I wasn’t a fan of snorkeling until we came to Jeddah. Something about the way the strap always yanked my hair out and my goggles inevitably fogged up all while I’m staring at rocks and sand 75% of the time. 😑
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My expectations were low on our first snorkeling venture in the Red Sea but when I dipped my head under the crystal clear water I was met with an explosion of color. Not only fish, but the amazing diversity of coral was shocking: so many vibrant colors and textures, and only feet from my face. 🐡🐠🐟 We’ve seen pufferfish, clownfish, eels, rays, and a myriad of interesting anemone and other fish. I need to get a camera that takes underwater photos.
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The first time we went with local friends and just pulled off the road to an abandoned stretch of beach. More recently we’ve gone to a designated area at a beach resort and taken boat trips far from shore. Diving is also huge here and we’d like to become certified someday.
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Red Sea diving and snorkeling will undoubtedly be a big draw for tourists once everything returns to normal. We’ve snorkeled in Belize, the Bahamas, the Mediterranean, Sean in Hawaii, and none of those places compare to what we’ve experienced here. We just hope Saudi can get a handle on their pollution/litter problem and find ways to maintain the health and beauty of the coral!