10 Best Snorkeling Beaches In The World

As you planning out your vacation this year, why not plan on going where you can take in some snorkeling at these ten best snorkeling beaches in the world. If you can swim you can snorkel and most beaches have dive shops close by where you can rent the little bit of equipment needed. If the thoughts of swimming along and seeing beautiful coral reefs, colorful fish and other sea life appeals to you, here is a list of ten great beaches for snorkeling.

1. Cozumel, Mexico. Cozumel is perfect for those people wanting a peaceful snorkeling experience. There are many coral reefs, and most beaches have excellent snorkeling around them.
2. Deans Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas. Just a short way off the beach, you will find a deep blue hole created when the roof of an underwater cave collapses. All kinds of aquatic life can be spotted here.
3. Lover's Cove, Catalina Island, California. Easily reached by taking the stairs at Pebble Beach, this cove teems with cool water aquatic life, kelp forests and a rock reef.
4. The Fiji Islands. There are many beaches in the 330 islands that offer easy access to wonderful reefs filled with beautiful fish and other interesting aquatic life.
5. Papalaua Wayside Park, Maui, Hawaii. This beach is quiet, laid back, and offers easier access compared to some of the other snorkeling spots in the area. Aquatic life that can be found include turtles and butterfly fish in and among the coral.
6. Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. This area is very easy to reach and includes awesome underwater views that include very special turtles.
7. Utila, Honduras. Utila is the smallest of the Bay Islands and is known best for a place where you can snorkel with whale sharks. However for those who don’t wish to go out in to open water to swim with the whales, Utila offers excellent shore snorkeling with a shallow reef formation.
8. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. One of the busiest places in the Caribbean, many travel there for the diving and snorkeling. The area offers a large variety of aquatic life, and one of the biggest attractions is Stingray City. Stingray City is host to tons of wild stingrays who have become accustomed to humans and actually will let you feed them.
9. Dominica. One of the premier diving and snorkeling spots in the Caribbean, it is also host to Champagne Beach. The area got its name from the underwater volcanic vents that make it appear that you are snorkeling in warm champagne.
10. Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. A protected national marine park for nearly 30 years, this spot in the Caribbean is home to an large variety of tropical fish, corals and other sea creatures. High visibility and calm waters make it snorkeling heaven.

And there you have it, ten great beaches to go snorkeling at, around the world. Make a point to include one of these destinations on your next vacation and grab some equipment and head out to see just what kind of beautiful and fascinating aquatic scenery you can get a glimpse of.

References:

World's best snorkeling locations. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.journeyetc.com/travel-destinations/worlds-best-snorkeling-locations/

Burnett-Palmer, T. (2009, August 10). 10 top spots to snorkel. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/getaways/08/10/snorkeling.spots/index.html

Prado, L, & Chandler, G. (2010). Top ten places to snorkel. Retrieved from http://away.com/features/top-ten-places-to-snorkel-beach-vacations-1.html