"Snorkeling" - The underwater world at your fingertips

Les Medes Archipelago, Spain

The Mediterranean is not exactly at the top of the list of most popular destinations among snorkelers or among those who like to observe underwater flora and fauna, but even the sea, which is not very rich in colorful fish, but is overcrowded with loud tourists, offers interesting hidden corners. He is one of those the Les Medes archipelago, just a stone's throw from the infamous Costa Brava. The starting point for exploring the protected reserve, which covers the area of seven uninhabited islets and a dozen cheris, is the town L'Estartit, where trips to the islands are organized by many diving agencies. Since the archipelago is protected, "snorkeling" is much more pleasant, since we will not be disturbed by the noise of swimmers and the noise of motor boats. In the shallows, we will find a thick strip of sea grass and schools of colorful fish among them, while the depths and underwater caves delight more experienced divers. L'Estarit is located near Girona, which has its own Girona-Costa Brava airport. As it is located near the French border, it can also be reached by train, and the biggest lovers of the sea can moor their sailboats or yachts in the marina with 700 berths, they only have to make sure that their vessels are no longer than 25 meters. For diving trips, it is best to check in at the Nautical Station (Estacio Nautica), where underwater activities begin with an audiovisual presentation of the protected area, and continue with guided dives in groups of up to eight people.

Silfra, Iceland

Even Iceland, with a water temperature that does not exceed two degrees Celsius, is not among the most popular destinations among snorkelers, but it is certainly one of the most interesting, unusual and fun. Diving in Thingvellir National Park in the southwest of Iceland is interesting mainly from two aspects: "snorkeling" in the continental Silfra tectonic cracks means that we are diving between the North American and European continents, and the crystal clear glacial water allows clear visibility over hundreds of meters. Silfra is part of Lake Thingvellir and one of the special things that we won't experience when diving in warm seas is that we can drink the water while diving, as the glacial lake is one of the cleanest areas on Earth. The Silfra Rift has four parts, snorkelers can dive in three: the Silfra Hall, the Silfra Lagoon and the cathedral, which is considered the most beautiful part. Since diving in the national park requires a special permit, it is best to book a diving day through one of the agencies. For a five-hour trip (diving lasts about 40 minutes), we will charge around 115 euros per person for the permit and equipment. The UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park is interesting not only for its geological features but also for its cultural and historical heritage, and the organized walking and hiking trails in the park are an additional reason to linger in the park for more than just a quick, refreshing a dive.

The coast of Malta

The small Mediterranean island country is rightly called the heart of the Mediterranean because of its strategic location, which influenced its historical and cultural development. Geologically, Malta is part of the Mediterranean floor, which rose during the friction of the European and African plates, which means that the position of Malta is seismologically very unstable, and the vegetation and fauna on the archipelago are rare. The real wealth of Malta lies under the sea and the warm seas around the Maltese islands are ideal for diving holidays. Most of the beaches where we can "snorkel" can be reached by car, public transport or even on foot, as the nearest towns or hotel complexes are mostly only a few minutes to half an hour away. Malta's underwater world is typically Mediterranean, very similar to the southern Adriatic, and its remoteness and isolation from land are the reasons for its well-preserved underwater fauna, which can be admired even without diving cylinders.

The best snorkeling locations are off the coasts of three inhabited islands – Malta, Gozo and Comino. Near the ferry Ċirkewwa terminal in the northernmost part of Malta, from where we will most easily travel to the islands of Gozo and Comino, under the sea level there are sharp and steep walls that close the passage between Malta and Gozo, and the sea currents have created underwater caves, caves and passages that are suitable even for “snorkeling”… although it is Mafra Point, as they called the diving area they want to protect as a marine reserve, more popular with scuba divers. In the south-east of Malta is the best place for snorkeling Ghar Lapsi, mainly due to interesting underwater reefs and a shallow underwater cave accessible to divers without oxygen tanks. The uninhabited southern coasts of Malta, protected by cliffs over 200 meters high, called Dingle, are peaceful and ecologically well-preserved, the only danger from time to time is jellyfish.
The blue cave is much more visited in the summer months Wied iq Žurrieq, which is also one of the most popular spots for beginner divers, as underwater cliffs and reefs lie at easily accessible depths. But the number of amateur divers floating on the surface can soon distract us from the blue cave, especially if we enjoy the sound of the deep sea and are disturbed by the noise of loud tourists.

