A vacation on the beach. A cruise through crystal-clear water. A great way to appreciate an ocean getaway is by exploring the water. Snorkeling is one of the most accessible water activities. Diving requires a license and expensive equipment. Watersports like skiing, wakeboarding and sailing require a boat. All you need to snorkel is the ability to swim and a mask. With just those, your whole perspective can change, floating in the water and seeing gravity thwarted. In this article, I am going to review the pros and cons of snorkeling, but also share some of my favorite stories from snorkeling across the world. 

Activity Review

If you couldn’t tell from the intro paragraph, I am a big fan of snorkeling. So I am going to start with the positives. 

It is excellent, low impact exercise that people of all ages can enjoy. Salt water improves buoyancy, and the weightlessness of water is easy on achy joints. Snorkeling is also not what one would call a ‘speed’ activity. As long as you can float and paddle around, (and get in and out of the water) you can enjoy it.

Snorkeling is limited to how far you can dive, the first 15’ feet or so of the ocean, but that is also where sunlight still reaches and we still have color vision. If you ever go diving, after about 50 feet all the warm colors of the spectrum disappear. Seeing the beautiful sea life is kind of the point. I want to see all that beautiful color!

Typical snorkeling takes place in warm areas- getting in the water is a great way to beat the heat. No heatstroke here! Getting in the water and appreciating the natural beauty also raises awareness and appreciation for environmental protections of sea life. You are either moved by the great beauty around you, or if you are in a damaged area, seeing the real time consequences of pollution, overfishing, etc.

And now the few negatives. You do have to know how to swim. Snorkeling is generally a safe activity, because it’s done in protected coves, bays, and in relatively shallow water. But being able to capably move through the water is crucial to being safe and feeling comfortable. It is easy for me to take for granted the skill, but not everyone is taught to swim, and in large parts of the world it is largely an irrelevant activity!

Going back to that protected cove comment- if you are happen to have a windy day, or rougher seas snorkeling can become a miserable exercise. If waves are cresting your snorkel, you get these random intervals of pulling in saltwater instead of air. With half a breath you then have to blow it out, or swallow it. When snorkeling becomes waterboarding, it is time to pass and pick a different activity. You can help this a bit by not turning your back to the incoming waves, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

Along with an interrupted oxygen supply, with open water and rougher seas snorkeling also becomes a much more tiring activity. Treading water becomes a fight  to hold yourself in place, floating on top of or diving under the swells becomes a drills exercise. Look for good, calm weather and sheltered places to swim- but even then sometimes nature works against you. Sun exposure and burn is always a risk when outside, and snorkeling is not really a night-time activity, both from a seeing things perspective and a safety perspective. 

Overall, though I would recommend snorkeling, you get to see some of the most magical things. To hear about some of my greatest experiences read on!

St. Andrews State Park 

The first time I went “snorkeling”, I was a kid on vacation with my family in Panama City Beach. We were visiting St. Andrews State Park, and generally relaxing on the beach. At one point I was swimming in the ocean with my dad. A quick note about me as a child: I absolutely loved swim goggles. When my mom was teaching me to swim I very stubbornly refused to put my head under the water. She tried to bribe me with finger paints, treats, and privileges. Nothing worked. One day, on a whim, she picked up a pair of swim goggles and I became a happy little fish. 

Anyways, I was out there with my trusty goggles. There were a bunch of people out by this low cluster of rocks sticking out just offshore. Dad and I swam over at my urging. I didn’t have a snorkel, but the jetty was swarming with fish and plants. I would take a big breath and stick my face in the water just so I could watch the fish. Others were swimming around, diving under. I wasn’t confident enough to dive yet, so I floated there transfixed, occasionally taking big gulps of air, then going back in to look.

I could have stayed out there forever. At some point I was called back (the concerned looks from other swimmers might have factored in). It wasn’t true snorkeling, and more impressive places to snorkel exist. But that beach will always be special to me because it created such a vivid memory. 

For those in The Panama City Beach area, both St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island offer great snorkel opportunities. Like I realized as a child, look for the jetties – they make great habitats for fish, crustaceans and plant life.

