Snorkeling World

Cairns is one of the best places to explore the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Exploring the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns through snorkeling can be organized in three main ways: the Outer Reef , Green Island , and Fitzroy Island . Each option has its own logistics, highlights, and tips for a memorable experience. Amazing Coral on the Outer Reef Outer Reef Snorkeling Book a dedicated day trip with a local operator; most vessels depart from Cairns Marina between 8–9am and return by 4:30pm. Trips typically visit two Outer Reef sites, such as Norman, Saxon, or Hastings reefs, providing 5+ hours in the water with equipment and lunch included. You can choose between standard high-speed boats or specialized platforms (“reef stations” or pontoons) anchored at the reef—these floating stations allow for more facilities like restrooms, showers, and semi-submersible tours. Sailing catamarans are also popular and often offer a calmer, eco-friendly experience with limited group sizes. All necess...

I woke up early to go to Costa da Caparica. It's a good spot for snorkeling in the summer and is a 15-minute drive from my house in Lisbon. The water was a little cold, but the visibility was good. I found an octopus and dove in to observe it. It didn't run away very far, but what I found strange was that it was disguised as the color of the rock, and when I got very close, it turned white and adopted a different shape, like a star. I did a second dive, and it behaved exactly the same way; I even noticed that its texture changed when it turned white. It didn't make sense to me that it would lose its camouflage of the rock's color. Until I realized what it was doing: it was disguising itself as a starfish. This is a defensive mimicry strategy, since there are starfish of that color in the area. Why the octopus behaved this way: What I witnessed that morning was a remarkable example of  octopus camouflage and mimicry , two of the most advanced survival strategies in the a...

I arrived in Okinawa by plane from Osaka, after visiting the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where I snorkeled in three places, and I'll share one of them here: Green Island, Great Barrier Reef  I'll soon write a post dedicated to the Great Barrier Reef. On this trip, I flew more than once around the world, accompanied by my youngest son, Miguel. In addition to Japan and Australia, we visited Dubai and Singapore. It was a demanding and challenging trip, but it also served as a bonding opportunity for my son. During the trip, he was able to visit three amusement parks: Universal Studios in Singapore and Osaka, and Aquaventure Waterpark in Dubai. We spent almost a week in Okinawa and managed to snorkel in several places: Kibougaoka Beach  Cape Maeda  Blue Cave Tokei Hama  Seragaki Beach  Diamond Beach Mermaid's Grotto  Nakama Sunset Beach  Cape Maeda was perhaps our favorite spot. The water was crystal clear, and the coral was incredible. The famous Blu...

Pessegueiro Island The Pessegueiro Island and São Torpes, located in the northern extension of the Vicentine Coast, are among the best snorkeling spots along Portugal's wild west coast. These locations are approximately two hours from Lisbon, and São Torpes Beach is situated just outside Sines, offering parking. São Torpes beach São Torpes Beach once had warm water, reaching almost 30 degrees Celsius due to the on-site thermoelectric plant, but after its deactivation in 2021, the temperature now matches that of other beaches in the region. How to get to Pessegueiro Island To reach Pessegueiro Island the traditional way, you must first go to the village of Porto Covo, along the Alentejo coast. From Porto Covo, during the summer season, daily boat tours depart from the local fishing port, typically at 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 4:00 PM, with the crossing lasting approximately 15 minutes. However, to snorkel there, I did something different. I went to Pessegueiro Island beach and asked th...

In September 2022, after much indecision and almost giving up on the previously booked trip, I decided to go to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to snorkel. Since I was traveling alone, I didn't feel comfortable going to an unfamiliar destination outside of Europe. However, after a last-minute Google Maps search, I discovered that the resort I was staying at, which had been very cheap, just like the flight, had a pier that led directly to the coral reef, meaning I didn't need to leave the hotel to snorkel. This trip completely changed my life, bringing me back to a self I'd practically forgotten since childhood and launching me on a series of quests, exploring the world through snorkeling and freediving. In the last few years before 2022, during the summer, I'd end up snorkeling in Portugal on a beach in the Costa da Caparica area or in the Arrábida Natural Park. I always said I should do it more often, but the truth is, I'd end up forgetting. When I was a kid, around fourte...