Exotic Locales for a Great Snorkeling Adventure

There's swimming, there's diving, then there's snorkeling. Snorkeling is a great way to enjoy the surroundings of your swimming environment by taking in the underwater views to be had. One of the beauties of snorkeling is that, unlike diving, it doesn't require any specialized training or expensive equipment to get started. If you know how to swim, can put on the snorkeling mask properly and breathe through the snorkeling tube, you are ready to do some underwater sightseeing!

No, you won't be able to dive for 30 minutes at a time and swim into shark caves. But on the bright side, the equipment is a lot easier and faster to put on, and there are still plenty of wonders to behold in the shallow water... if you know where to look.

However, if you really want to get serious about it, make sure that you have quality snorkeling gear, get a little formal training under your belt, and take a look at our tips for some of the best places to go snorkeling.

Everybody knows that the Caribbean is a great place to go on vacation due to its warm tropical climate, sunny beaches, and beautiful biodiversity, but when it comes to snorkeling, what's under the water is just as beautiful as what you'll find on land.

Find the right guide, and in no time at all you'll be swimming alongside exotic fish and colorful corals that contain a myriad of sea life you are unlikely to see anywhere else. You can easily get a closer look by taking a deep breath and diving down for a minute or two, never far from the surface.

If you're lucky, and are willing to venture a little farther from shore, you might even get a look at a volcanic vent.

But even without a guide whenever you visit the Caribbean, be sure to bring your mask and breathing tube. One of the greatest advantages snorkeling has over diving is that you can do it whenever the mood strikes you. As long as you've got access to a beach, you can simply throw on the mask and tube, and in minutes you're snorkeling away.

Antigua, St. Croix, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands are some of the more popular Caribbean islands for snorkeling. And while Aruba often gets ignored as a snorkeling spot, it actually offers some of the best snorkeling available in the Caribbean.

Both a country and a continent unto itself, Australia is home to the largest coral reef system in the world, the Great Barrier Reef. Made up of over 900 islands and nearly 3,000 individual reefs that stretch over an area of more than 130,000 square miles, there's no shortage of fantastic underwater viewing in Australia.

View colorful marine life, including shell-less snails. Just be careful, as some snails are actually poisonous, a result of their diet of poisonous sponges. Other amazing animal sightings might include the stinging sea anemone and their symbiotic friends the anemonefish, crown-of-thorn sea stars, and the venomous cone snail.

In deeper waters, you might run across some coral trout, cuttlefish, or even the 25 foot long dwarf minke whale. Lucky snorkelers may even be joined by bottlenose dolphins, who occasionally enjoy swimming alongside their human friends.

Also in Australia is Ningaloo Reef, located about 800 miles north of Perth. Though not as popular or well known as the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef is close to shore (just 100 yards off at its nearest point -- perfect for beginners). Famous for its whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, and over 500 species of fish, Ningaloo Reef is a snorkeler's secret worth visiting.

The crystal clear waters of Hawaii are a perfect place for a family snorkeling adventure. One of the most popular spots is Hanauma Bay on Oahu. Formed in a volcanic crater, you'll be able to enjoy friendly fish that love to swim close by, even in the shallow waters, making it perfect for the novice snorkeler and for children. Hanauma is particularly known for being a nursery ground for green sea turtles and its abundance of parrotfish.

Molokini Crater off Maui's south coast is a partially sunken volcanic crater that can only be accessed by boat. Clear waters allow you to see up to 150 feet deep from the surface where you're likely to see fish that can't be found anywhere else in the world.

Another Maui hot spot is Kapalua Bay, also considered as one of Hawaii's best beaches. With its calm waters and protected beach, Kapalua Bay is another great spot for beginners.

Other snorkeling excursions in Hawaii allow you great views of ship wrecks and even old WWII underwater plane wrecks.

When people think about great snorkeling spots, exotic tropical locales are likely to come to mind. But La Jolla Cove in San Diego, California is one of the United States' best kept secrets.

The beach is one of the most photographed beaches in California. But get underwater and you'll be able to watch plenty of exotic marine life that you might not have expected to see in the States, including leopard sharks, giant kelp, and the shovelnose guitarfish.

Just be sure to visit in the summer time when the water gets to be a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit. La Jolla is considered by many to be the best snorkeling spot in San Diego due to its calm waters and abundance of marine life.

Another U.S. state with some great snorkeling spots is Florida. While Florida beaches might be better known -- at least during slow news weeks -- for their shark attacks, you are actually more likely to be struck by lightning than to experience a shark attack at one of Florida's most popular snorkeling destinations of Coral Cove Park.

Coral Cove Park is a two acre limestone-boulder artificial reef that attracts plenty of tropical fish and even the occasional shark. But thanks to its clear waters, the sharks tend to stay away from humans since they aren't interested in us as food. Sharks attacks typically only happen when a shark mistakes a human for something else, which is a rare event in clear waters where sharks are better able to see what's around them.

While Coral Cove Park is one of the most popular snorkeling hot spots in Florida, it's hardly the only one. Great Florida snorkeling spots abound.

I know what you're thinking. "Didn't they blow that place up with a hydrogen bomb?"

Yes, it's true that Bikini Island (part of a group of islands known as the Marshall Islands) was the test site for the first "practical" hydrogen bomb; that and 22 other nuclear explosions from 1946 to 1954. But Bikini Lagoon is also the site of a ship graveyard. For the best viewing of these ships turned reefs, you might want to look into diving, but there is still some great snorkeling to be had.

The native residents of Bikini Island were displaced by the U.S. government to allow for nuclear testing. Nobody has lived there since. Divers have returned in just the last decade or so and the place has become a popular attraction for snorkelers and divers alike.

One of the biggest draws for snorkelers is the abundant marine life which has thrived due to a complete lack of fishing in the area for the last seven decades.

That that you know where the best places to snorkel are, here are a few tips for the beginning snorkeler to loosen you up and make the experience a more enjoyable one.

Remember, safety first. Make sure that your snorkeling gear is a good fit and that your mask seals properly against your face. You can check for a good seal by placing the mask against your face, ensuring that the strap is out of the way, and inhaling through your nose. The mask should "suction" to your face and stay in place without requiring that you hold it.

Listen for leaks. If you have an air leak, then you're going to have a water leak. If you wear glasses, then find a place that sells prescription face masks. The most enjoyable parts of snorkeling are being able to see the beauty of the underwater world.

Attach the snorkel and make sure that you are able to breathe comfortably out of the water before using the breathing tube underwater. It might be tempting to chew or bite down on the mouthpiece. Resist it. Your jaw will get sore if you do that while snorkeling.

Next, make sure that your fins fit comfortably. Few things will end your snorkeling trip faster than cramping feet.

Once you get out on the water, consider covering up with a wet suit or other clothing to protect against sun exposure, or wear plenty of sunscreen.

And finally, have fun! Relax while you're in the water and enjoy your surroundings. For more great tips, visit this how to snorkel page.