Hell’s Gate, Antigua

Growing up on the East Coast, beach vacations came down to two options: Florida, which we visited often, or the Caribbean. A good chunk of my maternal family lived in Florida, so when we visited, it was often about visiting my grandmother or aunt and uncle. For a true “Fun in the Sun” vacation, we often cruised through the Caribbean. Mom loves the beach and warm weather (any place mentioned in the song ‘Kokomo’), I loved the kids’ club and the activities on cruise ships, and I think dad was just happy to not be working. We probably took at least four separate Caribbean cruise trips; picking new islands to visit each time. In this particular instance, we had docked in Antigua for the day. We had the day to explore, and my mom had booked an excursion to a place called Hell’s Gate. 

The excursion left from a dock on Antigua. I distinctly remember the uncomfortable wait as panhandlers prowled the crowd. Eventually the boat arrived, relatively small and nimble for a tour boat. They piled about 10 of us on board. We rode for about 25 minutes before Hell’s Gate came into view. The most notable part about this part of the trip was that I desperately needed to pee, and didn’t realize there was a bathroom below deck because I was too shy to ask anyone. Eventually, I spoke up and got relief. I remember that we disembarked briefly on a sandy, green island for a picnic lunch. Then we climbed back aboard for our main destination. 

Hell’s Gate is a pitch black rock formation off Antigua, but located seemingly in the middle of the ocean. It is a little island with grass growing in patches on the rock, and several caves carved out underneath. There is a small beach, just big enough to unload a group.

We clambered onto the small beach and entered a nearby cave, which we poked around and climbed until we popped out on top of the rock formation. The rock was very sharp, so sturdy tennis shoes were required for this part. Standing on top of the rock, the sea breeze whipped our faces as the group spread out.

We even got to cross the “gate”, a rock archway arcing over the water and connecting to another small island. In the waters surrounding the island we got to swim and snorkel, it was rich with more rock formations and coral, hiding all sorts of sea life. During the snorkel, we caught glimpses of rays, turtles, and fish, along with various types of coral and plant-life. Sea birds like pelicans and frigate birds may also inhabit the island, though are likely to take off as people approach. All in all I had a great time exploring, wading through shallow water to pass through the “gate”. Hell’s Gate is unique in that it is the perfect playground. Nature constructed the most alluring, mysterious structure that is irresistible to want to explore. Hell’s Gate is for everyone who has dreamed of being a pioneer, sailor, or explorer. 

Galapagos, Kicker Rock

As I grew up, I still retained my love for snorkeling. I actually invested in a decently nice pair of my own fins and snorkel equipment that I bring when we travel to a tropical location.Though I don’t pick beach vacations as often as my mom, I still love a lush, warm destination. When I planned my husband’s and my trip to the Galapagos I went for basically one reason: the animals – feathered, furred, shelled, and scaled.

One of our first activities after arriving was a half day boat trip to Kicker Rock. Kicker Rock, or El Leon Dormido, is a collapsed cone volcano off the shore of Isla de San Cristobal. After a short enjoyable cruise past several small islands, and tracing San Cristobal’s coast, we saw Kicker Rock looming ahead. The part that emerges from the ocean looks like a split tooth erupting from watery gums. Sea birds of all kinds nested in the rocks – gulls, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies. The face of the rock was stained white from the salt spray and the natural consequence of being home to a large colony of birds. The tour boat bobbed up and down in the waves, getting us fairly close before it was time to slip into the water. 

Getting the first look underwater was startling- the rock above the water was nearly vertical, but beneath the waves the rock started sloping more gently, though it still dropped off into the unknowable depths after about 20 feet. It was like floating over the side of a mountain. Part of me felt like I should be falling into the darkness. Schools of small, silvery fish floated in clouds, twisting in impossible shapes around each person as they approached. We slowly started making our way around the volcano’s edge, watching the greenery growing on the rock edge stream one direction then the next with the current of the water. It was imperative to not get too close to the rock face, as the waves and current could dash us against it.

We were swimming with the current, drawn into the split of the rock, swimming now in the submerged mouth. Our guide quickly drew our attention to the middle of the channel. There, about 15’ down swam of school of about 20 hammerhead sharks. I didn’t even know hammerheads traveled in schools- they weren’t enormous, though they ranged in size.

