This site is my personal account of off-the-beach snorkelling in locations where I’ve done it. The idea is to give a detailed, objective review of each snorkelling ‘site’ showing the type and condition of the corals and other sea-life there.
INDONESIA:
ALOR, NUSA TENGGARA
BALI, NUSA TENGGARA
BANDA ISLANDS, MALUKU
BUNAKEN, SULAWESI
GILI ISLANDS, NW LOMBOK
LEASE ISLANDS, MALUKU
LEMBEH STRAIT, SULAWESI
NUSA LEMBONGAN (&PENIDA), BALI
RAJA AMPAT, WEST PAPUA
SANGIHE, SULAWESI
SERAYA, FLORES
TOGEANS, SULAWESI
WAKATOBI, SULAWESI (Wangi wangi, Kaledupa, Hoga, Tomia, Binongko)
WEH (SABANG), SUMATRA
MALAYSIA:
KAPAS
PERHENTIAN
PERHENTIAN ENVIRONS
REDANG
TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN NATIONAL PARK (off Kota Kinabalu):
.. GENERAL
.. MAMUTIK
.. MANUKAN
.. SAPI
TUN SAKARAN NATIONAL PARK:
.. GENERAL
.. KAPALAI
.. MALBUL
.. SIPADAN
PHILIPPINES:
ALONA BEACH, BOHOL
APO ISLAND, NEGROS
APO REEF, SABLAYAN, MINDORO
BALICASAG, ALONA, BOHOL
CABILAO, BOHOL
CORON, PALAWAN
EL NIDO, PALAWAN
HONDA BAY (PUERTO PRINCESCA), PALAWAN
OSLOB, CEBU ISLAND
PUNTA BALLO, NEGROS
MOALBOAL, CEBU ISLAND
NEGROS (SOUTH)
PANDAN ISLANDS, SABLAYAN, MINDORO
PORT BARTON, PALAWAN
PUERTO PRINCESCA (HONDA BAY), PALAWAN
SABANG, PUERTO GALLERA, MINDORO
SIQUIJOR, NEGROS
SUGAR BEACH, NEGROS
WHITE BEACH, MOALBOAL, CEBU
THAILAND:
ADANG
ANG THONG
BULON LAY
BULON LAY ENVIRONS
PHAYAM
KRADAN
LANTA
LIBONG
LIPE
LIPE ENVIRONS
PHA NGAN
PHI PHI
NGAI (HAI)
MAK/MAAK
MOOK
RAWI
SIMILANS
SURINS
TAO
TARUTAO
TARUTAO NATIONAL PARK (general information)
WAIRN/CHEUAK/MAA
WAI
Entries without hotlinks are still being written-up.
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GENERAL INFORMATION:
More information on the different species pictured on this site.
A glossary of unusual terms used in the narrative.
Scared about sharks? – read this.
Environment
Safety tips, in, under and near the water
Camera chat
Dive site maps
Tips on snorkeling expeditions using kayaks
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Contributions from Guest Writers:
Maldives (general information) by Dave H
..Rasdhoo Island, Maldives by Dave H
..Thodoo Island, Maldives by Dave H
..Ukulhas Island, Maldives by Dave H
If you would like to write a (detailed!) article on a new location that is not covered in the list above, please get in touch using the email address below.
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Some snaps:
Too much graphics? Press the pause button or switch to the lofi version here.
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About this site: Each page has a map of the areas I have checked-out.
The articles have photos and narrative about the areas shown on the map. There is also some basic information about what it’s like on the surface (accommodation, transportation, etc).
The photos are mostly thumbnails. All images on this site expand to bigger versions if you click on them.
Don’t expect to find anything about places that cost $1000 to stay at. I can’t afford those.
This site is about-off-the-beach snorkelling, mainly because it is cheap and easy to do. Occasionally, I’ll include stuff about a day-trip snorkelling boat trip, if it’s worthwhile and cheap.
Units of measure are in the metric system. One kilometre (km) is about half a mile. One metre (m) is about three feet.
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If you have comments, please post them at the bottom of the relevant article. If you want to take me to dinner or court; or if you want to contribute a (long, detailed) article about another location, best start by emailing whatsthesnorkellinglike@gmx.com
For geeky details about me and the site, see here.
Recent additions and updates.
This is not a commercial venture.
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This site was last updated: 29 May 2022
WhatsTheSnorkellingLike 
brilliant info.. thanks, and many more snorkels, enjoy..
A person after my own heart! Great site. Much appreciated.
Amazing !! what a great info. Thanks.
Hello. I’m always searching for snorkeling spots but it’s the first time i found some perfect site like yours. I would congrulate you for this amazing source of infos. A very big thx. Philippe
I can’t wait for description of Banda Islands!!!! When will you do it? 🙂 Big fan! 🙂
Hi
The Bandas page is now finished and linked in the menu.
