Moalboal is well-known for the abundance of soft and hard corals in a wide variety even in shallow water. This makes it a prime location not only for scuba divers but for snorkelers and free-divers as well.
As it happens, Love’s Beach & Dive Resort and the dive shop are located directly at the edge of a teeming coral reef. This gives the perfect opportunity to explore the reef while snorkeling even if you don’t scuba dive.
There is a big chance you have some turtle encounters on nearly every trip. Even whale sharks have been seen occasionally on snorkel trips just of the shore.
Here are some tips to make your snorkel adventure more enjoyable:
Snorkeling Gear
To safely snorkel on our reefs we highly recommend the pieces of equipment listed below. All this pieces are available for rent or sale at our dive shop. Since they don’t cost much, are usable in all your dive vacations near a body of water and are the basic first pieces of dive equipment every diver should own and for hygienic reasons, we recommend the purchase of your personal snorkel set.
Your personal snorkeling set will be a long-term investment for every kind of snorkeling and scuba diving you plan to do for many years to come.
Mask – A quality silicone mask is recommended. Silicon masks resist deterioration better than common rubber ones, they are smoother and basically look and fit better. Quality products like MARES are recommended. Mask with optical lenses for near sighted or far sighted snorkelers and divers are also available. To get you the right grades we need notice several days in advance.
Snorkel – Several types of snorkels are available. The common snorkel has an integrated mouthpiece with a tube which is not too long or small. The bore should be just wide enough that enough air passes through and easy to clear. High quality snorkels, which we recommend, have exchangeable mouth pieces out of silicon, a sophisticated clip set to attach the snorkel to your mask strap and might have a drain valve. Drain valves are valves below the mouth piece designed to expel water more easily.
Boots – Especially on low tide you have to walk a bit over the reef to get to deeper water. And walking with fins is a big No-No. For this we recommend to rent or purchase your own boots. Dive or snorkeling booties are made of stretchable neoprene with a rubber or plastic sole to protect your feet. The sole should not be too thick in order to fit into your fins. Boots come in common sizes like S, M, L, XL; they don’t have to fit properly since they are stretchable but we highly recommend that, if you can’t find the perfect size, buy one size bigger to prevent cramps.
Fins – Snorkel fins are your propulsion system in the water. It is possible to snorkel without them, as seen here at this VIDEO taken on our house reef. But snorkeling with fins adds so much speed, maneuverability and power to your snorkeling experience that you really don’t want to miss them on any trip. Since you want to use boots you would need open heel fins as opposed to full foot fins. Again, quality products pay off.
Rashguard – Do not forget to get your rushguard. Here is why:
1. better sun protection
2. dries much faster and more comfortable then a wet t-shirt
3. better protection if you rub against the reef
4. better protection from jellyfish and other stinging ocean life
5. Wet t-shirt will weigh you down more
Snorkeling Guidelines
Important: Always, always protect the coral reef when snorkeling or scuba diving!
Please follow these guidelines at all times:
- Do not touch, walk or stand on coral. Even slightly touching or dragging your snorkeling gear over coral can kill an entire colony.
- Do not remove anything living or dead from coral reefs, except recent trash.
- Do not feed fish or other marine organisms. Fish can become dependent on food being given to them instead of naturally foraging for food.
- Be aware of where you enter and exit when snorkeling to avoid stepping on coral.
- Try to step on sand and gravel around the coral without disturbing it.
- Keep your fins from kicking up sand and harming coral. Stirred up sand can block sunlight from getting to the zooxanthellae- the algae living in corals that provides nutrients for the coral through photosynthesis.
- Swim slowly and horizontally. This way you will be able to avoid touching coral by accident and getting stung by marine organisms.
- Swim with your feet, not your hands. Consider wearing a flotation device if you are a new swimmer or are likely to get tired of swimming.
- When on a snorkeling excursion, make sure the boat uses established moorings. Anchors and chains can kill corals.
- Make sure all garbage is stowed away on board.
