~ Top 10 Best Spots to Snorkel ~

[MysteRy]

Top 10 Best Spots to Snorkel

Snorkeling around the world ... taking in some of the most wonderful underwater environments, reefs, wrecks and drop offs ... what absolute bliss. Here we profile the top ten best spots to snorkel across four continents, two oceans and two seas - even a river - for you to discover and delight in. These ten represent truly diverse marine biospheres and different experiences, with something for every snorkeler whether beginner or expert, child or child at heart.


1. Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia   



Now don't tell anyone, but Ningaloo knocks the Great Barrier Reef into a cocked hat. Perhaps the reason it's so undiscovered is that it is pretty remote: about 13 hours drive north of Perth in Western Australia, on the Indian Ocean. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site like the next major tourist destination to the south: Shark Bay and Monkey Mia. Unlike its more famous east coast cousin, it's a reef you can walk out to from the beach. No three hour, often rough sailing voyages here; you just step off the beach and into an underwater paradise. One of the major attractions is the biggest fish in the world: the whale shark. It's one of the only places in the world where you can regularly swimming with these giants of the ocean. But they are by no means the only fish in the sea: in the 260 kilometre reef you will find more than 500 species of tropical fish, in shallow warm waters. This is the biggest and arguably most pristine fringing coral reef in the world.

[MysteRy]

2. Bimini Islands, Bahamas   



Dive into the crystal clear waters of the lost city of Atlantis. Yes, here on Bimini Road is where it is believed to be! Submerged rock structures are believed to be its remains on this massive, shallow reef of the Caribbean. The warm gulf stream has created a haven of coral here at the far western end of the Bahamaian archipelago. At the edge of the reef, the drop off plunges away for thousands of feet. Heminway wrote about it, snorkellers flock here and so does the marine life including some extremely friendly dolphins. Bimini has the ideal combination of climate, resort and great dive sites. And its only a half hour flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida across the idyllic Caribbean Sea. Bimini is most accessible by air and there are daily flights from Nassau. For a slower, idyllic journey, you can catch the weekly mail boat from the main island.

[MysteRy]

3. Kealakekua Bay, Big Island, Hawaii, USA   



This is one of the best diving sites in Hawaii and is just steps from the shore. Swim out from the Captain Cook monument in a beautiful, sheltered bay. It's remote and idyllic, offering great visibility - regularly up to a hundred feet down. Spinner dolphins congregate in the mornings here, so early birds can swim with them as they seek their breakfast. The waters average a balmy 25 degrees centigrade all year round. The colours of the coral and tropical fish are even more stunning against the background of volcanic black sands. This is a South Pacific marine reserve and therefore kept completely unspoilt. Big Island is one of the most naturally dynamic and stunning of the Hawaiian chain, with volcanoes and lava flows as well as these submarine delights.

[MysteRy]

4. Crystal River, Florida, USA   



There are just a handful of places in the world where you can swim with manatees, also known as sea cows and closely related to dugongs. Unusually, this is river swimming which means the waters will typically be calm and always warm under the Florida year-round sunshine. This is the elusive and rare West Indian  member of the species. There  are only some 2,000 of them left in the wilds and over 400 are regularly seen in Crystal River. It's probably the highest concentration of manatees in all of Florida, and it's under an hour and a half from Tampa.  This is a definite must for your bucket list.

[MysteRy]

5. Bunaken National Marine Park, Indonesia   



Moving to Asia, a world-class site is in the northeastern corner of Sulawesi Island. Again, this is a series of reefs you can swim out onto, straight from the beach. Bunaken, also known as Bunakan Cha Cha, is a national park  that is home to almost 400 different coral species including a spectacular vertical drop off extending some fifty metres straight down with a great variety of fauna. This is a favourite spot for both the snorkeler and the predator, with barracuda, reef sharks, turtles, the occasional dugong and enormous eagle rays. There are both barrier and fringe reefs here and they are highly accessible for all levels of experience, with snorkeling pontoons and often direct beach access. Bunaken is on a very small island off the northwest coast of Manado, in the Celebes Sea.

[MysteRy]

6. Tobago Cays, Grenadines



Back in the Caribbean, Tobago Cays offers some of the best snorkeling amongst the Windward islands. Tobago Cays is made up of five closely neighboring islands, none of which are inhabited. It is only accessible by yacht or private charter. The safe, calm lagoon has coral of intense colours, perfectly white sands and turquoise, clear waters. Nearby, a favourite spot is a mile long reef, clinging to the edge of Canouan Island. The Cays It is protected by the government as a marine park, so remains undamaged and unspoilt. The brain coral in particular is immense.

[MysteRy]

7. Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, USA   



Hanauma Bay is a perfect semi circle encloses crystal clear, calm waters. This now sunken volcano crater is one of the most visited on Oahu. There is a walk out from the beach for novice snorkelers, while the more advanced can head to the edge of the reef, out of the cove. Hanauma is very accessible, just to the east of Waikiki and under half an hour from Honolulu's airport. Play amongst the parrotfish, dive with the dolphins and track the turtles. There are several snorkel tour operators here offering a great introductory package for all the family.

[MysteRy]

8. Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Belize   



Heading to central America for our next selection, we reach Hol Chan near to Ambergris Cay. The barrier reef here has a deep cut - giving the larger predators easy access to and from the ocean. So it's very possible to see barracuda, reef and nurse sharks, eagle rays and manatee. The reef allows you to snorkel above depths of between six and ten feet with great visibility, seeing a huge variety of marine life that's usually reserved for the SCUBA enthusiasts only. As well as the coral, there are sea grass beds and a mangrove forest to explore.

[MysteRy]

9. Trunk Bay, St John, U.S. Virgin Islands   



The beach of Trunk Bay often makes the top ten of the most beautiful beaches worldwide. A beautiful crescent of sweeping white sands is fringed by lush vegetation and palms. It's popular, so go early or late to enjoy the unique snorkeling trail in peace. This well marked trail runs for 675 feet and includes underwater signs pointing out the coral types and fish species. It's shallow and calm, so even toddlers can enjoy the feeling that you've actually put your face into a tropical aquarium. There is a tiny admission charge to visit this protected marine reserve.

[MysteRy]

10. La Jolla Cove, San Diego, Califonia, USA   



Who would have thought that excellent snorkeling was available so close to the major city of San Diego? Yet, just twenty minutes from downtown is such a cove at La Jolla lying under sandstone cliffs. It's accessed from a small beach and is a protected ecological area. The warm waters of the Pacific are calm here and the sub surface environment diverse, with caves, canyons, kelp forests and reef. Harbour seals may join you as you snorkel, and you can spot garibaldi, stingrays, morays, rockfish and sharks. The tides and weather really do affect the visibility so check locally when choosing your day to visit.


Snorkeling is such a delight, no matter how young or old you are, or what your fitness level is. Even young children in lifejackets and under close supervision can marvel at these ten unique underwater worlds. Drift snorkelling is incredibly relaxing, letting the gentle currents simply carry you over a reef as the fish come right up to your fingertips. It's also very worthwhile to get an introduction from the experts on the techniques and the equipment you'll be using, so you can relax and enjoy the fun in safety. Often the water is incredibly shallow over coral reefs so you do have to be careful. Coral can be very sharp, and it's also brittle. Reef environments worldwide are under threat, so most of these areas are under government control and the subject of major conservation efforts. There are fundamental rules: don't step on coral, touch it or take anything from a reef except wonderful memories and pictures.