Come Under the Sea with Me

A wonderful activity to do on a tropical vacation is snorkeling. Remember to respect the coral reefs below the sea and admire their beauty since they are being affected by climate change.

Brazil

The wilderness of Ilha Grande lies off the coast of Brazil, halfway between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The island has jungles inhabited by monkeys and is surrounded by blue waters filled with colorful fish.

Diving into the Lagoa Azul/Blue Lagoon, you’ll enjoy swimming with seahorses, see underwater coves, and follow turtles and angelfish through sunken jungles.

If you have your wreck diving certification, the waters off Ilha Grande are also home to dozens of shipwrecks—remnants of the battles between pirates and the Portuguese.

Cayman Islands

Snorkelers who are fans of the French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau know the adventures to be had in the waters off the coast of Grand Cayman Island.

Swim along reefs with a camera to spot stingrays, sea urchins, and fish galore.

Curacao

Surrounding the Caribbean island of Curacao, snorkelers find waters full of butterfly fish and parrotfish. (pictured above)

Among the best spots is Playa Kalki, also known by the nickname “Alice in Wonderland” and famous for its surrealistic coral formations.

Ecuador

The Galapagos Islands are home to finches, iguanas, and tortoises.

Beneath the surrounding waters, snorkelers will find a diverse marine life with sea turtles, dolphins, orcas, humpback whales, Galápagos penguins, fur seals, and sea lions.

Enjoy the Devil’s Crown, the sunken cone of a volcano near Floreana Island.

Egypt

The Red Sea is a great snorkeling destination full of reefs where you can see clownfish, sea turtles, and sharks.

Among the most popular areas for snorkelers is Sharm El-Sheikh, a resort located at the end of the Sinai Peninsula.

You’ll find amazing snorkeling spots at Ras Mohammed National Park.

Hurghada, a small beach town on the mainland coast, is the launch point for boat trips to islands such as Abu Ramada, nicknamed “The Aquarium” due to its abundant sea life.

Fiji

The tropical country of Fiji consists of 300 islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Under the sea, snorkelers will find miles of reef to explore; the largest are Vanua Levu's Great Sea Reef and Kadavu's Great Astrolabe Reef.

Among the marine creatures to admire are octopuses and manta rays.

Florida Keys

The Florida Keys have the only extensive coral reef system in the continental US. They are protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Enjoy snorkeling at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, which is home to the Christ of the Abyss statue placed on the reef in the 1950s.

You can enjoy snorkeling in mangrove forests or look for sea sponges, eels, and Goliath groupers among the corals.

French Polynesia

Includes such famous tropical islands as Tahiti and Bora Bora. Many of the archipelago’s 118 islands are surrounded by lagoons with thriving colorful corals and marine life such as rays, whales, and giant clams.

Snorkelers enjoy the Coral Gardeners on Moorea, a reef restoration initiative that lets visitors adopt and plant their own piece of coral.

Iceland

In Iceland, snorkelers find the rare opportunity to swim between two tectonic plates located in Thingvellir National Park. The Silfra Fissure is a gap between the North American and Eurasian continental plates.

Malaysia

The only mainland country in the Coral Triangle, Malaysia is home to about 75 percent of the coral biodiversity in the world.

The best snorkeling is found around islands like Lang Tengah.

Off the coast of Sabah, the uninhabited Sipadan Island is the highlight, being the Coral Gardens, filled with colored coral formations.

Maldives

The Indian Ocean archipelago the Maldives consists of tiny islands surrounded by crystal clear waters that are home to over 1,000 species of fish, including tuna, wahoo, and butterfly fish.

The water holds a multitude of other marine wonders, too, like sharks, turtles, anemones, coral, and octopi.

Tanzania

Stone Town, an island off the coast of Tanzania, is a favorite of starfish-seeking snorkelers. The two best sites are Blue Lagoon and Starfish Reef. The multicolored knobbed starfish are the most common, but also keep your eyes out for their puffier cousin, the cushion sea star.