Rhino Safari

Rhino Safari Excursions runs one of Sint Maarten’s most original water tours: you drive your own Rhino Rider, a small, sturdy inflatable motorboat for two, while following a local guide. The classic tour lasts 3 hours, in the morning or the afternoon.

At the base, the team fits you with safety and snorkel gear, then gives a short briefing before a few supervised test spins. You follow your guide across Simpson Bay Lagoon, between the anchored boats and mega-yachts, while planes take off from Princess Juliana airport overhead. You pass under the Dutch causeway and the French bridge to reach the sea, then ride along the French side: Marigot and Fort Louis, Galisbay and its wreck, Friars Bay and the small beaches of the coast.

The tour ends at one of two destinations. At Creole Rock, in the nature reserve off Grand Case, you tie your Rhino to the guide’s boat and snorkel among sergeant majors, parrotfish and sometimes turtles or stingrays. At Happy Bay, you get a 40-minute break on a quiet beach lined with palm trees. Then you ride back to Simpson Bay.

The price is USD 199 per boat, for up to 2 people, with the guide, fuel, snorkel gear, life jackets and a water or soda included. A USD 6 per person marine park, dock and snorkel fee is paid on site. Drivers must be 18 or hold a valid boat license. To book several boats, make one booking per boat.