snorkeling locations

This article identifies popular recreational snorkeling sites around the world and describes the features of those sites.

A choice snorkeling location has calm, clear, clean, warm, shallow water with corals and fish teeming under the surface, like the western coast of Bonaire.

Typical locations for snorkeling

Snorkeling is possible in almost any body of water, but snorkelers are most likely to be found in locations where there are minimal waves, warm water, and something particularly interesting to see near the surface.

Anywhere coral reefs are near the surface of the water, usually within 10-15 feet (3-5 meters) of the surface.
Beaches, particularly in sheltered or leeward locations where there are minimal waves, especially in tropical locations.
Around scuba diving tour boats at diving locations that provide good snorkeling.
Anywhere recreational swimmers congregate.

Popular snorkeling locations

The following list of some particularly popular or interesting snorkeling sites.

Africa

Some African coast lines on the Indian Ocean have fringing coral reefs stretching out, typically 1 km / 0.6 mile, from the beach. At low water one can walk on the reef and explore pools and puddles created inside it. At high water the reef shelters the beach keeping the swell away and breaking large waves at the edge of the reef.

Egypt
- Sharm el-Sheikh - Popular resort location with excellent snorkeling and diving. Also famous for boat excursions to nearby diving sites at Ras Mohammed, which has many great diving & snorkling sites.
- Hurghada - Excellent snorkeling and diving location, although less popular than Sharm el-Sheikh (and cheaper). Located on the African coast of Egypt, on the opposite side of the Red Sea from Sharm el-Sheikh.
- Dahab - Many reefs immediately adjacent to waterfront hotels. The nearby Blue Hole and Canyon are internationally famous dive spots.
- Marsa Alam - Many great diving and snorkling sites that are home to remarkable marine life due to their unspoilt nature.
Kenya - fringing coral reefs; at low water one can walk on the reef and explore pools and puddles created inside it
Maldives - many atolls each with a "house" reef; strong tidal currents in channels through reefs
Mauritius - fringing coral reefs
Seychelles - fringing coral reefs
Tanzania - fringing coral reefs

Americas: North, Central, and South

The Bahamas - Convenient and extremely varied snorkeling from several islands. Many sharks and rays in some places, including bull sharks.
- Andros
- Bimini
- Eleuthera
- Grand Bahama
  - Dead Man's Reef - Small, secluded beach with a small hotel/bar/dive-shop run by locals. Good shore snorkeling, and many rays by the reef. Dolphin and shark sightings possible too. [2]
  - Dolphin tours are offered by private operations, offering tourists a chance to interact directly with dolphins in their native environment. [3]
  - West End - Abundant fish and invertebrates on the rocky shores, including sea cucumbers and sea stars. Area is controlled by a hotel, so ask for permission.
- Long Island
- New Providence and Paradise Island
Belize - The Belize Barrier Reef is second in length only to Australia's.
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands - snorkel into the cave that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write Treasure Island.
Cabo Pulmo - The only hard coral reef found in the Gulf of California; formed by multi-fingers and lies in 18 meters of water. It is one of only three living reefs in North America
Catalina Island - Off the coast of California.
Cayman Islands - Interesting shore snorkeling from all three islands.
Florida Keys
Galápagos Islands
Guadeloupe
Mexico
- Cozumel
- Playa del Carmen
- Cenotes - Sinkholes filled with freshwater, some of which provide interesting snorkeling opportunities.
Netherlands Antilles
- Bonaire - Considered some of the best snorkeling in the world. Very clear waters, convenient shore snorkeling from much of the leeward side, marine park surrounding the entire island. Numerous sites, particularly on the west coast and on Klein Bonaire. Check the Dive and snorkel sites map from the tourism board.
- Curaçao
Puerto Rico
- Vieques - Large island off the east coast of the main island which used to host a major U.S. Navy base. Tour operators offer a chance to explore some of the best "bioluminescent bays" in the world. Other beaches also offer good shore snorkeling opportunities. Beware of unexploded ordnance in former Navy areas, however.
Turks and Caicos

NASA image showing locations of significant coral reefs. [1]

US Virgin Islands - St. John's: Salt Pond is filled with turtles. Haulover is filled with coral, but largely destroyed by hurricanes. Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay have lovely little islands with clouds of baitfish, tarpon, nurse sharks and plenty of colorful reef fish. Great snorkeling spots.

Australia

Byron Bay - Particularly noted for sea turtles
Great Barrier Reef - The largest coral reef in the world, and considered some of the best snorkeling in the world, though more favored by divers since most locations are not shore accessible.
Lord Howe Island - The southernmost barrier reef on the planet.
Port Phillip - Very large shallow bay.

Asia and Pacific

India
- Lakshadweep Islands - Archipelago of 100s of islands. The islands are fringed by snowwhite coral sands, are marked by a huge, shallow, calm lagoon on one side which separate it from incoming swells of the outer sea by the fort wall-reef made of massive coral boulders and live corals.
French Polynesia
- Tahiti - Very shallow waters surround this island, and in some areas, rays congregate in large numbers. They can be visited with a tour guide.
Hawaiian islands
Palau - Small island nation renowned for its diving and snorkeling. Also on the island of Macharchar, tourists can visit "Jellyfish Lake," a freshwater lake containing over a million non-stinging jellyfish.
The Philippines - As an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, the country is home to many popular (and many more undiscovered) snorkeling locations.
- Luzon
  - Batangas - The province of Batangas is the prime diving and snorkeling spot in the country. Many reefs, wrecks and channels are easily accessible by a short boat trip.
  - Cavite - While in close proximity to the polluted waters of Manila Bay, the province has some select snorkeling sites.
  - Mindoro - The seaside town of Puerto Galera on the island of Mindoro has some of the country's top snorkeling destinations. Reefs a few meters from shore are often exposed at low tide.
  - Palawan - The relatively-untouched island of Palawan sports many diving and snorkeling locations, especially in the Tubbataha Reefs and the El Nido areas.
- Visayas - The Visayas chain of islands lie in the middle of the archipelago and are home to numerous shallow reefs.
  - Cebu. It is home to some of the world-class diving and snorkeling destinations in the whole of Asia. Moalboal in the southwestern seaboard is believed to be the birthplace of the diving industry in the country dating back to the 70s. The relatively beautiful and shallow waters off Moalboal coast is considered to be the most spectacular snorkeling site in the region where marine biodiversity is unusually high.
    - Some of the most popular snorkeling sites near Cebu City can be found around Mactan Island most especially in Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary and nearby islets, being only a few minutes from the bustling capital of Cebu.
    - Waters around Malapascua Island near the northernmost tip of Cebu is quite spectacular where marine biodiversity is high especially in the western and northern and northeastern sides. The coral fringes in the southern side of the island, unfortunately, was badly destroyed due to illegal fishing practices using dynamite and poisoning.
    - Other great snorkeling sites in Cebu include those in Sumilon Island, Badian Island, Camotes Island, Bogo, San Remigio, Daan Bantayan, Alcoy, Oslob, Boljoon, Dalaguete, Argao, and Bantayan Island group.
    - Negros. Some of the best snorkeling in the Visayas region of the Philippines is the vicinity of Apo Island near the city of Dumaguete.
- Mindanao - Relatively untouched compared to other sites in the country, many beaches surrounding the island of Mindanao feature shallow reef and seagrass bed areas that are accessible by snorkelers from shore.
Taiwan (Kenting, Green Island, Penghu)

External links

Guides to multiple snorkel locations

List of snorkel sites from Beachfront Snorkeling website

Snorkel site guides to specific locations

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