About Snorkeling in Orlando, Florida

Central Florida is filled with an abundance of wildlife both in its oceans and in its rivers and lakes. Snorkeling is one of the easiest ways for a visitor to view Florida's marine wildlife in its natural habitat. It requires very little equipment (snorkel, mask and pair of fins) and training for a person to experience a different kind of Orlando.

  1. Types

    • Orlando, Florida, offers two very different types of snorkeling experiences. There are the freshwater springs that you can snorkel and oceans for saltwater snorkeling. The benefit of snorkeling in fresh water is that the water can be much clearer than Florida coastal water. It also stays at a constant temperature, typically around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a popular place to snorkel in winter months. Saltwater snorkeling is also very popular, and Orlando, being centrally located, has a choice of beaches on either the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean.

    Features

    • One of the most popular types of snorkeling tours in Orlando is the manatee tour. Manatees spend the warmer months living in the ocean but will venture to the freshwater springs during the wintertime. Crystal River and Rainbow River are two popular spots for those tours. Blue crabs, eels, wrasses, snappers and catfish are some of the animal life worth seeing.

    Geography

    • Some of the more popular freshwater snorkel locations in Orlando are Crystal River for the manatees and Wekiva Spring State Park, which features some interesting rock formations. For saltwater areas worth snorkeling, Canaveral National Seashore, located along the Atlantic Ocean, is very popular due to its pristine seashore. The area boasts 12 miles of beaches and is also a good location to spot turtles.

    Misconceptions

    • People assume that if you're visiting Florida, the best places to go snorkeling are in the Florida Keys. They may think that Orlando is too centrally located to have good snorkeling. While the Keys have interesting wildlife and coral life, Central Florida has plenty of popular snorkel spots, both coastal and freshwater. People also assume that manatees are found only in sea water, but they do move to fresh water (which is usually warmer) in the winter.

    Warning

    • Manatees are protected by state and federal laws. Do not harass the manatees.
      Some of the freshwater snorkeling involves rivers with currents that can quickly wash you downstream if you are not careful.