During the past ten years, Deb and I have snorkeled in the Sea of Cortez, off the coast of Bonaire, off the coast of Belize, and in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea. Some were organized outings with other snorkelers, and others were on our own. One thing we’ve found is that we enjoy outings by ourselves more. That’s because no matter what organizers say ahead of time, once in the water, it’s all about moving from place to place along the reef.
In the Raja Ampat, Deb and I did organized snorkeling from our boat, the Katharina, until we requested to be left to do our own thing from a beach while everyone else followed the guide. Later, at the Raja Ampat Eco-Lodge, we did all the snorkeling by ourselves.
The cool thing about unrushed snorkeling—especially in the Raja Ampat—is that there is so much life hiding on the ocean floor. Deb (as shown in this photo) frequently dove to the bottom to photograph tiny camouflaged creatures.