Is there a good area for snorkeling? We'd love to go snorkeling on our visit and wondered if there were any nice areas with plenty of sea life? There would have to be a place to rent the equipment as well so we don't need to bring our equipment with us.
I've heard great things from people about the Andaman and Nicobar Islands - apparently there is a lot of great coral and marine life to look at! Also, Grand Island at Goa is on my list for snorkelling too - from what I've read there are a number of snorkelling companies that would have all the gear you need!
Do you have to have a special license to be able to go diving? Friends of mine were taking classes for it. They wanted to take diving trips, and I didn't know if they had to do that, or if they just wanted to.
I think that's only for SCUBA diving (you have to have certification for that, I believe) but for snorkelling I don't think there's any sort of regulation for needing a license or having to take special classes to do it.
This sounds fantastic. I must check it out. I will be there for my honeymoon in early May. I look forward to snorkeling and enjoying some water sports activity. Thank you for the tips on these wonderful places to go snorkeling.
We are scheduled to visit Goa for 3 days. Might have to check out the snorkeling around Grand Island. Do you happen to know if we need to get there by boat, is there a tour, or can we easy get to the island from Goa.
Hello, @Tabitha! Welcome to the forum! There are plenty of destinations in India for snorkelling and diving. You can also rent the equipments needed in majority of these destinations. So, here they are, the best snorkelling destinations in India: 1. Andaman Islands - The Andaman Islands can be compared to Maldives, especially in terms of its beaches and activities like snorkelling and diving. You can find coral reefs, underwater ship wrecks, marine life and underwater rock formations. Here are some of the best beaches and islands to do snorkelling: Elephant Beach - The best thing about this beach is that the waters are shallow and the reefs are very close to the shore at a depth of about one metre. The marine life is also very rich here. It's the perfect spot for beginner snorkelers with the gentle sloping and soft sands. Sweetlips, snappers, angelfish, parrotfish and lion fish are common sightings here. The Light House - The difference between this beach and the Elephant Beach is that this one doesn't have its own shores. You'd have to gear up right on the boat. But don't worry, the marine life here is very rich as well, you can find anemone fishes, hump head parrotfish and clams can be seen here. South Button - Like the Light House Beach, you'd have to gear up on the boat as there are no shores here. Some of the common marine life sighted here are: snappers, turtles, barracudas and manta rays. Inglis Island - This one has a shore and you can wear your gear from there. You can spot lobsters, parrotfishes and sea snakes here. Many of the resorts and tour agencies have equipments for rent for snorkelling. 2. Lakshadweep - Because these islands are harder to reach, not a lot of tourists frequent them. The good thing about this is that they remain untouched by noise and pollution unlike other destinations. Here are some of the best beaches and islands to do snorkelling in Lakshadweep: Agatti Islands - These islands are blessed with a rich marine life. However, to enter the islands you would need an entry permit and a confirmed hotel booking. You can see fishes like parrotfish, angelfish and schooling snappers here. Kadmat - This island has three types of habitats: coral reef, seagrass and nesting ground for sea turtles. If you're lucky, you might spot any of these four species of turtles here: green sea turtle, leatherback turtle, Hawksbill turtle and Olive Ridley turtle. Kavaratti - The Kavaratti Island Marine Aquarium is a great place to visit here to see the stunning varieties of sea and marine life in the country. Aside from that, you can opt to go snorkelling in the waters of the island. Kalpeni - This can be found on the West of Agatti Islands, it's an uninhabited island. Here you can find giant tortoises, sting rays, small sharks and lobsters. Bangaram - You can find the beauty of the colourful underwater world here. You might be able to spot sting rays, manta rays, turtles and whale sharks here. Usually, tour agencies provide the snorkelling equipments for the guests. But you might also spot some shacks and shops renting out such equipments. 3. Goa - Although Goa is mostly well known for its night life, you can enjoy water sports here as well like surfing and of course, snorkelling. The best islands to do snorkelling in the region are: Grande Island - You can spot some fishes and coral reefs here. Although the shallower the water, the harder it is to spot them. Of course, compared with the Andaman and the Lakshadweep Islands, there's not much marine life here. But it will do if you're really craving for snorkelling and you don't have time to visit more distant regions. You might be able to spot: whip corals, table corals, groupers, butterfly fishes, banner fishes, puffers and blennies here. Wreck of Suzy - Just like the Grande Island, you'd have to go further from the beach shores to find rich marine life here. Some of the commonly seen marine life here are: Moorish idols, snappers bat-fish, blennies, barracudas, parrot-fish, angelfish, stone-fish and nudibranches. Bay of Bounty - This is a great location for beginner snorkelers. Some of the marine life here are: lobsters, crabs, trigger fishes and sting rays. There are a lot of snorkelling gear rentals all around Goa so you won't have a problem with equipments. 4. Pondicherry - This is one of the most underrated diving and snorkelling destinations in India. The good thing about snorkelling here is that the water is warm enough to enjoy a few hours of viewing the marine life. Some of the best snorkelling spots in Pondicherry are: Aravind's Wall - This is a well-known dive site but you can also snorkel here. You might be able to spot groupers, barracudas, tunas, sea kraits and nudibranches here. Temple Reef - This site was once devastated by trawler fishing but thankfully, the diving team in Pondicherry remedied it by creating a metal structure shaped like a temple so the trawler nets won't reach the fishes. Now, it's a perfect diving and snorkelling spot where you can spot trumpet fishes, silver moonies, barracudas and lion fishes. Cuddalore Wreck - Here you can find the sunken ship of MV Mothi. You can see barracudas, scorpion fishers, morays and groupers on the sunken ship as well. You can rent equipments through diving and snorkelling agencies. There you go. I hope this helps. Have fun snorkelling!
