2010 Top 100 Readers' Choice Survey - Snorkeling
More than 5,000 Scuba Diving readers from all over the globe have ranked the world’s best diving destinations in the categories that matter to you: advanced diving, big animals, macro life, wreck diving and more. These are the opinions of real divers who are out there getting wet all year long. Some of them are expected in tried-and-true destinations, but others might surprise you. So start your life list with these readers’ top picks, and when you travel this year, rank the destinations you visit at www.scubadiving.com/top_100 to contribute to next year’s winners.
Snorkeling
CARIBBEAN AND ATLANTIC
1. Bonaire
Sit back and enjoy the ride as you float in some of the calmest waters of the Caribbean. At Bonaire snorkelers outnumber divers, and the experience is just as unforgettable. Corals live like cities under your eager fins as rays and sea turtles glide past, and calm conditions make the snorkeling great for any age and skill level. Tours and dive operators are more than happy to help you get in the water, and will make your experience even easier and more enjoyable, and with all the snorkel sites Bonaire has, you’ll never be bored and will always be left wanting more. Go Now »
2. United States Virgin Islands »
3. Bermuda »
PACIFIC
1. Hawaii
The biggest and most traveled islands in Hawaii –– including Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu and Kauai –– are snorkeling paradises, featuring clear, warm, shallow waters with an abundance of marine life big and small. The best snorkeling is off Maui, where humpback whales roam offshore and turtles paddle beneath your fins along the magnificent reefs. Kaanapali Beach is also a popular destination, with breath-taking scenery and excellent surface conditions –– conditions that made readers choose Hawaii the best snorkeling in the Pacific. Go Now »
2. Fiji »
3. French Polynesia »
NORTH AMERICA
1. Texas
Texas might not be your first guess as North America’s best snorkeling destination, but dig deeper and it comes as no suprise. South Padre Island, located on the southern tip of the state, is a snorkeling haven for beginners and advanced swimmers –– its warm, clear waters lead to some great snorkeling adventures. Just offshore there have been plenty of encounters with whale sharks, and there are other prime suspects to join you on your journey, including stingrays, groupers, eels and sharks. One note: Don’t get too caught up in the amazing marine life that you become unaware of the strong undertow that tends to occur near shore. Go Now »
