Favorite places to snorkel?

[Texsun]

Seems scuba posts are a bit more prominent than snorkeling posts. I'd like to know what are your favorite places to snorkel? The lesser known and out of the way, the better. I've decided to take it upon myself to try out as many places as possible, even if the locations are not traditionally known for its snorkeling. First stop is San Diego, CA since it's closest. Then, perhaps a trip down to Baja, as I recently flew to and from Puerto Vallarta and was able to see some amazingly isolated and beautiful coast line from the plane.

I digress. My favorite snorkeling spot so far has to be Moorea, Tahiti. Snorkeled right off of the beach in front of our hotel (Sofitel) and saw clownfish/anemones, juvenile and adult snowflake eels, baby octopi, and even a goby and accompanying pistol shrimp! Please post your experiences. Thanks!

[billsreef]

Too many Scuba divers ignore snorkeling in the shallows. Some of the most interesting things can be seen in snorkeling depth. One of my favorite destinations is the Cayman Island for both diving and snorkeling. Bonaire is another good location for snorkeling and has easier beach access to good reefs than most Caribean Islands. I also must admit to enjoying the snorkeling in Maui. Even my local waters can be enjoyable for snorkeling. Actually when you get down to it any where there is water is good :D

[Timothy McCandless]

On the Carribean Island of Tobago there is a hotel called the Blue Waters Inn (they have a website). The hotel is in a bay with a reef right off shore. There are Angels, Parrot fish, and many others. You can also take a dive boat out to what is called Angel reef, because there are hundreds of Angel fish. There is also an incredibly large brain coral, about the size of a car.

[luminary]

There's a reef right off the coast of Dominica that was absolutely stunning. The reef was gorgeous but not much different from the rest of the carib islands. What made this location unique is that there is a magma feeder tunnel under the reef. This causes a constant stream of bubbles to bubble up from the ground. It was trully a cool location. It's aptly called Champagne Reef :)

[baja_01]

My favorite place is Cabo Pumo in Baja Mexico. Some of the things I've seen were huge schools of yellow tail sturgeonfish, damsels, morays, hundreds of different types of corals(saw one colony that was covering a boulder a couple of feet across), and one time I saw a puffer that was at lest a foot long. This place is a no boat no fishing zone and it is awesome. There are no places that I've been to that could compare to this place. If I find some pictures I'll post them.:eek2: :D :eek1:

[RFK]

Ok, let's talk out of the way.
Costa Rica...
I have snorkeled in many coves that Costa Rica offers and many are very very cool! As is Costa Rica! Costa Rica Has it all... Rain forest, volcanoes, spectactular beaches, great people, and nice coves and reefs. Rent a 4x4 and take a drive up and down the coast snorkeling and meet great people the whole way. Surfing's not too shabby, either! Very safe.

Bali, Indonesia...
I just returned from a 7 week trip to Bali. I dived and snorkeled the whole time(and surfed a little). On the North side of Bali, there is a wreck... USS Liberty(An armed cargo ship that was torpedo in WWII by the Japanese and was towed to ground about 20 meters off of the beach. Very cool to snorkel there because the wreck lies very close to the surface. I also did a dive and a night dive on the wreck. It's amazing how much life is supported around this structure. There are other very cool places to snorkel in Bali incluing Menjangan island which is a small island national preserve. I dove it but it is excellent for snorkeling, as well. There are many dive shops in Bali. The last week I was there, I did 9 dives for $185(including lodging and equipment... and lunch and breakfast for 4 days!!) Boy was that out of the way. Bali is a fun place, too. A little hot right now though, so consider your travel plans wisely.

Mentawi Islands... off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia...
Very out of the way. I lived on a boat for 2 weeks in March with 6 others to surf the epic waves of that region(I am really not a "dude"... just a surfer). Anyway, I snorkled right on the coast of tons of little islands that dot the Mentawi Islands between surf sessions... Even a few night snorkels. Very neat. Bring the Malaria pills and the first aid kit. If you get "it" out there, you can kiss your fanny goodbye:).
Very hot spot at this time. Sumatra has a huge Muslim population. In other words, don't go here... unless you want your head on a stick. j/k Forgive me, I just like to babble about cool snorkel and dive spots that I have been to.

Belize...
I did 21 dives in 7 great days of diving. I live on a Turneffe atoll that was surrounded by mangroves. I went here... http://www.belizetravelcentral.com/diveturneffe.html
Very, very cool, and you can't get much further away. San Pedro Island is also very good for diving and snorkeling and it's a neat place. Belize is a bit more pricey than the prior 2 but well worth it. I read a thread on this board somewhere where eric Borneman had recently been to Belize and he found the diving very poor and the reefs on the downside but on the mend, hopefully. I found the outer island reefs to be superb diving in October of 1999, at least the areas around Turneffe Atoll. Although, I found coastal reefs to be in the same conditions as Eric described. If you want out of the way, you can live in a hut 10 or 15 miles off the coast on top of a reef and get your drinking water from a desalination unit:D. I saw many rays, turtles, dolphins, salt water crocs at night(spooky), and even a 6' shark... all of that sitting on the deck of my private cabin situated in a calm water cove with plenty of Turtle Grass.

I should write for a travel company, huh?
Not many divers or snorkelers at any of these spots.

HTH

Bob

[Texsun]

Baja 101, Where is exactly is Cabo Pumo? I'd love to head down there for some snorkeling.

RFK, Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, I'm probably not headed to Indonesia any time soon. I've got the double whammy of being Chinese and American. They are not too fond of both right now. I have been to Costa Rica, but was so busy driving around the country, hiking the rain forests, etc, that I never got around to snorkeling! We are considering Belize for our honeymoon, but I understand several of the hotels were effected by the recent hurricane.

[Rick G]

The best snorkel I ever did was in Palau. It was at the Palau Pacific Hotel. I walked out until the coral would allow me to go no further (about 18 inches.) I put on my mask and fins went face down and WOW!!
Not only was it the best snorkel I ever did, It has to be the best 18 inch snorkel in the world!!!!

Rick

[baja_01]

Hey Texsun,
Cabo Pumo is in the Sea of Cortez(some call it the Gulf of California). It is on the side of the Baja peninsula about a 30 min. drive from San Jose Del Cabo or half way from Buena Vista. It is a great spot to snorkeling because there are rocks
you can sit on and not get sand in your fins and not get pounded by the waves(not that the waves there are big) an then slip right in the water. There are also many other places to snorkel just as good as this one. If you were going to stay there I wouldn't stay at Cabo San Lucas, I'd go to
Los Barriles(Lot nicer people and half as much tourists) There are many nice resorts or hotels there. Or if you really want a nice place away from every thing Pta. Colorada is a great choice. If you've only been to the boarder you could be in
some place downtown in a bad city. That is why all these places are at the lower parts. I'm lucky enough to have a little house on the beach that all of my family bought before I was born. Hope you make it down!:D

[tedmonds]

Everyone is missing the best place to snorkel right here in the good ole USA. Key West. It might not seem that exotic, but I've snorkeled right off the highway or beach and seen moray eels, baracuda, shark, puffers, angels, you name it. Their is also tons of stuff that we see in the aquarium hobby like; crabs, brittle stars, snails, and lots of other "goodies".