Snorkeling in Puget Sound, Washington?

Although it’s not a very long swim, if you go out along the wall on the south side of Olympic Beach, in Edmonds, it’s basically like snorkeling a (very cold) coral reef. There are fish everywhere, lots of crabs, lots of anemones. Sea star populations aren’t what they used to be after the area got hit with sea star wasting disease, unfortunately, but you can still see some pretty big ones here. There are also some harbor seals that live here, so you may run into them, too, and sea lions occasionally pass by.

As for hazards — note that at the end of the wall/breakwater, the public fishing pier starts, so you should probably avoid going past the end of the wall to avoid hooks. Also, because there is a long wall, remember that there’s often going to be a current moving one way or the other in the Sound and that’ll create a noticeable current even in the protected area. It’s nothing dangerous, just something one needs to be aware of.

This isn’t the most spectacular place for snorkeling in Puget Sound, I’m sure, but there’s parking right next to the beach which is nice, and there’s a tiny bathroom to change in. Also, you can walk in from sand, which is always a plus — no rocks to navigate over at this beach, even at low tide.

Just north of it, there’s Brackett’s Landing, just north of the ferry dock. You can snorkel out around the jetty there. There’s an outdoor shower to rinse at least some of the seawater off, and a much better changing facility since this area is an underwater dive park.

As for wetsuits… I use a 3mm and am pretty happy in it, but I also have a lot of body fat to insulate me. Maybe try a 7mm if you’ve got it? Gloves, hood, and boots are definitely necessary, don’t let yourself get too cold.

Good luck, safe swimming!