Wear Your Snorkel Mask Correctly
Staying safe while you are snorkeling is very important. The ocean is a fantastic place with its dangers, and taking precautions to ensure your safety is vital to having a good snorkeling experience. There are a few things that you can do to ensure a safe snorkeling trip.
A snorkel device is a must when you go snorkeling. If you aren’t familiar with what one is, it’s simply a device that allows an individual to breathe while submerged in water and has his head above the water. You can also go snorkeling without it but using one will make your experience much more fun and easier to breathe. This device should fit correctly, so you don’t have to worry about water entering your mouth while submerged, which is probably one of the most common injuries people receive while snorkeling. It’s best to go with a brand-name snorkel device made of durable material.
You will want to familiarize yourself with how the snorkel device works before you jump in the water. If anything isn’t falling or working correctly, don’t use it.
Rip Tides
One of the most important things to remember to stay safe in the ocean while snorkeling is to avoid getting taken out to sea by a riptide. Riptides are part of the natural flow of the ocean and may seem like an inconvenience. However, they can be very dangerous as the ocean rushes towards you in a rush of water, causing you to float out to sea, all while your snorkel device is still in your mouth. If you are floating out to sea and feel pulled out by something or someone, do not panic and try to swim back to shore. Instead, calmly take your snorkel device out of your mouth and float back towards the beach with it. The riptide flow will carry you back to dry land as long as you are relaxed and do not panic.
Marine Life
Marine life in the ocean is one of the main reasons people want to get into snorkeling. It’s fantastic to snorkeling and sea turtles, fish, and coral reefs. However, it’s essential to understand that marine life can also pose some danger to a snorkel. A snorkeler needs to know which marine life is dangerous. Some dangerous marine life to look out for is sharks, jellyfish, and barracudas because they all can harm a snorkel. As a snorkeler, you will want to avoid these dangerous marine animals as much as possible. It’s always a good idea to ask for advice at the beach before going in the water. If anyone at the beach says that it is unsafe for you to go into the water, listen and do not go in. Sharks are another kind of marine life you will want to avoid while snorkeling. Sharks are known to attack people in the water and can be an inconvenience. The only way to know if the waters are shark-infested is by asking the locals at your vacation spot. If people onshore say that there have been sightings of sharks, then you shouldn’t go in.
Jellyfish can be a big problem for snorkelers. They produce excruciating stings that can cause a lot of pain. Therefore, snorkelers need to avoid jellyfish and if you see one, stay away from it. If you cannot get away from the jellyfish, you can try to cover yourself up with clothing or a towel which may deter the jellyfish from stinging you.
Barracudas are also marine life that snorkelers need to look out for a while underwater. Barracudas are aggressive and prey on smaller fish. Barracudas are not poisonous, but they will hurt you if they attack. So it’s best to be careful of these creatures.
Sea urchins are shy creatures typically found in shallow waters but occasionally on reefs. Being cautious of these creatures can help ensure that there will be fewer of them around you. When snorkeling near waters with sea urchins, it’s a good idea to stay away from them and not get close enough to touch them.
Sharks are slightly different from the other marine life mentioned above because they pose two significant risks. Sharks pose two significant risks to the snorkeler because of their size and low visibility. First, they can come out of nowhere as they mostly move around looking for food. They usually are most actively hunting during dawn and dusk, so it is best to avoid those times to go snorkeling to stay safe. Eels and sea urchins are usually within the holes, cracks, or on the reef’s surface. So as long as you maintain a proper distance from the reef and don’t put your hand into a hole or crack in the reef, you should be safe.
This article was designed to help beginner snorkelers understand some of the factors required to stay safe while snorkeling. I hope you have enjoyed the article and learned something from it. Have fun out there snorkeling, and remember to stay safe!
