Hi Janet, so sorry you had a disappointing trip. Hope you get to go back at another time.

Thank you Sue. We missed Lee Stocking but did catch the Aquarium. You are very right about the boats there, but they were clustered around one small area so we swam quickly through them!

Thank you Amy! We did go to several grottos including Thunderball, but the best by far was Sea Aquarium off O’Brien Cay.

I lived in the Florida Keys for 41 years, 23 of those years on the Atlantic Ocean. Although I’ve never been to Hawaii, and I’ve heard it’s beautiful and in the continental United States you can’t get much better than the Florida Keys. Not everything is bleached out, but I do find the snorkeling tourists on what the locals call the cattle boats that disgorge about 50 people onto the reefs, don’t know how to snorkel. If you’re near them you’re liable to get your face mask kicked off or else witness them standing on the corals or breaking pieces off. It aggravates me that the cattle boat captain or first mate doesn’t give them instructions on how to treat the coral.

I have never been to Indonesia, but I have heard of Wakatobi Resort and have wanted to go there many times. I am 79 years old now and laying in a bed getting outpatient radiation for lung cancer and I have decided that I’m going to start spending my money and I guess Wakatobi will be one of my first choices.

However, the reef I really would’ve liked to have seen was Kingman‘s Reef but for that, I think you gotta have a doctorate in marine biology and get special permission to go there, not to mention the mileage involved out in the middle of the ocean.

I did snorkel in Roatan and was truly amazed to see blue coral, which I had never seen before. This was in 2023 and the reef was not bleached out, and it was beautiful, colorful and pretty pristine.

I too find the rock wall on Cozumel to be a lot of fun with multiple sightings of rays, squid, lionfish, morays. Roatan had its moments too.

I would put in a plug for the Maldives. I have been to Indonesia twice but like the Maldives as well or even better (is that possible?) as I have seen so many different and wonderful creatures from Manta Rays to Whale Sharks to octopuses floating by the house reefs. We have been surprised by a school of 30 sharks who swam by before we had time to react. There are areas of dead coral but this is balanced by the wide variety of live coral and larger sea life.

I have booked myself four nights at Flamenco Beach and Resort north of El Quseir. So I suppose the best way to enjoy snorkeling would be booking boat trips? Do you know if boat trips will also go to Mangrove Bay?

Groetjes van een Medelander.

I may be a little biased because I didn’t snorkel at a few of the other house reefs which was a big regret. It took me awhile to recognize that these are very protected reefs, so even the shore reefs are good. We have been used to having to go out on a boat in most places in order to see anything good.

At Wakatobi I decided to get in the first day to check it out and that would help me decide whether to go out on the boat or stay at home. Well the first day convinced me! Five octopus in one afternoon. Always check the house reef first. I could say more but need to run. I just wanted to pop in and give my two cents. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

We cruise the Queensland Australia Great Barrier Reef every year on our catamaran so I was particularly interested in the state of the reef and fish life. Top class, both the house reef (fantastic) and the boat trip reefs. I would definitely recommend Wakatobi!

Hi Diane, I’m just popping in to make a suggestion for sea seasickness. I get sick on windy roads and airplanes so boats were definitely a no-go. My husband told me about an over-the-counter pill that divers take and I tried it and I am reborn! I’ve been out on all kinds of snorkel boats and planes and am amazed how I am not affected at all. Anything with Meclizine in it is the answer. Hope you find it helpful!

We went snorkeling from the beach in La Paz at Pichilingue. The snorkeling wasn’t magnificent, but it was definitely good enough. Visibility was at least 15 feet on a calm day. Going out farther on the right side of the bay, there are deep areas with a couple kinds of coral. Most of the fish we saw in our other outings were present, but not in huge schools.

I’d definitely go back to hike over the hill to the otherwise inaccessible cove just north of Pichilingue. It is so nice not to have a time limit, and of course more economical than a tour.

Pichilingue does have a small active boat ramp. I had a fluorescent floatie trailing me, so I felt visible enough. We saw one guy snorkeling in the boat-accessible areas. He was pulling a rubber dinghy! Not sure if that was for visibility or something else.

The real downside here is that we were beset by biting flies every moment that we were not underwater. Thankfully not horse flies, but still… really annoying.

Hi Jackie, I would say the water temperatures are generally similar throughout those areas of Indonesia, about 80°-86°F (26°-30°C). Some places have cold water upwellings and the temperatures can lower to about 75°F (24°C). This happens in Alor from my experience.

That said, I run cold always now and have taken to wearing a full body 3mm wetsuit all the time, and I am comfortable in all those temperatures in that suit. It is hard to say if you are like me. But, it is always better to be prepared and bring something warm, because being cold is miserable.

I hope that helps. And thanks for your kind words about the site!

What was the water temperature like and what thickness rash guard or wetsuit did you use? I believe the water temperature at Wakatobi is quite a bit cooler than Raja Ampat. Living in a warm climate in Queensland, Australia, I do feel the cold in cooler waters.

Nicole – how do you find the water temperature differs on the different locations in the region that the listed tours visit – e.g. Misool and Papuan Explorers (warmest waters here?), Triton Bay, Cenderawasih, Alor and Wakatobi? Thanks for any info or advice on this. Love your website and info on resorts, trips, cameras, freediving etc.