Snorkeling locations

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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.

1 Typical locations for snorkeling
2 Popular snorkeling locations
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] 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.

[edit] Popular snorkeling locations

The following list of some particularly popular or interesting snorkeling sites. It is sorted alphabetically by body of water, and then by nation when appropriate.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Australia and Oceana

Port Phillip, Huge shallow bay.
Great Barrier Reef, 2,600 kilometres of reef

[edit] Atlantic Ocean

Bermuda
The Bahamas - Convenient and extremely varied snorkeling from several islands. Many sharks and rays in some places, including bull sharks.
- Bimini
- New Providence and Paradise Island
- Andros
- 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
United States
- Florida Keys

[edit] Caribbean Sea

Cayman Islands - Interesting shore snorkeling from all three islands.
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 Nay areas, however.
Turks and Caicos

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

[edit] Coral Sea

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.

[edit] Gulf of California

Cabo Pulmo - The only hard coral reef found in the Sea of Cortez; formed by multi-fingers and lies in 18 meters of water. It is one of only three living reefs in North America

[edit] Indian Ocean

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.

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

[edit] Pacific Ocean

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.
Galapagos islands
Palau - Small island nation renowned for its dicing 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.
  - 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.
United States
- Hawaiian islands
- Catalina Island - Off the coast of California.

[edit] Red Sea

Considered some of the best snorkeling in the world.

Egypt
- Sharm el-Sheikh - Popular resort location with excellent snorkeling and diving.
- Hurghada - Excellent snorkeling and diving location, although less popular than Sharm el-Sheikh (and cheaper). Located on the African cost of Egypt, on the opposite side of the Red Sea from Sharm el-Sheikh.