Snorkeling

Snorkeling is extremely fun especially if you do it places where there's plenty of fish! I snorkel everyday when I visit Hawaii. I've seen all kinds of beautiful fish, and even got to swim with sea turtles in Oahu! Sea turtles are amazing, gentle creatures and I have to say that was the best part of my trip.

I've made this lens to show anyone who is interested in snorkeling that it is fun and very easy to do! I hope you enjoy this lens and go snorkeling with your family some day. If you do, please respect the sea creatures and their environment, remember you are visiting their world!

Photo Credit: Flickr

Snorkeling is quite easy. If you know how to float on your stomach and paddle your legs you can snorkel! It might be weird at first to breathe through the little tube, but you'll get a hang of it. Just float, breathe, relax, and enjoy! For beginners, or if you can't swim very well, I'd advise you to snorkel in calm shallow waters at first. Later if you feel brave you can adventure around with the experienced snorkelers. You can use floaties or a life vest if you want to feel more at ease. If your mask gets foggy, don't panic, just use anti-fog spray.

These wonderful creatures won't harm you, so please don't harm them. They are an awesome sight to see. I didn't get to see them on my first snorkeling adventure, nor my second or third one, but I always wanted to. We always visited Maui, but then one year we went to Oahu, and I finally got to see them up close, and they are amazing! I'm not saying they're not in the waters of Maui, they are, but I just got lucky in the waters of Oahu!

If you see these wonders please don't try to feed, catch, or hold onto them. By doing so could cause distress, so just observe them from a distance. :) They are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and disturbing a sea turtle is a punishable offense. If you see a turtle nesting on the beach, please don't disturb it.

If you snorkel around the reefs of Hawaii or anywhere else, please don't stand on the coral to rest! Coral is alive, they're not resting rocks, and they will die if you stand on them. Please just tread water, wear a life vest, or stay where you can stand on the sand. The fish and coral would thank you if they could! :)

If you feel nervous about the area you plan to snorkel don't go out. You wouldn't go out if the water looked like this would you? Besides, the visibility in rough water or during storms is not very good anyway. Sometimes there are signs on beaches saying, "When You Are In Doubt, Don't Go Out." This is because there might be strong rip tides, or man-eating sharks! Better to be safe and go out in calm waters, you'll be able to see more anyway! Most beaches are safe, just go to the ones that you know are. Also, even in calm water never snorkel alone, always have a buddy with you.

If you happen to see a white tip shark, don't be scared. These types of sharks are not interested in eating you. It is very rare white tips sharks bite, but there's a few ways to avoid being bitten by this shark: Don't look like a fish! Don't wear anything shinny, and if you have to spearfish (I hope you don't) they might bite you to get your fish. They want fish, not people. If they see you they might be curious but don't panic. You'll notice in this video that the shark sees the snorkeler, but swims on. It's a rare treat to see one, because they usually are sleeping during the day. If you see one take lots of pictures to show your friends you swam with a shark!