I’m glad that the site is useful 🙂
Great stuff, couldn’t sleep after reading 🙂 there is very little info about Banda in web so it’s very useful, specially for snorkeling freaks like me 😉
Ray;
Great site with a mass of information. Have you had a chance to compare to Pacific Island beach snorkelling? I live in NZ and have done a few of the islands with mixed results and was looking at going further for better snorkeling. To honest, with a couple of exceptions, the images do not look significantly better than what I can find from a good easy access Pacific Island (rarotonga, fiji) . Interested to hear your thoughts.
Hi Ray
Sorry, I don’t have any info on those islands. I hear good things about Palau and that is loosely on the list of places to go, but that’s about it.
Do feel free to post any information you have on the places you have been. Or, if you want to email me some underwater photos that give a good representation of places you have been that are not covered on the site, I can find a way to get them hosted and linked from the site.
Good luck in your search 🙂
Hi Thanks for the reply.
Sorry took so long to get back to you. If you can send me an e-mail address I can send a selection of underwater shots from Rarotonga and Bora Bora.
Cheers, Ray
Amazing detailed content – loved it.
Following your guide, I manage to snorkel and experience the underwater life , which was amazing. We did Koh Tao, Koh Lipe and Koh Kradan.
Next year, we are planning to go to Cambodia – do you have any experience or heard from people snorkelling around Koh Rong, Koh Rong Sanloem?
That would be very helpful.
Cheers
Max
Hi Max
I’ve only been to “Rabbit Island” (near Kep) in Cambodia with was OK, but not spectacular (Porites coral and some common reef fish species). FWIW, wikitravel says there is good snorkelling at Koh Rong…
Enjoy your trip and let us know what you find 🙂
Thanks for writing all this up, and showing the photos! As a keen snorkeller I am really glad that you pointed me to your site over at TT. I agree with most of what you wrote about places that I’ve been to, which were mostly in south-east asia.
On Banda Neira, I stayed at the Vita guest house. Like you, I tried to see the mandarin fish there – without success. However I did see many – even dancing / mating – snorkelling right in front of the Maulana hotel, in the late afternoon.
What I miss on your site would be a summary, some comparison what places you liked best, and why. Did I overlook something? I understand this would be a changing thing, possibly requiring updates after every new place that you visited.
If I can recommend a few places that I enjoyed:
1. Cabilao, west of Bohol in the Philippines – go to the n-w corner.
2. The Egyptian Red Sea, down south in the area around Marsa Alam.
3. Havelock Island, Andaman Sea (India), beach #7 / Radhanagar. However, the beautiful places there are quite deep down – I sometimes went to depths around 20m. The Andaman islands are worth a visit also for their history and the city of Port Blair.
4. I also liked diving around Alor, but found the snorkelling there too demanding, for the strong currents and cold upwellings. But I didn’t explore the place as systematically as you do.
Cheers, Wolfgang
Hi Wolfgang – thanks for your comments. Regarding a summary – yes, maybe as the site grows there is a need for a one-page summary across all places. It would have to be subjective – it is surprising how different people value hard-vs-softcorals; big-fishes vs reef-fishes, landscape-vs-macro, etc. I’ll have a think about it.
I have been to Marsa Alam and Havelock/(Neil), but I didn’t have a camera with me, so no pictures, no pages (actually there is a (still blank) page for Havelock!). I was in Havelock in 2008 and I read that the El Nino in 2010 killed off the corals there. Have you been since then ? I’m hoping to spend more time in the Philippines, so will check-out Cabilao – thanks.
thanks for your comments and happy snorkelling 🙂
Your site has already grown to an enormous size! You always point out that your reviews are your subjective view of things and places found, and I understand and agree with that. I always take reviews and descriptions of individual travellers with a grain of salt. Consequently, a summary could only be the summary of your own experience. Still I think it would be worth it, and very helpful to snorkellers looking for good places.
I was on the Andamans just after the turn of the millenium, Jan. 2000! On that trip I also visited and snorkelled Neill island, but didn’t find this noteworthy. However I have not heard or read of coral bleaching or dying in the Andaman islands. If El Nino was the reason, shouldn’t Phuket, Surin, the Similan islands and more or less the whole Thai Andaman coast be affected by El Nino, too? I never heard anything like this either.
In Cabilao I was in 2002, so it might have changed, too. On that trip I also was on Malapascua, which was also nice. But again, like on Havelock, I had to go rather deep to find interesting critters. Saw some sea horses there, off the N-W coast.
Hi Wolfgang
Thanks for your comments. I take your point about the “summary page”! I will look into it, but I will soon be out on the-road without any decent internet, so it won’t be anytime soon, I’m afraid.
There has been extensive coral bleaching throughout the Andaman sea due to elevated temperature events, especially in 2010. The corals in the Surin islands were decimated (see my page) and many other spots on the (especially North) Andaman coast of Thailand were affected. It was reported in the press at the time (here are a few examples: 1 2 3 4). Re: Havelock, the regulars on the India Mike forum who would visit the Andamans every year commented on it a lot on it at the time. I can’t get their forum search to work, but this debate is an example…
unfortunately, it seems to be a continuing trend 😦
congratulation for your site we go to snorkel on siquijor dauin moalboal it was great thank you
Have you ever snorkeled around islands in Cambodia (Ko Rong for example)? How does it compare to Koh Kradan or Ko Lipe?