The largest was probably about 6’ long. They were totally uninterested in us (luckily) as we floated near the surface. They made several passes through the channel. Every person was transfixed watching the sharks patrol, locals included! After they left and we climbed back on the boat; the guides told us that the sharks come to feed on the schools of fish that congregate. The local guides were super excited– hammerhead sightings were rare as they tend to be shy. This was an interesting note because in general, the Galapagos islands are a great place to go see sharks. This includes Galapagos Sharks, white-tipped reef sharks, black-tipped reef sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, and tiger sharks.

The Galapagos is a great place to see all kinds of marine life. On later islands I would share the water with sea lions (they move like torpedoes in the water), marine iguanas, and in one spot floated over a shallow shark nursery, drifting less than 6’ away from baby reef sharks. The Galapagos are a great place to snorkel- they don’t have the same coral life that Hawaii or Australia has, but the unique marine life and the shark spotting is top tier. 

 Kona, Hawaii

The best snorkeling I did in Hawaii was actually a night-time snorkel trip on the Big Island- the Sunset Manta Ray Snorkel in Kona. In addition, we visited several highly recommended snorkeling spots: Captain Cook’s Monument, Kealakekua Bay, and Hanauma Bay. But as far a s unique snorkeling goes, the Manta yars take the cake. 

 The whole point was to see manta rays after dark. This was a really unique experience. My husband and I had this experience on our honeymoon, and it was his favorite excursion the whole trip. We rolled up to the dock at around sunset and checked in. They provided us with wetsuits (the ocean is a lot colder after sunset, especially when you aren’t moving around in the water). We loaded up on these giant catamarans, along with 30 of our best friends l. They had this net hung between the two prows of the catamaran that you could lay in- you’d get splashed by the waves every now and then, but that was part of the fun.

The site for our snorkel was really odd- right off the shore of a cliffside hotel. Back when the hotel was open it had powerful lights that shined into the ocean at night- at first it was accidental. The staff noticed that the light seemed to attract manta rays. After some study, it became clear that the light attracted zooplankton. And where the prey gathers, the predators follow….

After the hotel realized what an attraction the nightly manta ray gathering was becoming, they got special light specifically to shine in the water. The hotel eventually closed down, but now tour companies copy what the hotel did. They deploy large, downward facing lights mounted on floating rafts. Once the lights were deployed, we were led to one where we floated face down, holding handles around the edges of the raft. We were given snorkels, of course, to facilitate our view and ability to lay facedown for longer than a minute.

After we were all positioned, we waited. We were to be still and to not touch sea life. While we waited for the rays, other small fish, plankton, invertebrates, and unrecognizable critters floated through the water. Because we were all so still, I don’t think the sea life really clocked us as “alive”. For all intents and purposes we were driftwood floating on the surface. Because of that, the fish got really close. One tiny fish in particular was iridescently rainbow colored, maybe only an inch long. It floated, inches in front of my mask before darting away. 

Before long, our log impression was shattered because muffled exclamations echoed over the top of the water. The rays were here. From our vantage point, and with the strength of the lights, we could see all the way to the seafloor, about 25’ down. The first rays were gliding silently across the bottom. Another minute, another ray. Then they started getting bigger. You could follow a ray with your gaze, then immediately see another cross in the opposite direction. By this time, plankton were swarming beneath the lights and the show really started. 

The rays started to do sweeping passes through the plankton cloud, conveniently located a foot away from us. Mouths gaping, you could see clear through their gills, and down their throats as they passed through the plankton swarms. And for some inconceivable reason they did these food passes upside down. You would see a great gray square cruising along the bottom, then pull up into a loop. Pale belly flashing and jaws gaping, it does a sweep at moderate speed, before completing its loop and presumably swallowing. At some points the rays were so close their wingtips would brush your arms, hands or bodies as they flew past. Loop after loop, the rays feasted and we watched. 

After a certain point the plankton became fewer and the rays drifted away into the depths. Now shivering but elated, we all climbed back into the boat. Everyone immediately discussed what they had seen. We were served hot drinks as the catamaran started the windy trip back to the dock.

It was the most unique snorkeling experience I have ever been on and well worth the nighttime chill. 

As I continue to travel I am sure I will find more places to add to my list. Snorkeling will always be at the top of my list of activities.