How Young is Too Young to Snorkel??

Most kids get very excited when they see water. They are unafraid to jump into the water despite not being able to swim. So I think its better that parents teach them proper way to snorkel for their own safety. But how young is too young to teach them snorkeling?

Well it all depends on the child. I have seen a father taking his 4 yrs old daughter snorkeling and they look absolutely cute. The child had lots of fun and learns about the underwater world at the same time. Priceless lesson and quality time with dad.

Taking the little one to the pool first and introducing them to snorkeling is the first step. Make sure they have all the proper fitting snorkel gear, mask, fins, snorkel & snorkeling vest. Here are some tips when buying snorkeling mask, fins, snorkel that is just right for you and your child.

Next, you want to make sure the kid’s snorkeling vest fits. You have to make sure that it is partially inflated at all times while the child is in the water. Most of the snorkeling vests have locking rings so the kids cannot deflate the vest too easily. Here is a video to show you how to wear the snorkeling vest properly.

Because the ocean is so big, be prepared and understand that if your child chicken out when he or she sees the ocean. This is very common so don’t force the child, take it slow and give lots of encouragements. When you do get the child in the ocean they he/she may be a little intimidated by what can seen underwater as some of the fish maybe “ugly” or “big”. Before you go in the water, review with them the underwater creatures they might see. There are waterproof fish identification slates and books that you can show the child in advance or while you are in the water. But most of the time, the child will be very excited and fearless in the water :)

Make sure the child does not get too cold. Even when the sun is hot, the water can be cold. Wear wetsuit or rash guard to protect your child from sunburns, cold and jellyfish. Check your watch and don’t stay in the water too long.

It goes without saying, that adult supervision is always required when children are in or near water. Teach your kids good habits and reef etiquette, how we never touch anything underwater and the beauty will be there when your kids have kids.

Snorkel Manukan - not what it used to be

Photo: Jetty Manukan Island, By Sal

Upon arriving to Manukan Island, I was a very excited to jump into the water. It has been awhile since I swim here and this time I brought a camera with me to snap all the beautiful underwater creatures. The first thing I noticed was that the fishes under the jetty are less abundant and diverse. There used to me many different types of species there and even the number of fish was notably less.

I went to the public washroom/changing room and was happy (and surprised) to see that it was clean compared to the previous year (Hooray!).

Photo: Debris from mainland?, by Lan

It was a good day for swimming as the sun was scorching hot. After having a light breakfast and slathering on heavy sun-block, we hit the water. Well first thing I have to say is that visibility was not so great, only about 5 meters. This is probably due to rain the day before.

Photo: Solitary 8-banded Butterflyfish among dead corals, by Lan

Because of the fish feeding activity that people do here, the fishes were aggressive and not shy at all. We were attacked by a group of sergeantfish looking for free food. I love butterflyfish but only saw three. One was Beaked Coralfish and two were the Eight Banded Butterflyfish. We saw a lot of herbivorous fishes in large school feeding on algae. On the sandy area, there were rabbitfish and goatfish. Lots of colorful damsels that hide in between branching corals if you get too close for comfort.

Photo: Rabbitfish, by Lan

The corals are a bit disappointing. We saw a lot of dead corals and rubbles. There were patches of reef overrun with algae. We did note that some algae patches were tended by territorial damsels… hehe they were kinda cute. There was a large patch of branching corals that are gone now… so sad.

This trip to Manukan Island for me is to explore the island and compare it to how it was 10 years ago. I used to snorkel Manukan reefs a lot when I was a kid. So I suppose I do have high expectation.

Overall I have to say that it Manukan reefs is still fun but I gotta say that it is now only a glimmer of its former beauty. I suggest Sabah Parks put a stop to the fish feeding activity. I don’t know of any Marine Parks around the world that encourage fish feeding??

How to ID Reef Fish

Fish can be easy to identify if you know what to look for. Just like any plant or animal, we need to understand what features some fish have in common, and what the differences are.

When identifying a fish, there are several things that you should be looking for. Here are some tips when observing a fish. You can check your fish online on FishBase or use the many Fish ID books that you can buy in bookstores.

Things to look at are:

1. Anatomy

a. Tails – Sometimes called caudal fin helps fish to propel forward through water. Fast swimming fish have forked fins. Rounded rails are usually found on slow moving fish but they are capable to provide short burst of speed.

b. Mouth – Location of the mouth on a fish can tell you how and what it eats. Mouth located on the upper front means the fish is a surface-feeder. Mouth located on the middle front means the fish finds food in front of them. Some fish (goatfish) have barbells to help them find prey in the sand. Butterflyfish have small pointed mouth that specializes in getting into small crevices to find food.

c. Shape – General shape of the body will help you identifying a fish.

2. Colors and markings

Most reef fishes are colorful, making it easy to use colors to identify them. But relying on colors alone is not enough to make identification. It is important to also note the markings on the fish. Look at the diagram below to familiarize yourself with the terms used in fish ID books.

3. Habitat

Sometimes the location of the fish will give you clue as to what kind of fish it is. Grouper likes to perch on the bottom of the reef waiting for preys. A groupers mouth is located in the upper front, meaning they will catch prey swimming above them. Goatfish usually swims in sandy area where they can use their barbells to find preys.

Most of the time, i will bring a slateboard with me when I go snorkeling to draw fishes or any other marine organisms that I want to identify later. So next time you head out for a snorkeling adventure, be sure to bring your slateboard, pencil and an ID book to identify your fish.

Sal’s tip: Be sure your hands are dry before you touch your ID books :) Don’t want to ruin it.