Your most memorable days on the water don’t always start with a tank and a scuba certification card. Sometimes, a mask and a snorkel — with a dash of curiosity — is all you need to have real ocean adventures.
From floating over diverse coral gardens to watching turtles surface for air, or slipping into the water as dolphins pass by, snorkeling opens the door to powerful, intimate and unexpected moments that are accessible to more people than you might imagine. These guided experiences let you explore marine life safely and confidently, whether you’re new to the water, traveling with non-divers or taking a break between dives.
That’s why we’ve rounded up 10 unforgettable ocean adventures you can do without a dive certification, each led by professionals who care about your experience, your safety and the ocean we all love.
1. Floating Above the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Unsurprisingly, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef earns its place at the top of the list. This full-day ocean adventure takes you to the largest coral reef system in the world. Youdrift above vibrant coral gardens, while reef fish weave through bommies and turtles and rays pass by unhurriedly.
What makes the experience even more meaningful is the Museum of Underwater Art. Created by underwater artist Jason deCaires Taylor, these sculptures double as artificial reefs, inviting coral growth and turning snorkeling into an encounter with both art and conservation.
2. Finding Dugongs in Marsa Alam, Egypt
Abu Dabbab Bay in Marsa Alam is one of the best places to encounter dugongs. These gentle marine mammals are closely related to manatees and are often called “sea cows.” While you casually float on the water’s surface, the bay’s shallow seagrass meadows draw the dugongs in to feed, making encounters surprisingly common.
These gentle giants are also often accompanied by juvenile golden jacks that feed on small creatures stirred up from the seabed, allowing you a glimpse into a classic symbiotic relationship in action!
3. Swimming With Fur Seals in Plett, South Africa
Swimming with seals in Plettenberg Bay is a fast-paced, playful and wildly memorable ocean adventure that is worth the thick wetsuits and cold water! The stars of this show are Cape fur seals, a species known for their intelligence and puppy-like curiosity.
After a scenic boat ride to Robberg Nature Reserve — where seals haul out on wave-battered rocks — you slip into the water as the seals take control of the encounter, darting past, blowing bubbles and looping effortlessly around you.
Prefer to stay dry? You can still join and watch the action from the boat.
4. Manta Madness in the Maldives
Few ocean encounters match the scale and grace of snorkeling with manta rays, and nowhere does it better than the Maldives.
This ocean adventure takes you out on a traditional Dhoni, an iconic handcrafted Maldivian wooden boats. These vessels are perfect for scanning for those unmistakable dark shapes below the surface.
With wingspans that can reach up to 4.5 meters (15 feet), reef manta rays move through the water with slow, balletic ease, feeding on plankton by barrel-rolling through dense clouds of food. Watching manta rays is truly a graceful underwater dance that is impossible to forget!
5. Island Hopping in Similan National Park, Thailand
Similan National Park is one of Thailand’s wildest and most pristine marine environments. Located in the Andaman Sea off Thailand’s west coast, the Similan Islands are a chain of granite islands and submerged pinnacles fringed with clear water, thriving reefs and big marine life.
This ocean adventure takes you to Koh Tachai, the park’s northernmost island. Snorkeling happens at two sites where manta rays, reef sharks, whale sharks and green turtles are regular visitors — especially around dramatic features like “The Dome,” where the water feels alive with movement.
6. Exploring the Gili Islands, Indonesia
Just off Lombok sit the three Gili Islands — Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno. These islands are known for clear water, gentle conditions and relaxed island life.
Snorkeling here is easy and rewarding, with resident sea turtles often seen gliding calmly through shallow reefs. One standout stop is The Nest, an underwater sculpture installation by Jason deCaires Taylor, where life-sized figures now function as a living reef. For a dose of culture, the day ends at the Autore Pearl Farm. This is where Lombok’s famous South Sea pearls are cultivated.
7. Non-Diver Boat Trip to Coron, Philippines
Coron is a scuba diver’s dream, famous for its WWII shipwrecks. However, diving isn’t the only way to experience its outstanding beauty.
This non-diver ocean adventure focuses on shallow reefs and sheltered lagoons framed by towering limestone cliffs rising straight out of the sea. Visibility is excellent, coral reefs glow with color and schools of parrotfish, butterflyfish and clownfish swirl below you, proof that Coron is just as magical from the surface.
8. Galápagos Islands Snorkeling, Ecuador
Snorkeling in the Galápagos feels like entering a living wildlife documentary. Cool, nutrient-rich waters support an explosion of life with sea turtles, rays, reef fish and more cohabiting the colorful reefs.
Then come the sea lions. Curious and endlessly entertaining, they twist and dart around you, often turning the experience into a playful dance. Between snorkel sessions, you can also find marine iguanas basking on black volcanic rocks. They are the only lizards on Earth adapted to life in the sea.
9. Searching for Whales in Moorea, French Polynesia
From July to November, humpback whales migrate past Moorea’s east coast, creating one of the most awe-inspiring ocean adventures anywhere. After a briefing on respectful approach rules, you’ll be on the water, cruising slowly while scanning for blows and flukes.
When conditions are right, you enter the water and float as massive shapes move through the blue — sometimes a lone adult, sometimes a mother and calf. If you’re lucky, you might also hear their hauntingly beautiful songs echo underwater.
10. Swimming With Manatees in Florida, USA
Winter changes everything in Florida’s Kings Bay. As water temperatures drop, warm freshwater springs turn it into a refuge for hundreds of West Indian manatees. This protected area offers one of the world’s most ethical wildlife ocean adventures.
After learning proper “Manatee Manners,” you head out by pontoon boat to swim with manatees while they feed on seagrass, rest near the springs, or occasionally drift closer out of curiosity. Turtles, otters, fish, osprey, bald eagles and even dolphins also often appear, making it a truly wholesome day on the water.
Ready To Go Deeper?
From swimming alongside sea lions to observing mantas, if floating on the surface can be this much fun, imagine what is waiting below the water’s surface.
Snorkeling is where the journey begins — but learning to scuba dive opens an entirely new world. Get started today with your PADI Open Water Diver course, or find your nearest PADI Dive Center for in-person advice on taking your first breaths underwater.
