Top 10 Snorkeling Locations in the World

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Top 10 Snorkeling Locations In The World
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Raja Ampat (West Papua, Indonesia)
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Raja Ampat Home to 75 of all known coral
species.At the top of the list is Raja Ampat, or
Four Kings, located in Indonesia's West Papua
province.Experts say it's hard to find anywhere
else in the world that compares, given it's got
the world's greatest concentration of marine life
for a region of its size and 75 of all known
coral species in the world.A marine oasis with
more than 1,000 different species of fish, sea
turtles, sharks and manta rays, snorkeling here
means largely having the place to yourself as the
isolated islands are scarce of people. Snorkelers
come face to face with fish and coral in every
direction while swimming the waters of this
archipelago, which is made up of 50,000 square
kilometers of islands and water.
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Komodo National Park (Indonesia)
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Though Komodo National Park's celebrity
inhabitants steal the show -- it's one of only
five islands in the world where you can see
Komodo dragons in the wild -- the snorkeling here
is not to be overlooked.Being a World Heritage
Site for more than 30 years, the reefs and
islands of this Indonesia national park are
heavily protected, giving their abundance of
underwater life and corals a chance to
flourish.The area is also rich in nutrients,
thanks to the cold water that flushes into the
park from the Indian Ocean, keeping the marine
life fed.
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The Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
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A friendly sea lion might pop over to say hello
during your Galapagos snorkel.Unlike most spots
on this list, snorkeling in Ecuador's Galapagos
Islands doesn't revolve around colorful coral and
tropical fish.This is the place to see big marine
life -- we're talking sea lions, sharks,
dolphins, turtles and even penguins.Being the
basis of Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution,
the Galapagos Islands offer snorkelers
fascinating and unique mammals both on land and
beneath the sea.The islands' remote location
means that underwater wildlife are friendly and
approachable -- mainly because they don't
encounter humans all that often.
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The Coral Triangle (Asia Pacific)
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Stretching from Eastern Borneo all the way across
Bali, the Philippines, most of Indonesia and the
Solomon Islands, the Coral Triangle is the center
of the world's marine biodiversity.It's home to
75 of all known coral species in the world and
encompasses 647 million hectares of land and
sea.What makes it so awesome for snorkelers is
that you don't have to go deep to check out the
region's 2,000 species of reef fish, which hang
out just below the surface.
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The Philippines
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Don't usually think of the Philippines as a "go
to" destination for snorkeling? WWF'S Sano
stresses that it's one of the most beautiful
places for underwater activity."Many of our
frequent snorkelers have said that this was their
favorite trip- they were delightfully surprised,"
he says. Made up of more than 7,000 islands, the
Philippines is home to one of the most populous
and diverse ecosystems on the planet.A notable
standout is the Bay of Donsol, home to whale
sharks-the world's largest living fish.Visitors
have the opportunity to swim next to these gentle
and friendly giants.Another area worth checking
out is Noa Noa Island, which has thousands of
colorful reef fish and thriving reefs.
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Silver Bank (Dominican Republic)
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Silver Bank is one of only a few places in the
world where humans can swim and snorkel alongside
humpback whales.It's in a relatively shallow
stretch of the Caribbean Sea, making it off
limits to large ships.This makes it a safe haven
for the North Atlantic humpback whale population
to mate and give birth.Snorkelers can catch up
with the humpback whales between December and
April, when they pass through the area.
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Palau (Micronesia)
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Snorkelers love hovering above a "blue hole" in a
Palau reef.Ever want to swim with jellyfish
without having to worry about getting a nasty
sting by one of them? Palau's Jellyfish Lake is
the place to go. A boat ride and short hike will
take you to this unusual and isolated lake,
inhabited by millions of harmless jellyfish. But
it's more than jellies that make this Micronesia
island a top snorkeling destination. Palau's
shallow and healthy reefs are home to a diverse
range of habitat. Visitors can encounter marine
life such as turtles, tropical fish, manta rays
and sharks.
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Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
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Everyone's familiar with the Great Barrier Reef.
Yet its popularity isn't without substance nor
should it be overlooked.Made up of 2,900
individual reefs and stretching more than 2,300
kilometers, it's the world's largest coral reef
ecosystem and has been around for half a million
years.The reefs here are easily accessible to
snorkelers and filled with a diverse range of
fish and coral.The water is warm, making it the
perfect environment to explore the unmatched
underwater scenery.
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Solomon Islands
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Occupying the eastern tip of the Coral Triangle,
the Solomon Islands are a popular destination for
scuba divers.Part of their fame stems from the
presence of so many sunken warships - some of
World War II's most bitter South Pacific battles
took place here.But the Solomon Islands are a
great destination for snorkelers, too.In places
like Uepi Island and Mary Island you can wade off
shore to find beautiful reefs filled with sea
life such as giant eagle rays, sharks, barracuda
and batfish.
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Isla Holbox (Mexico)
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A sleepy island off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula,
Isla Holbox is the world's top destination for
whale shark swimming, says Ted Martens, vice
president of marketing and sustainability with
Natural Habitat Adventures."These giant creatures
are actually harmless," he adds.During the summer
months, the whale sharks swim near the surface
and feed on plankton.This is when snorkelers can
swim next to the gigantic fish-some of which can
reach up to 18 meters (60 feet) in length.As for
the island itself, it's famed for its sound
eco-tourism practices.
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