| I am in the fantasy stage of planning a trip where we could go snorkeling. Ideally, we’d be able to rent snorkeling equipment and wouldn’t need to get on a boat to go snorkeling. I think my family is hoping for amazing fish and clear water, as opposed to snorkeling off the coast of New England. I’d love a direct flight from the DC area. Where should we go? |
| I should have added, that this trip would be two parents and 2 kids. (Kids would be 6 or 7 and 9 or 10, depending on when I make this trip happen.) |
| Maybe Grand Cayman or Aruba? Not sure about nonstop flights. |
| How far? The Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach has excellent snorkeling. You can hire a guide from one of the dive shops that are right there. They can point out all of the critters you would probably miss on your own. |
| We snorkeled off the beach in Kaui. We also snorkeled off the dock on a Disney Cruise but can't remember where that was, maybe their own island, Castaway Cay. |
| Puerto Rico |
| Not a direct flight, but, Roatan, Honduras 100%. |
| HI has a bunch of lagoons you can get to right off the beach for snorkeling. You have to be careful, though, because some of it is pretty shallow, and the corral can scratch you. |
? did you read the OP? " wouldn’t need to get on a boat to go snorkeling" When I went to FL, we hired a boat to go snorkeling, and we also went snorkeling off the beach. Neither was impressive. HI was so much nicer. |
| There’s no better place than West Bay Beach on Roatan, Honduras. Beautiful beach, crystal clear water, reef right off the beach and real easy even for kids and no boat needed. Real hidden gem. |
You snarl too soon. The Blue Heron Bridge is a beach. You walk in. Walk out. Maximum depth is 20 ft. It is a protected site and considered a top shore dive in the US. Not everyone is middle class like you and can afford to go to hawaii, roatan, etc. some of us are poor. |
Florida? Gross. |
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My favorite place to snorkel is in Thailand, but that's a bit far for you.
When my kid was little, we went to Atlantis and snorkled in the big tank, which as hokey as it seems, you do see a lot, including the big manta ray. Once she was a stronger swimmer, we did the same trip, but snorkeled from the beach. Not many people bother with that, but you do see a lot of creatures without a lot of crowds. |
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If you want US destination - Destin, FL.
Florida isn't my favorite place either for the PPs who love to hate on FL but they have clear water, beautiful beaches, and great fish. |
| Belize. |