Muck snorkeling is a really unique type of snorkeling. For many people it can be an acquired taste, like certain types of aged cheese. And just like someone who's developed a pallet for Limburger cheese, for example, what once used to be a casual affair with muck snorkeling or something you would dismiss altogether, can quickly turn into an obsession. So what is muck snorkeling, well it's basically the same as your tropical reef snorkeling, only muck snorkeling typically takes place in areas where there is more sand—usually black—and where an assortment of sponges and different types of algae grow. Reason being, this unique environment is one of the best types of environments—most likely due to the nutrient-rich volcanic sand—for finding some of the most unique and interesting creatures. Frogfish, nudibranchs, a vast assortment of crabs and shrimps, moray eels, stargazers, and some of the most ornate and interesting types of cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish, and squids) can only be found in 'mucky' environments. If you've never been muck snorkeling before, it can seem a bit strange when you first jump in, simply because it's not your classical reef scene full of color. Floating over a black sandy substrate is not what people typically have in mind when they imagine a tropical snorkeling holiday. However, as I said, once you get in the zone and start finding these cool critters all by yourself, that dark sand punctuated by unusual colonies of sponges will quickly become a beautiful thing for you.
Muck snorkeling is a really unique type of snorkeling. For many people it can be an acquired taste, like certain types of aged cheese. And just like someone who’s developed a pallet for Limburger cheese, for example, what once used to be a casual affair with muck snorkeling or something you would dismiss altogether, can
Location Description Alor is one of Indonesia's newest snorkeling destinations and is quickly becoming one of the top places to snorkel in the world. Alor is actually just one island—the largest, within a small regency known as the Alor Regency and is made up of twenty islands in the far eastern corner of Indonesia. Like many of the islands in this part of Indonesia, the landscape is volcanic—with several of the dormant conical peaks clearly visible from the horizon. The most iconic volcano in Alor is Pura, and sits just outside Kalabahi bay between the island of Alor and Pantar. This dormant volcano is where a lot of the area's best snorkeling sites are located and where we concentrate our time on our Alor snorkeling safaris. There is one airport that services the Alor Regency and it's located on the northwest tip of Alor Island and is just forty-five minutes by car to the resort that always hosts us, Alami Alor. Snorkeling The snorkeling in Alor is truly exquisite and offers a seemingly endless variety of stunning coral reef vistas and marine life encounters. Within the area just outside Kalabahi bay, we have a large variety of types of snorkeling sites, from vibrant walls that drop of into the deep blue water to vast coral plateaus, reefs made up almost entirely of sea anemones, village piers completely encrusted with soft coral and sea fans, to gentle drifts over beautiful sloping reefs where the village children will often swim along with you in their home-made wooden goggles posing for photos. Then there's the house reef in front of Alami Alor, which has so much to offer despite just being a few steps from your bungalow. One of the key things that make Alor such a unique place to snorkel is the
Location Description Alor is one of Indonesia’s newest snorkeling destinations and is quickly becoming one of the top places to snorkel in the world. Alor is actually just one island—the largest, within a small regency known as the Alor Regency and is made up of twenty islands in the far eastern corner of Indonesia. Like
Location Description Raja Ampat is often referred to as the crown jewel of snorkeling. Its reefs, many of which have yet to be explored, are teeming with life big and small and are astonishingly vibrant. With over 1,766 fish species and counting, and more than 550 coral species, Raja Ampat is the most biodiverse marine environment in the world and a truly incredible place to snorkel. Raja, as it's often called, is made up of over 1,500 islands and located off the western coast of the island of New Guinea― the world's second-largest island. The eastern half of New Guinea is known as Papua New Guinea and is its own country. The western half is part of Indonesia and known as West Papua. Sorong is the main port of departure for Raja Ampat, and it's where the newly built airport is located. The harbor is just a quick fifteen-minute drive from the airport and where you will either board the transfer boat to your resort or join your liveaboard. Raja Ampat is a massive area that is broken up into several different regions. The area around the Dampier Strait and the Fam Islands are typically referred to as the north—even though it's actually more central, and then in the very south, we have the area known as Misool. If you compare Komodo National Park with Raja Ampat on the map you can clearly see the size difference between these two iconic snorkeling destinations, it's not even close. Unless you are on a liveaboard or intend to spend some time at one of the resorts around the Dampier Strait followed by a visit to Misool Resort, there's really no way to snorkel in both the north or Raja and the south in one single trip, it's just too big. In light
Location Description Raja Ampat is often referred to as the crown jewel of snorkeling. Its reefs, many of which have yet to be explored, are teeming with life big and small and are astonishingly vibrant. With over 1,766 fish species and counting, and more than 550 coral species, Raja Ampat is the most biodiverse marine
So, you're thinking about joining a snorkeling safari but not quite sure you want to spend your hard end holiday time traveling around with a group of people you've never met before. What's the group dynamic going to be like? I'm traveling alone so will I have to share a room with a stranger? Will we have to eat together at every meal? will we have to wear matching group outfits and travel behind someone carrying a big sign above their head!? These are all very valid questions, particularly the last one, and let me just quickly say that we would never put you into matching outfits and make you march through the domestic terminal in single file. To ease some of your very valid group traveling concerns here's a little info on what it's like to be apart of one of our group snorkeling safaris. The Group Dynamic As someone who's been leading snorkeling safaris for Snorkel Venture since they first started, I can honestly say that every tour I've been on the general group dynamic is one of fun and excitement. I believe the reason we consistently receive such lively and easy-going groups of people is that our tours cater to a specific type of people, those that love to snorkel. If you jump on a group tour to Italy for example, you'll have a very different dynamic as everyone within the group has a different idea of how they want to see Rome or Venice. One person might want to rush and see every site imaginable while another might want to casually take in the sites as they sit in front of a cafe with an espresso. These contradictions in personal choice are likely to upset the general group dynamic. This is not the case with our
So, you’re thinking about joining a snorkeling safari but not quite sure you want to spend your hard end holiday time traveling around with a group of people you’ve never met before. What’s the group dynamic going to be like? I’m traveling alone so will I have to share a room with a stranger? Will
A lot of people wonder what type of wetsuit they need for a snorkeling trip, if any at all. My recommendation would be yes, no matter where you go snorkeling and how warm the water, purely for protection from the sun. But that's just me being hyper-aware of anything that involves being in the sun, as I happen to be 'blessed' with a skin type that turns a really awesome shade of reddish pink after several minute of sun, then right back to that shade of white that can only be described as pale after the peeling process is over. So yes, this blog is going to be all about what type of wetsuit you need for several different locations. Skin Suits and Rash Guard Best for warmer waters of if you just naturally run hot. These types of exposure suits are great for warmer waters as they really just protect you from the sun and the little stingers in the water, without letting you get too warm. The skin suits are great options as they are basically just a thin lycra material that will either be full body design or a long sleeve t-shirt you can wear with your swimming shorts. If you want to do a bit of freediving, this option is great as you won't need to pack along any extra weights to help you dive down since the lycra suit is neutrally buoyant. 1 mm Wetsuits Good for warmer waters or if you have a tenancy to get a bit chilly. The 1mm option will give you a bit of added protection if you happen to get a bit cold even in warmer waters, or if you plan to do a long snorkel session. If you intend to do0 some freediving I would recommend taking
A lot of people wonder what type of wetsuit they need for a snorkeling trip, if any at all. My recommendation would be yes, no matter where you go snorkeling and how warm the water, purely for protection from the sun. But that’s just me being hyper-aware of anything that involves being in the sun,
