kendra or Shawna managed to get one picture of us. LOL  I figured giving her my camera would allow some pictures of us boating but I guess not really.

We were coming to an area that had a huge hill coming up out of the water. I guess this would be the place we were stopping to snorkel. It was supposed to be a Marine Park (I forgot to mention that you have to pay $5/pp to be/snorkel in the park and that is paid to them at the shop before you leave). <---why this isn't just added to your total booking and paid at that time I have no clue.

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​After pulling up, we all roped off together.

I wasn't wasting any time and grabbed my gear and jumped off and waited for Sakari.

She had an absolute fit about wearing the lifejacket but I insisted. I told her she didn't have any fins with her (meaning monofin because she refused to wear the regular fins) and it was better to play it safe than sorry.

Off we went snorkeling... it was mostly rocks in the water with some coral. I was really hoping this wouldn't be all there was to see at this "Marine Park" that I just paid $15 for.

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We were headed toward the rocks where we were told the best snorkeling was.

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I was not impressed...but did some of this beautiful red sponges that we seen at St Lucia.

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As you can tell by the pictures, this area was pretty shallow and loaded with rocks. I decided to let Sakari "off her leash" and she removed her life jacket. I held it while we snorkeled and she was free as a bird...or a fish I guess. She was so happy but I kept a close eye on her just in case. I know she's a great swimmer but I just feel so much better when she has her fin on.

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There were a lot of black spiney sea urchins all over the place. I warned Sakari not to put her foot down for anything and if she needed to rest to grab onto me.

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Sakari was having a blast and diving down to explore. That child...I swear...I think it's funny that the tanner Sakari gets, the redder she looks under water. I can always spot her when swimming...just look for the red in the water.

There were a few interesting things in the water but for the most part, I was very disappointed in this so-called snorkeling area. Maybe St Maarten really doesn't have much to see.

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I spotted some ballyhoo at the surface. They creep up on you and you don't know it because you are usually looking down when snorkeling. Sakari spotted a sea urchin.

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There was a very bleached out or dead coral. It was odd because I didn't really see much of this here.

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Then I spotted a PURPLE soft coral!!! MY FAVORITE!!!! I wish I could have got down there closer for a close up pic but it was nice of this fish to get in the picture for me.

I popped up to see how close I was to the rocks and noticed something move. Take a look in the middle of the picture...I managed to sneak up on him...

Then I spotted this...and I kept starring and I knew I had seen them before (online from the dive site we used in St Thomas at Coki) and knew immediately what it was...a remora. They are sometimes called a suckerfish and can grow up to 2 feet long. They suction to things like boats or fish like whales or sharks and you can find them hitching a ride. I really wish it would have been closer (shallow water) to get a better picture but they have a very distinctive look and you know it when you see it. They have a flat head with gills which is where they suction.

(Here's a pic from the web to show you what they look like).

So we decided there wasn't much more to see in this area and decided to head back to our boats, which was quite some distance away. The bad part was it was somewhat of a difficulty swim. We were going against the waves and whew! I asked Sakari if she wanted her life jacket and she actually said "yes!". I knew it was a good idea for her to bring it.

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It took awhile, but I was never so happy to see the bottom of the boats...

Wait, how are we getting back up in the boats? You want me to do what? Oh boy....

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Now this is not an easy task. Grabbing a hold of the boat and trying to pull myself up and the hubby pushing me like he's pushing a broke down car to the gas station...uphill...in the snow...while it's pouring down raining and you are sliding 😉

It took several attempts, but I did make it up in the yellow one...then I had the task of transferring to our white boat. All I could picture is me falling back into the water and having to do this again. LOL

I got the great idea that I wanted to try to drive the boat on the way back. Ohhhhh my gooddddnessss! LOL I'm pretty sure I almost flipped it a few times.

I was giving the hubby a ride of his life and Sakari was doing the filming and photography. I just want to take this moment to thank Sakari for taking such an unflattering picture of mommies double chin. I knew I shouldn't have had that extra 5 pieces of bacon this morning. 

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We went into a bunch of different areas that we didn't go to on our way there. We were told "on the way back...open her up and have some fun"....and fun it was. 

We were zig-zagging  back and forth and going everywhere.

Finally the zig-zagging got me a few goods time by banging my knee into the throttle handle and I was done for. I stopped the boat and switched with the hubby because I could not endure this abuse any more. LOL

Then we were off to the races again

And a little slow down so they won't pout and I can get some good pictures.

We had fun all the way back and once we got back into the bay we started at, they turned around and we headed back out for some more fun. WOW! They really let us go out for quite some time! It felt like it was longer than we expected and it was definitely worth the money for sure.

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Once we got back to the place, they had the pictures they had taken of us for sale. I want to say they were maybe $15 but not completely sure.

We had talked about walking down to the beach after our rhino tour (because it ended a little after noon or 1pm). They told us it was a short walk from there...just go out front, take a right and follow the street until you see Burger King and take a left and that street would run into the beach at Buccaneers (which is where we stopped for food with Kia last time we were here). 

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​FINAL THOUGHTS

We had a wonderful day riding the Rhino Riders and I would highly recommend them. I'm not sure why cruisers haven't discovered this more often (or at least not talked about on the boards).  But they do come highly rated on Trip Advisor and I can see why. They are so much fun! The snorkeling isn't the greatest, but still fun to do and you never know what you might see. The company that does this is great as well!