V St. Paul's Bay, in which St. Paul is said to have been shipwrecked on his way to Rome, is another interesting location along the coast of the largest island. The coasts of the two small islets are ideal for exploring the sandy bottom and numerous underwater reefs, and due to the large number of vessels around the islets, it is best to rent a boat in the nearby Bigubbi and take a boat to the coast of the islets and not swim.
Probably the best place for "snorkeling" in the entire archipelago lies off the coast of the island of Gozo. Wied il Ghasri is actually a deep incision of the sea in the coast of Gozo, where we can observe a very interesting underwater world at relatively shallow depths, including seahorses, groupers and other organisms typical of underwater incisions and caves.
On the smallest inhabited island, Comino, ten underwater caves in the northern part of the island, known to divers as Saint Mary's Caves, which are shallow enough to be explored even with a mask and snorkel.

Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

Often overlooked, but among connoisseurs of the underwater world, it is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved corners of the globe. Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, a little more than 500 kilometers away from the Brazilian coast. Already upon arrival in the National Park, we have to pay the so-called environmental tax, which for one day amounts to about 10 euros, and the beaches where we can admire the most beautiful underwater world also have restrictions on the number of visitors, but patience and early planning will be richly rewarded with playful swimming with dolphins in the bay Baia de Golfinhos and "snorkeling" in the bays Baia Do Sancho and Baia do Porcos.

The sea is calmest from August to December, the water temperatures in the shallows near the archipelago, which is located just below the equator, hover around 26 degrees Celsius, and the visibility below sea level reaches over 50 meters horizontally.
Due to the extreme sensitivity of the ecosystem, for example, "snorkeling" in a natural pool by the beach Praia de Atalaia limited to only one hundred visitors per day, due to concern for the cleanliness of the water in the natural pools, visitors are not allowed to use sunscreen before "snorkeling", and they can only stay in the pools for 25 minutes.

Visitors can reach the UNESCO-protected archipelago by plane from Recife or Natal, and most tourist accommodation is available in the archipelago's only settlement Vila dos Remedios, which is becoming more touristic every year, but the archipelago is still so remote that it has not been overrun by hordes of tourists and is still visited only by those who know well where to escape from the crazy pace of Brazilian cities and those who want to dive in pristine seas. Diving and “snorkeling” on Fernando de Noronha has become so popular that even locals say that visiting Fernando de Noronha without diving is like visiting the Vatican without seeing the Pope.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Everyone who knows Darwin's theory of evolution and who is interested in visiting the most remote and also the most protected places in the world has visited, or at least dreams of visiting, the Galapagos Islands. The mysterious archipelago lies more than 900 kilometers west of the Ecuadorian coast. Due to the remoteness, climate, altitude and composition of the archipelago, the animal and plant species that inspired Darwin's theory of the origin of species have been preserved, and in an effort to preserve ancient animal species, the archipelago is under strict protection. However, in some parts of the archipelago it is possible to swim with sea lions, for example at Creeps Sur, to which we will be transported by boat from the place Puerto Ayora, which lies on the main Santa Cruz Island. Swimming with playful sea lions is not the only activity, we will also be able to observe the movements of turtles, one of the smallest penguins in the world and schools of colorful fish.
Each island or reef has an area where we can "snorkel". Punta Espinoza on the west side of Fernandina Island and right next to Bolivar Sound is the best place for whale watching and sometimes you can swim with dolphins there.

Tagus Bay off Isabela Island offers beautiful underwater carpets of green algae that remind divers of green pastures. Isabela Island it has the shape of a seahorse and lies right next to the seahorse's "mouth", i.e. in the northwestern part of the island Punta Vincente Roca, where the remains of the volcano formed a well-protected bay. In this part of the Galapagos Islands, deep, cold layers of seawater rise to the surface. In this case, the cold water, rich in nutrients, washes away the warm surface layers and therefore the underwater life is especially rich. Punta Vincente Roca is one of the most popular places for "snorkeling" in the archipelago, but it is also one of the coldest, but definitely worth turning into a modern Charles Darwin for a day.