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I noticed there was a dearth of information about excellent places to snorkel, or places best to avoid. On October 23,1996, in the news group, rec.scuba locations, I posted a request for reviews of snorkel destinations. The responses from CyberSnorkelers, or CyberDivers & Snorkelers who read the news, have been transcribed and posted here for the convenience of any and all persons seeking information about places to snorkel. It is my intention to update this page as new material becomes available, so if you wish to contribute your own Pick or Pan, or if you follow any advice read on this page and it appears to be inaccurate, please e-mail me.
The reviews and comments about various snorkel destinations are not solely those of Mr. Scuba, but have been contributed by Cyber Snorkelers the world over. The source for each review will be quoted at the conclusion of the review. Naturally, Mr. Scuba cannot therefore be held responsible for any errors in content.
At the moment, the arrangement is a list by geographic location, but as things progress, I hope to incorporate a world globe image map.
Tortola - disappointed in the snorkeling. There seemed to be little fish life and boring coral. The Baths on Virgin Gorda were pretty but only a few small schools of fish. On the last afternoon we were too close to our flying time to dive and went out with the dive boat to snorkel. Definitely a waste of time. The coral were too deep to see at all. We were left watching eel grass and conches where we could see the bottom.
Grand Cayman- Snorkeled Stingray City and that was perhaps better than diving it and much cheaper. The stingrays come right up on you for food and I was just as glad I wasn't ten feet under pushing them off my back and face. We snorkeled at Parrot's Landing and enjoyed it but were not all that impressed. Decided it was a better shore dive than snorkel outing. Snorkeled 'Cemetery' several times and that was beautiful. It is past the crowds of Seven Mile Beach on the main road headed toward the Turtle Farm (I''ve forgotten which heading that is). It is a little swim out but there is no current and the coral and fish life were great. We also saw stingray there. We had trouble finding some of the other spots recommended. I think maybe the reefs were farther out that we were used to in Hawaii. --by rsdt from Alaska
St. Martin - I often see posted requests for information about diving on St. Martin. Most responses put down St. Martin and suggest a trip to Saba instead. In my opinion, diving on St.Martin is not great but it is worth doing if you are there. I have been there 4 times, for a total of 6 weeks, over the last 4 years, and have done about 15 dives there. My most recent trip was for two weeks in January of 1995 . . . Snorkeling is good at the near by island of Pinel, and sometimes it's good at Baie Rouge (near La Belle Creole), too. Last time I was there, I saw a 4 ft barracuda. The dive crews and most divers speak French, but they know enough English that talking to them is no problem (I can read some technical French but cannot converse in it). -- by jim blair United States
Cozumel, Mexico -For a change of pace, or in particular if the wind off the ocean in PLaya del Carmen area is silting the water, try the cenotes (sinkholes). Two that were fun, both south near Tulum: Gran Cenote, truly a sinkhole with the water level about 20 feet below surroundings. Not huge but clear, with an aspect of cave diving back under the ledges. And Casa Cente, right off the ocean, connected to it, and thus with three sea turtles that day. This one is more like snorkeling a small stream,since the water is at ground, road level. Looked for a few others but did not find them. --by Jonh Keenan from Minnesota
Galapagos islands - The Galapagos belong to Ecuador. Snorkeling is part of a tour of the islands, or between dives on diving trips. Sea Lions, Manta Rays, Sea Turtles,White Tipped Sharks and Marine Iguanas were the special things for me. --by Yacov Shiran
Great Barrier Reef - I am not an experienced snorkeler, but I would have to recommend Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef. It is a coral cay (I think you have a different name in the US?), so you just walk across the sand and into the water and you're among the fish. A couple of flips of the flippers and you're out over the coral. They organize separate snorkeling and scuba tours, so you don't end up with the divers. At low tide you can walk out over the coral, so even non-snorkelers can get to see lots of coral life. The island itself is tiny and flat, so the reef is the thing people go there for. The resort itself is very pleasant and low-key - and the food is excellent. --by Liz James from Australia
Eilat, Israel - I was in Eilat for the first time in the summer of 1965. It was a small town with two hotels: one in town and a second recently opened one on the beach at the north end of the Gulf of Aquaba named the Queen of Sheba. We stayed there.
Now there is a row of large hotels along that shore, and two lagoonshave been added to shelter small boats and expand the shoreline. Thenewest and biggest hotels (Dan, Royal Beach, and Holiday Inn) are about20 stories tall. The Queen of Sheba has been destroyed and is being replaced. A walkway and large hotels now extend from the city to theJordan border. The Princess hotel is south of town near Coral Beach andthe Egypt border.
The snorkeling is good starting at coral beach near the Club Med and onsouth into Egypt. After a couple of scuba dives in Eilat several yearsago, I decided that I can see as much by just snorkeling, and have donescuba only at Dolphin Reef and on Coral Island trips since. There areoften young women from Club Med swimming nude to add to the pleasure. -- by jim blair United States
Israel and Egypt - Wonderfully colored fish and coral reefs only 10 meters or less offshore(the Red Sea slopes about 45 degrees). The best I have seen is in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. --by Yacov Shiran
Florida - Crystal River- It's an easy snorkel trip; don't bother with the dive stuff. You will see divers because there is a spring in the middle of the bay, and quite often the dive shops do check-out dives there. However, there usually aren't any manatees in that area (it's too crowded and manatees don't like the bubbles; divers are not allowed into their sanctuary, under punishment of a $20,000 fine and confiscation of dive boat and/or equipment!) .
We strongly emphasize - GO IN THE MORNING!! People who are on vacation, party hearty through the night, and then get into the water at 1:00 p.m. do not see manatees - they see other people looking for manatees!! In fact, from our room on the Bay last year, you could have walked across the Spring stepping on the backs of the people floating around, looking for manatees in the afternoon. --by Mr. Scuba from the United States
Florida - West Palm Beach- Some excellent snorkeling can be found just off the beach on Singer Island. We like the beach area between the Holiday Inn and the State Park. A small dead coral bommie is home to lots of marine life. We saw Sargent Majors, Scorpion fish, Nurse Shark, Atlantic Guitar fish, Horseshoe Crab, Parrot fish all an easy swim from the beach and in about five to fifteen feet of water. If you are there in the summer months you may even get a chance to see a sea turtle! --by Mr. Scuba from the United States
Lake Superior-Lake Superior's Pictured Rocks National Shoreline. A cold-water snorkel along some spectacular sandstone cliffs. There are small fissures and a cave, large enough to swim through but short enough not to need a light. The entrance is at the waterline facing the north while at the rear you have a hole just above the waterline which is large enough for an adult to pass through while stooped over. There is a viewing area for tourists that overlooks the rear exit, and people often toss small coins down and encourage the snorkelers to retrieve them. This is quite a feat in a full wet suit minus extra weights. The water temperature can be 30 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit depending upon the time of year. It has been reported that there are ice floes in some of the bays until Memorial Day (May 30). Generally the snorkeling is possible from late May to early October. --by Mr. Scuba from the United States
--by Bob Denton, President of Gulf Stream International.
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