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"If a child hasn’t ever got their hands dirty looking for...
Snorkel the UK
You don’t need to dive to enjoy our amazing marine wildlife. Simply grab your mask and discover our 10 most spectacular snorkelling sites.
A few years ago, after an enjoyable dive off Orkney, the skipper of our boat spotted a basking shark circling a rock some distance away. It was too good an opportunity to miss, so I swam over, wearing not my usual cumbersome diving gear, but a simple mask and snorkel.
Arriving at the spot, I found myself engulfed in a soup of plankton, which was clearly what had attracted the shark. The beast itself soon hoved into view, heading straight for me with its gargantuan mouth gaping wide.
Instinctively, I stretched out my limbs to avoid being swallowed, but the shark changed course and merely brushed its gills gently against my arms. Three more times the great fish passed me, and the moment was as exciting and memorable as any wildlife encounter I’ve had while diving.
What’s more, you don’t have to jet off to a tropical reef to enjoy great snorkelling in waters rich in beautiful marine life. It’s right here on our doorstep, with Cornwall, Devon, the Isle of Man and the west coasts of Scotland and Wales among my favourite places.
Pick a sunny day and you can’t go wrong – all for the price of a mask, snorkel and wetsuit.
1. STUDLAND BAY, DORSET
Studland Bay is one of the few places in the UK where you can see seahorses, both the long- and short-snouted varieties, in the wild. They are masters of disguise, changing colour and even growing leafy appendages for camouflage. But they are regularly spotted here, so be patient.
Summer is the best time to look for them. This snorkel takes you out into a jungle of eelgrass, where seahorses are often found on the fringes. They are protected, so don’t disturb any that you see. If you approach slowly then they will not stray far, and you can enjoy watching them for a while. Studland Bay is also a wonderful nursery ground for fish such as wrasse.
How to get there: Head for the National Trust carpark in Studland, and then take the wooded path down to the beach.
Watch out for small boat traffic (always use a marker buoy) and some swell when the wind’s in the east.
2. STAXIGOE, EAST SCOTLAND
Staxigoe is a usually calm, natural rocky harbour north of Wick. From the slipway, swim to the left or right of the bay: either will provide some amazing encounters.
Head through the gully leading back to the beach and you’ll find a small cave packed with squat lobsters. Also look for kelp fronds laden with squid eggs and rocks covered with crimson sea hares and their pink spiral-shaped eggs.
On the left side of the bay, you’ll find a 16m wall coated with red, filter-feeding sea squirts.
How to get there: From Wick, go to Broad Haven and follow the coast road. At Staxigoe town hall, head right to the harbour.
Watch out for some boat traffic and swell when the wind is between a north-easterly and southerly.
3. STACKPOLE QUAY, WALES
On the south side of the Pembrokeshire peninsula, Stackpole Quay has good protection from northerly and westerly winds.
Snorkel through the inlet and then head north (left) to the far side of the rocky island. In May, spider crabs gather here in huge numbers to breed. It’s an extraordinary spectacle, with crustaceans heaped on top of one another, while yet more stampede towards the action from the periphery.
Beyond this area of reef, marine life is also abundant with pipefish, prawns, velvet swimming crabs and sea hares.
How to get there: From the village of Stackpole, head for Stackpole Quay, where there’s a National Trust carpark.
Watch out: For swell with easterly and south-easterly winds and fishing boats.
4. PRUSSIA COVE, CORNWALL
Halfway between Penzance and Helston, Prussia Cove is a beautiful, tranquil bay with a glorious backdrop and knockout snorkelling.
Reaching the site involves a short walk with lovely views down to the bay. From there, swim straight out to sea until you hit sand. In front of you is a submerged, ridged island. On the far east side, corkwing wrasse build nests in spring.
Next, head east (left) over a kelp forest. Duck diving below the fronds will reveal cavernous gorges covered with squirts and jewel anemones. This site is very close to a grey seal colony, and it’s quite common to be joined by a pinniped buddy.
And in Cornwall in the summer, there’s even the chance of swimming with a basking shark or two.
How to get there: From the A394, take the road signposted to Prussia Cove in Rosudgeon.
Watch out: for swell when the wind is southerly or westerly, and boat traffic.
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