Lisa we were snorkleing. Part of the reason we selected Tobacco caye was because the reef is right off the island. Having to kids (19months and 7 years) we did not want to be taking boats anywhere. This ruled out some of the better spots in Belize but we found plenty to amuse ourselves with. My daughter went snorkleing with me everyday even in the deeper waters (Max 20 ft). In the following pic you can see how close the reef is to the island. about 100 ft. Thats where the water is breaking.