r/snorkeling

Where in the Philippines can I find the best snorkeling experience swimming directly from shore? With good snorkeling I am mainly thinking of healthy coral and lively marine life. It’s also a plus if there aren’t too many other people around.

Hey friends!

Last summer I visited Hawaii and went snorkeling for the first time, a friend gave me a set of cheap goggles and fins and I spent the next 7 days in the water. I was so taken.. now it’s been about a year since my Hawaii trip and I want to pursue another snorkeling adventure.

I live in the states but I’m thinking about a trip to Belize or somewhere Caribbean. Would love any input on good starter places for totally newbies or maybe good YouTube channels to watch to keep learning more. Tips on good starter equipment etc too! Basically I’m open to any and all advice. Affordability would be great.

Thanks!

I’m looking for recs for snorkel masks that work well with beards. I’m also nearsighted so if they have corrective lenses that’s a plus! I’ve bought a couple of cheap ones on the jungle site and they leak really badly.

Planning a trip to Indonesia early next year and we’re specifically looking for multiday boat trips (liveaboard or not) that are snorkel‑focused, not dive‑focused (we don’t dive at all)

So far we’ve been looking at Raja Ampat, but we’re open to other places in Indonesia if you think they’re better for snorkel‑only trips

What we’re hoping to find:

• Around 7–10 days on a boat, moving between islands (liveaboard or not)
• Itineraries built around snorkelers, not divers
• Small groups, decent comfort (private cabin for 2, AC if possible)
• Operators that actually market it as a snorkeling trip, not “diving with snorkeling allowed”

The problem is basically every multi‑day trip I find is dive‑centric and it’s hard to tell which ones are actually good for snorkelers. Prices also vary like crazy (something like $1k to 10k per person**) so I have no idea what’s normal or good value

If you’ve done a trip like this, could you share:

1. Where you went (Raja Ampat, Komodo, Sulawesi, etc.)
2. The name of the operator / boat
3. How you contacted them (website / whatsapp / insta / email..)
4. Rough price per person and trip length

Any actual providers you can recommend (and how to reach them) would be super helpful!!

Thanks a lot in advance!

My partner and I took a trip to snorkel in Catalina for two days (6/28-6/29). When we got out to Casino Point, there was all this brown foam floating on the water. There were still a ton of people swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving, and one of the scuba guys told us “Oh it’s just from the kelp”.

Well after snorkeling and kayaking for 5 hours, we went back to our campsite to rest. While sleeping, I started to get an extremely painful post-nasal drip. And when I woke up, the back of my throat and my sinuses BURNED. Like, extreme pain. My partner, who snorkeled less, still showed early symptoms as well.

We ended up having to leave on an earlier ferry and cancel our day 2 snorkeling because I was so ill. My doctor ended up diagnosing me with HAB (Harmful Algae Bloom) Poisoning.

But there were NO signs, NO warnings, NO advisories about the algae. I even tried my best to stay out of it but still got extremely ill. Has anyone experienced this from Catalina recently? If this is happening to more people, they need to let swimmers know the water is toxic.

- - - NEW UPDATE - - -

I got a call from a doctor at the Water Control board. She asked me about what I had witnessed and my symptoms, and confirmed they are consistent with irritation from the chemicals that Dinoflagellates create during an algae bloom.

She said that they usually test for plankton levels along the coast of cali once a week with a net, but that Catalina does NOT have such regular testing, and that the state will only do this test when there are reports like mine.

So they’re going to test the water now and report the findings, then determine what action will be taken with the results.

If anyone else has gotten sick, I definitely recommend making a report as well. And because the burning and cold-like symptoms are related to irritation, they suggest taking antihistamines like Zyrtec or Benadryl to reduce inflammation.

https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/bloom-report/

Brand new here!
I really want to get into freshwater snorkeling. I live in Minnesota and have thousands of lakes to explore. I love the outdoors and I feel like I’m missing so much in the underwater world because I’m scared to get in there. I have no problem with wearing the gear. I feel perfectly secure in my breathing and swimming. I am scared of things popping out at me, or a fish coming at me. I know they’re more scared of me than I ever will be about them, but I’m so jumpy that they make me panic every time. I fish frequently and I have no problem with fish above water. I’ve been staying at the surface but I want to go down and see what’s up. Plus, I do work with aquatic invasive species and it’d be such a valuable way to collect data.

Tips on how to get comfortable with that aspect of snorkeling?

What do you all use as a bag to swim with? Not a dry bag that floats, but something you can carry crossbody or around the waist while in the water. I want to put the GoPro, sunglasses or a small tools in there. Any advice?

Hi! I am looking for quality plus size rash guards for when I go snorkeling. Does anybody have recommendations for websites that have these?

Hi there! I recently went snorkeling for the first time during my holiday in Malta this week and I've absolutely fallen in love with it. Anyway, I have a few questions I'd like to ask.

I live in the UK, what places would you recommend and what type of marine life would I find there? And a bit of a follow on, is the Isle of Wight any good? I go there at least once a year to visit family and we often end up going to the beach

I'd love to take pictures and videos of future snorkeling trips, what cameras would you recommend?

Are there any absolutely essential equipment/accessories I need and what purpose do they serve?

+ Any other beginner advice I need to know