Best Snorkeling in Florida
Photo courtesy of Florida Marine Times .
Florida is a very popular place to take a vacation, but where are the Florida vacation spots with the best snorkeling? Many people may find this surprising because Florida has 1,350 miles of coastline: this is the second highest number in the US (Alaska has the most miles of coastline at 6,640 miles). Even with that much coastline, there are very few good saltwater places to snorkel in the state. If you include freshwater snorkeling in Florida, however, there are more choices for people who love to snorkel.
Saltwater Snorkeling off Mainland Florida
Sanibel and Captiva Islands. More than a dozen artificial reefs lie within a 15-mile radius of Sanibel and Captiva.
Bathtub Reef on Hutchison Island near Stuart. Bathtub Reef is a mile long reef that extends out into the water and then turns to parallel the shore. It creates a lagoon with clear, calm water that attracts snorkelers of all abilities.
Saltwater Snorkeling in the Florida Keys
John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo. This is probably the best-known saltwater snorkeling site in Florida. John Pennekamp is the first undersea park created in the US. If you take the area of the park and combine it with the adjacent Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, you have 178 square nautical miles of snorkeling bliss.
Sombrero Reef in Marathon. A historic lighthouse built in the early 1860s marks Sombrero Reef. The reef itself ranges from 2 to 25 feet in depth and has a large variety of corals and tropical fish.
Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary in Bahia Honda State Park. You can sign up for twice daily trips out to Looe Key at Bahia Honda State Park’s concession stand. Once there you will see a variety of tropical fish and corals.
Key West Snorkeling
Snorkeling in Key West isn’t really that good, however, you can find some fine snorkeling spots off shore with boats that depart from Key West.
Florida Keys Reef is 7 miles off Key West’s coast and is Key West’s closest spot to snorkel. The Florida Key Reef is part of the same reef system as John Pennekamp State Park, Sombrero Reef, Looe Key, and Dry Tortugas National Park.
Dry Tortugas National Park is 70 miles west of Key West. This national park contains many different areas for beginning to advanced snorkelers to explore. No matter where you are, look for majestic corals, many varieties of tropical fish, starfish, queen conchs, and more.
Photo courtesy of seaforyourself.com.
Freshwater Snorkeling in Florida
Crystal River and Homassa Springs. Crystal River and Homassa Springs are 7 miles from each other and approximately 90 minutes north of Tampa. This is where you can snorkel with manatees, a gentle marine mammal that was sometimes mistaken for a mermaid by early sailors. There are strict rules regarding human-manatee contact, so I recommend you take a guided tour if you want to snorkel with these amazing animals.
Rainbow River in Dunellon. Dunellon is about 20 miles southwest of Ocala. Rainbow River is a gentle 5.7-mile river that ends at Rainbow Springs. This is a nice relaxing snorkel in water that stays at 72° year round where you’ll see fish, turtles, aquatic plants and spring vents.
To many joyful beach experiences!
— Lisa Dworkin