Hi Matz
Same answer as to your October 4th 2016 Q, above. :))
Wow, thanks for all the information! Because of your blog we ended up on Koh Lipe and are now on our way to Perhetians. I always like to read what you think of snorkeling, especially off shore, which is the best way for us 🙂 Thanks again!
Thanks for writing all this up, and showing the photos! As a keen snorkeller I am really glad that you pointed me to your site over at TT. I agree with most of what you wrote about places that I’ve been to, which were mostly in south-east asia.
Fantastic and great information. I’m really amazed of the good work you have done.
Thank you very much!!
Hi!!! fantastic information about Philipines!! Thanks a lot
Hello squanderingpa,
Respect for your passion for snorkeling.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I’m trying to create a user-friendly database of good beaches and snorkeling sites.
Here is an example:
https://www.beachrankings.info/Countries/Statistics/155
The database provides good opportunities for comparative analysis and selection of good snorkeling sites.
Looking for volunteers. Let`s together make the database bigger and more useful.
I’ll be glad if you join the project.
Congratulations!
Andro
Hi Andro
…sounds like a good idea, I’ll add some info to your database 🙂
Hi there,
Beautiful information about Cabilao, in my opinion one of the best coral reefs reported in your fantastic webpage.
Congratulations!
Jc
Hi there…It’s now some years that your blog is an absolute part of my trips…Great information…Amazing detailed content…This year i am planning to visit the Sangihe Islands…I noticed that you have already been there…Can you provide any information about these islands…No really usefull info can be found through internet…
Congratulations!
Nick
Hi Nikos
I have scribbled up some notes about it here:
hope this helps a bit !
Helps a lot..Thank you very much for sharing…I plan to visit Bunaken and then Siau island…When i’ll return i hope to send you some updates from there…Hope to keep in touch…Respect for your work…
Hi guys! We borrowed your Tarutao National Park map and published it here http://bit.ly/tarutaonationalpark (with credits and link of course). Maybe you guys can link back? Let’s stay in touch, maybe we can help eachother more in the future. All the best from the Netherlands, Riel
Hi, great site and thank you for all your effort in writing up each place in so much detail. The problem I have is that there is so much info it’s impossible to find out where is really good without ploughing through every single page – can I suggest that you write up a summary page where you list your favourite places and why? I ask becaue often I want go to Asia for a holiday where the snorkelling is really good so I don’t necessarily know which country or area to go to upfront – so if you had an overview of each country and its best spots (then maybe your all time favourite/best spots) that would be so helpful.
Hi Mike
Yes, it’s been mentioned before and is on the list of things to do.
In the meantime, Raja Ampat in Eastern Indonesia is about top of the tree. Also, Bunaken in North West Sulawesi, but be sure to check the seasons for both. Have a look at the pages for Cabilo Balicasag and Moalboal for starters in the Philippines.
I want to express my gratitude for all the hard work you did and keep doing. Your maps came very handy on a recent trip to the Philippines as I knew exactly where to go. Also I refrained from following divers to Balicasag as they would go to the east side of the island, while the west side is best for snorkelers. I wish I had printed those maps for my previous trip to Indonesia. Thank you again.
many thanks! unique site and info!
This is a great resource, thank you. It’s nice to hear from real, unique experiences and not just a sales pitch from the tourism agencies!
Thank you so much for this fantastic webpage, I find ir very useful!!! Any plans for publish something about Lembeh Strait??
Hi I did some snorkelling in Lembeh Strait and I have some pictures I can post, but to be honest, it isn’t worth visiting for the snorkelling. Lembeh is all about the muck diving – hunting around the black, muddy sand at 25metres, looking for some unusual critter living in an old tyre. I was hoping to find an equivalent world at snorkelling depths, but couldn’t find anything (just a few Banggai cardinalfish). Stick with Bunaken for snorkelling 🙂
Hello. What is the best place in Thailand in December to get OWD with great beaches?
Ko Tao is generally best for cheap training courses. In December, the weather there might not be so good (or it might be fine, it is very variable year-to-year).
Maybe better to go to the Andaman side for a better chance of good weather. Ko Lipe would be my favourite option; but there are plenty of alternatives including Phuket, Khao Lak & Lanta
This may be slightly off topic (considering destinations not covered in reports above). But since I’m a keen follower of your reports asking anyways! We are going to Japan in January – and will have 10days to go snorkelling. I’m considering either Yaeyamas (Ishigaki or Miyakojima) or Guam. Do you have any snorkelling experience from these destinations? Realize Yaeyamas will be fairly chilly in January, but don’t mind putting on a 5mm… I’m all for the coral cover, and less so about variety of fish… Grateful for any intel! Cheers, Simon
Hi – Sorry, I’ve not snorkelled in Japan or Guam (but certainly visit Kyoto for the ancient temples, if you can). You’d be welcome to write a detailed trip report afterwards, if you like 🙂 Have fun 🙂