Have You Ever Tried Snorkelling?

November 28th, 2009 Posted in Outdoors

On a trip to Florida a couple of years ago my family and I were lucky enough to get the chance to visit Discovery Cove for a day.

 

Discovery Cove is a 30-acre retreat, where not only do you get the chance to swim one to one with dolphins, but also have the opportunity to snorkel, feed tropical birds and even take a float along the tropical river. On any one day there are only a maximum of 1000 visitors allowed entrance into the park, so you know it will never get over crowded like over Florida parks.

 

We arrived at the park at 7.30am and straight away had to be kitted out with our life jackets and snorkels. Our time slot for our swim with the dolphins was scheduled for 8.30am, so we didn’t have very long to wait. After a very short briefing with the staff we were taken to the Dolphin pool. It really was such a magical experience and I will have such fond memories that will stay with me for a lifetime. It was absolutely wonderful to be able to interact with such glorious creatures. It was a shame when our time with the dolphins was over, but luckily there was so much more to do in the park. We had a wonderful opportunity to snorkel amongs lots of tropical fish and graceful sting-rays. For somebody who has never tried snorkelling before, this was an amazing opportunity and one that I would certainly love to repeat.After our swim with the dolphins, we spent the next couple of hours gently floating along the Wind-Away River and then it was time for some lunch. The great thing about the Discovery Cove experience is that once you have paid your entrance fee, apart from gifts, there is nothing else to pay for. We enjoyed a beautiful lunch, followed by a couple of drinks and then during the afternoon we enjoyed relaxing on our private beach and just taking in the whole experience.

 

Unfortunately our day was over way too quickly. However, after experiencing snorkelling for the first time, I have decided that I am going to book a holiday where I can snorkel until my heart is content.

 

After doing a bit of research, I have decided on a Galapagos Holiday. From the information I have seen, it looks like I would be able to snorkel amongst the wildlife and see them in their natural habitat. There would also be opportunities to be able witness first hand rare fur seals and giant tortoises. What a fantastic holiday this could turn out to be and what a fantastic opportunity to actually get to see wildlife up close and where it should be.