When someone asked me whether people from faraway places like New Zealand take so much pain and spend lots of money to go Hawaii or Maldives just to enjoy an hour of snorkeling, I said, ”why not; if someone from Sri Lanka travel nearly 20 hours to Jamaica to watch cricket match between their country and West Indies, people from New Zealand will happily travel to Seychelles to indulge in snorkeling just to watch the myriad fish of exotic color combinations in close quarters or grab a rare coral in Australia’s great barrier reef.
Overview of Snorkeling
Snorkeling is not a very difficult water sports. You need not know swimming. You only wear a face mask, a life jacket and a snorkel (a tube that is connected to your mouth). The other (open) end of the tube stays above the water. As a snorkeler, you only float on the water surface and see the water creatures through your face mask.
Watching a game played by others may sometimes require the use of binoculars to have a closer view but to kiss a golden fish or feed a family of dolphin, you only go near their dwellings under the water. If you are fearless, the sea creatures would come very close to you.
Is snorkeling for all?
You bet! I tried it 12 years ago when I was 50 and I didn’t know swimming then; in fact even now. It’s easy for even children in the age group of 12 to 18. See, not all visitors to beachfront and islets know swimming. Not all of them are interested in idling away their time under the pretext of getting tanned. A handful of tourists love to go underwater. This blog post targets those who love to play watersports such as snorkeling, scuba diving, sea walking, kayaking, or speed boating.
Snorkeling is a golden opportunity to literally immerse yourself in underwater nature.
I have compiled a list of 7 wonderful spots in the world to go snorkeling, after extensive research.
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Ilha Grande, Brazil
Ilha Grande is a beautiful island that belongs to Brazil. It is known for less-crowded beaches and lush forests. The Lopes Mendes beach is the good spot for snorkeling because it is a fish-filled beach. If you are lucky, you can see seahorses in one of the many lagoons.
Other sea creatures that a snorkeler comes across are, the underwater coves, sea turtles, and angelfish.
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Heaven of Snorkeling: Ambergris Caye, Belize
Belize is a Central American Nation in the Caribbean sea. From Belize City, you can fly to this largest island that belongs to Belize, in 15 minutes. Alternatively, adventure lovers take a water taxi from Belize City to San Pedro, which is the gateway to Ambergris Caye. This ferry ride in a speedboat takes about an hour and a half.
Ambergris Caye offers several spots for snorkeling. It is an ideal place to watch the barrier reef which is the second largest next to Australia’s great barrier reef. Snorkelers see in the close-up, the eels, rays, and brilliantly colored fish. The vantage spot for snorkelers is the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.
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Palawan, The Philippines
Do you know that there as many as 7000 islands and islets in the Philippines archipelago? Obviously, there is no dearth of snorkeling opportunities. Snorkelers, who can hold their breath for a few minutes, go a little further down from the surface of the water at the Bay of Donsol to catch a glimpse of whale sharks. To see the coral reefs, snorkelers are guided by a microbiologist to Noa Noa Island. A few more ideal snorkeling spots are Honda Bay, the Tubbataha reef, and the Cowrie Island where you can see the brightly-shelled mollusks.
- Komodo Island, Indonesia
Komodo is actually a giant lizard that roams the beaches of Indonesia, especially an island named after this reptile. I would rather call it a dragon. It’s big and scary. Snorkelers head to Pink Beach to watch the hawksbill turtles. The Komodo National Park is a superb place to watch over one thousand species of fish, dolphins, and whales. The ray fish that looks like the face of an elephant can also be seen on this island.
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Buck Island, U.S. Virgin Islands
Visitors to the shallow waters of Buck Island in the U.S. Virgin Island are treated to the sightings of octopus that are not dangerous. A place called the elkhorn coral barrier reefs in the Bulk Island is home to parrot fish colored in bright red, yellow, electric blue, and greenish blue. These colorful fish are beautiful to watch in their natural habitat and not in an aquarium.
- The Big Island, Hawaii
Of the many islands and islets of Hawaii, the Big Island is gifted with many still-water lagoons that are ideal for snorkeling. The best place to go snorkeling on the Big Island is the underwater state park at Kealakekua Bay that is known for multi-color corals. Hmmm… that must be a rare sight. For dolphin lovers, there is that Captain Cook Monument to watch cute dolphins.
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Island for Snorkeling- The Maldives
The Maldives islands are among the most visited island destination in the world. The beaches are said to be pristine with blue waters that house nearly 700 species of marine creatures that include the famous tuna wahoos which make a very good dish for seafood lovers. Snorkelers and scuba divers can see octopus, turtles, sharks, turtles, and sea anemones that look like a sea plant. Oh yes, it draws its name named from the beautiful anemone flower.
Have you tried snorkeling? I am sure this blog post would encourage you to try the snorkeling at least once.
