Snorkelling

Snorkelling is a premium activity offered on some expedition and adventure cruises. It provides an opportunity to explore underwater environments in a way that is impossible otherwise unless you are part of a scuba group.

Most imagery of snorkelling from ships will come from warm-water destinations like the Galápagos Islands, where endemic species such as marine iguanas dive alongside sea lions and tropical fish. The same is true for regions like Indonesia in the Coral Triangle, which boasts rich aquatic biodiversity and extensive coral reefs.

Safety is a priority on expedition cruises, and snorkelling activities are typically well-supervised. Before snorkelling, guides should provide detailed briefings on safety procedures, local marine life, and environmental protection. Experienced guides and lifeguards oversee the activity, ensuring participants are safe and following guidelines.

Snorkelers are often encouraged to pair up, ensuring no one is alone in the water. Proper equipment fitting and function are checked to prevent issues during snorkelling. Participants are also educated on how to avoid damaging coral reefs and disturbing marine life.

Snorkelling on expedition and adventure cruises offers a range of experiences depending on the destination. These are primarily encounters with species, underwater photography, and marine ecology and conservation education.

We recommend participating in a snorkelling program if available on your cruise, even if it is not an activity that usually appeals to you.

Polar snorkelling offers a look into cold-water marine ecosystems. A word of underwater ice formations, including icebergs and sea ice, create a surreal underwater landscape.

Arctic: Snorkeling in the Arctic can occur in areas like Svalbard, Greenland, and the Canadian Arctic. These regions offer stunning underwater landscapes shaped by ice and rock.

Antarctic: Snorkeling around the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, and the sub-Antarctic islands provides access to an extraordinary underwater world dominated by cold-water marine life.

While the biodiversity of polar snorkelling differs from the warm-water regions more commonly associated with this activity, polar waters are rich with unique species, including sea anemones, sea stars, jellyfish, various fish species, penguins and occasionally seals, minke or beluga whales. You’ll also see Antarctic krill, sea stars and nudibranchs in the Antarctic.

Despite the low temperatures, polar waters can be surprisingly colourful with sponges, anemones, and other invertebrates. Different cold-water algae and seaweed types can be seen, adding to the underwater scenery. Encounters with curious penguins are also frequent in Antarctica, where they may swim by or dive around snorkelers. Most polar expeditions include marine biologists and naturalists who provide insights into the polar marine ecosystems and the adaptations of the local wildlife for the snorkelling groups.

ExplorEarth writer and zoologist Billy Heaney takes us snorkelling with dusky dolphins. Dusky dolphins may swim circles around you, leap out of the water, or perform acrobatic displays. They are attracted to playful behaviour, so swimming energetically and making noises through your snorkel can pique their curiosity. And as Billy explains, they are partial to some 'Toto' music.