How to Snorkel

Photo: Me! By Lan

Mastering snorkeling skills will open up a new breathtaking world for you. You will find that a snorkeling adventure is unlike anything you have ever experienced on land. Everything in this underwater wonderworld is exciting and exhilarating.

It is recommended that you get some basic training for your safety and also safety of other marine life. Also take note of reef etiquette.

The first thing to do is getting the right equipments. Comfort is of utmost importance when choosing what is right for you.

1. Mask & Snorkel
Masks are used to enable you to see underwater clearly. There are many masks out there. So choose one that you are comfortable with. How to buy a mask.

A snorkel is just a short tube attached to your mask to enable you to breathe while you're floating. Here are some guides to help you choose a snorkel: How to buy a snorkel.

Sal's tip: Brightly colored snorkel will make it easier for your friends on the surface and underwater to spot you =)

2. Fins
Choose fin style and size according to your body. If you have small body and large fins, you will tire easily as your fins will overexert you or worse cause leg cramps. How to buy fins.

3. Snorkel Vest
You can use a snorkel vest or a life jacket to keep you afloat. Another equipment you can use to stay floating is a bodyboard :)

4. Rash guards & wetsuits
Rash guards protect you from the sun and abrasions. If you plan to be in the water for more than 1 hour, it might be a good idea to wear a wetsuit. Wetsuit will protect your body from abrasions and keep you warm. How to buy a wetsuit.
Sal’s tip: Wetsuits are easier to put on when wet!


So once you have your basic snorkeling equipments, lets head on to the islands!

i. Prepare your mask. Make sure you rub some anti-fog liquid on the inside glass of your mask. You won’t be able to see anything if your mask fogs up. Attach your snorkel to your mask.
Sal’s tip: You can use liquid soap as anti-fog too. Rub some onto the glass of your mask and rinse them off before putting it on. Another option is toothpaste. Just make sure you rinse all the toothpaste off cause they can sting your eyes.

ii. Put on your equipments and enter the water. Your body is naturally buoyant. Be calm and keep your body afloat.

iii. While floating, breathe slowly through your snorkel. Do not move your head too much as this will get water into the tube.

iv. If water enters your snorkel, blow hard to expel the water. Then take a cautious breath slowly to avoid inhaling water, just in case you didn’t push out all the water.

v. When you’re using fins just kick your legs slowly. Maintain your ankles and knees relaxed to prevent leg muscles from cramping and practice keeping your fins just below the water level. You should avoid using a bicycle type of kick. As you become adept in this skill, you will no longer need to use your arms to propel yourself underwater ;)
Sal’s advice: Always snorkel with a buddy.

The best way to improve your ability to snorkel is by practicing. So get your gears and jump in. Enjoy!

Snorkel Lankayan II

Lankayan is more of a dive spot rather than a snorkeling haven. The reefs in Lankayan are patch reefs and depths are about 25m average. So not an ideal place to snorkel. The resort on the island will recommend the house reef for snorkelers. There is a sandbar nearby which they bring snorkelers but you would need a boat to reach the area and that means paying more.

Photo: Puffed up pufferfish by Sal

The sandbar is a bit of a disappointment. I didn’t see as many fishes as I was expected. On the plus side, I did encountered 2 black tip reef shark swimming by curiously and just as quickly they swam away when they realized that we were just some boring snorkeler and not a tasty meal ;)

Photo: Juvenile Black Tip Reef Shark by Sal

On good days, the visibility of the sea in Lankayan is exceptional. However, during rainy days, the visibility will be terribly compromised by river runoffs from mainland where the palm oil and logging industry are flourishing unmonitored. So do be careful because the river runoff doesn’t just include sediments but may contain harmful chemical and pesticides. You can actually see a layer of river runoff in the sea water. River runoff is basically fresh water and because of the difference in salinity, the runoff will be a visible layer on top of the sea water. It is usually green in color due to the algae in the runoff.

Photo: A lot of river discharge into the East Coast of Sabah

Reefs surrounding the island are good places to snorkel. Unfortu nately, you would need to swim out a bit. Personally I think it is worth the swim. You do have a choice of renting a boat to send to the outer reefs of the island. If you plan to swim out, make sure you check the tide table because you will have problem accessing and exiting the reefs during low tide.

Lankayan House Reef is still the best place for snorkeling I think. Late afternoon, almost always, you will encounter a turtle swimming at the house reef. Shy juvenile black tip reef sharks are plenty around the island. You could find small critters hiding in nooks and crannies - they are very interesting to photograph.

Photo: Nudibranch by Sal

Overall, if you plan to snorkel only in Lankayan, then it is better to limit your stay to 3 days max. It if a great island for R&R though =) so you might want to stay longer for that. For those who plan to dive in Lankayan then plan to stay longer because they do have lots of dive sights. You might see whale sharks in the area too!

Check out this site if you want to snorkel Lankayan: http://lankayan-island.com/

Snorkel Lankayan I

Lankayan is a beautiful island with white sandy beach and clear blue water. It is situated on the East Coast of Sabah in the Sulu Sea. Lankayan is one of the island within Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA). The 2 other islands within SIMCA are Tegaipil and Billean.

Photo: Lankayan Island Sunset Bar @ Sunrise by Sal

My first time snorkeling in Lankayan is an exciting and a little bit scary experience. The sandy bottom of the shallow was quite devoid of marine life but only a few meters into the deeper water, I encountered a shallow reef (during low tide, this reef is exposed, so the best time to go is during high tide). The visibility on that day was superb. I could see until about 10m ahead of me. The view on Lankayan house reef was spectacular. Butterfly fish in pairs, moorish idols, triggerfish, parrotfish and angelfish all put on a show for me.

Photo: Batfish by Lan

As I swam to the reef’s egde, I could see a small green turtle passing by. I swam quickly towards it to get a better view. Watching a turtle swim is like watching a ballerina dancing gracefully. They have an air of serenity and peacefullness about them. It was truly amazing!

The reef edge is an intersting area. This is where you can see marine predetors waiting to catch careless reef inhabitants. As I was enjoying the scene blow me, a white tip reef shark swam by. I was a startled, but only a little bit (LOL). After a few seconds to get my composure back, I carried on with my snorkeling. And then, because I can see 10m ahead of me, I saw the shark coming back again. I stopped short for a bit and kinda prayed a little. The shark wasn’t so big, it was slightly more than 1m but its teeth are still scary looking. The shark circled once and swam away.

My heart had enough exciment for one day and I couldn’t appreciate the scenic view after that. So I went back to shore….. still satisfied, still happy =)

Thanks for the welcome Mr Shark!

How to get to Lankayan Island? Click me!