Well the answer to that question is actually “not as far as I know!” However you can get a glimpse of Snoopy in his classic pose lying on his back with his belly in the air if you visit the Dibba to Kalba coastline. The famous Snoopy Island is a great place to take your family snorkeling and has everything from easy introductory areas to more advanced places to explore. But before you go snorkeling make sure to read these snorkel masks reviews, to help you find the best snorkel mask. The Island is easily accessible from the free beach on either side of the Sandy Beach Hotel but if you want to combine your trip to see the underwater world with a nice lunch, a few mocktails and some beach relaxation then the hotel is an ideal base camp for you and your family for the day.
Depending on how high thetide is you will see that there is a difference in how deep the water between the shore and the island is but one really key part of swimming here is that we want to encourage you NOT to stand up. This is because the coral is very delicate and any time you stand on it with fins or water shoes you risk damaging the tiny creatures that make the coral. In fact if you snorkel over these beautiful corals you will notice that there are tiny little plastic markers with numbers on them attached here and there. These are growth markers and the people who study the coral population of this coastline use them to chart the annual growth of the corals.
Coral is a great environment for attracting sea life because it is a living organism. If you snorkel around these underwater gardens you will see a multitude of brightly colored fish, turtles, puffer fish, rays, moray eels, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, starfish and the occasional black tip reef shark which is quite harmless to us as it preys on mollusks and sea crustaceans. Somehow despite the fact that Black tips are harmless and despite the fact that I often go looking for them to photograph, I can’t help hearing that famous “Jaws” music in the back of my head – de duh… de duh… deduhdeduhdeduh DA!
So what do you need to get you snorkeling? Well it’s pretty simple really. A mask and a snorkel is the least you need and you can add to this by getting; fins, rash vest, diving knife, buoyancy aid, underwater camera (or GoPro) and a whole range of other accessories all available from shops in the UAE like; Sun, Sand Sports, GO Sport, Adventure HQ, Decathlon and a whole range of diving outfitters and suppliers.
You can also save yourself the cost of buying the kit if you are a beginner and you just want to try snorkeling to see if you like it by going to an outdoor activities company like ADAPT Adventure in RAK where a school group can spend half a day at Snoopy Island learning how to snorkel safely and then going on an exploration trip. Diving companies also offer similar experiences like Divers Down at Miramar Beach Resort and also many Dhow trip companies offer these groups’ sessions. Most of these companies will give you a buoyancy aid to wear in the water so if you aren’t so confident at swimming you can just relax and not worry about it or if you catch a mouthful of sea water the buoyancy aid will keep you safe and afloat whilst you cough it all back up again!
When families or anyone goes snorkeling there are 10 key safety points that they need to consider:
1. Stay in sight of the shore so you don’t get into too deep water and insight of the other people in your group.
2. Make sure you know if there is a rip tide or strong current in that area that can pull your out to sea.
3. Drink lots of water (you can even tow a water bottle with you) as your mouth gets dry from using the snorkel tube to breathe and the sea air will dehydrate you. Make sure you have water on the beach waiting for you when you get out.
4. Use waterproof suntan lotion especially on the back of your neck and legs which are exposed to the sun.
5. Make sure people know you are out there and don’t go alone.
6. You can tow a small body board or inflatable ring or small dingy to make sure you have a place to rest and to store your suntan lotion and water.
7. A rash vest (especially with sleeves) and long shorts will protect you from small jellyfish and other stinging sea creatures which can cause rashes on exposed skin.
8. Make sure you wear water shoes or lightweight trainers or wetsuit boots or fins so if you do have to stand up for any reason then your feet are protected from poisonous creatures such as the very well camouflaged “stone fish” (named because it looks like a stone!) or from sea urchin spines. Sea urchins are everywhere and the segmented spines are very sharp and will snap off in your foot but get embedded and fester and can make walking very painful for a few weeks.
9. Carry a bottle of vinegar with your towel on the beach so that if you do get a jelly fish sting the acid vinegar can help ease the pain of the sting.
10. DON’T touch anything. There are lots of poisonous things in the sea so if you can’t recognize what’s safe and what isn’t then just assume that everything isn’t safe!
Snorkeling is a great way to spend a couple of hours immersed in warm water (especially in the Middle East, perhaps not in the UK!) floating around lazily watching fish and the underwater zoo go by and once you’ve paid for the basic kit it’s also FREE! Good places to go are of course Snoopy Island but you can also swim along beaches or follow coastal defenses like Groyns out to sea and back or swim along Corniche waterfronts. In the Gulf side of the UAE there are several locations where the local government has sunk old boats and cars or shipping containers in shallow water to form manmade reefs and these attract a multitude of fish and sea life. On the Fujairah side you have the Indian Ocean which is famous for snorkeling and diving and here you can often be lucky enough to spot; dolphins, turtles, sharks and the elusive but beautiful, gentle giant of the sea – the whale shark.
Snorkeling is fun but you need to take it seriously and understand that any activity connected with the sea is inherently dangerous. Follow safety signs you see on the beaches and obey the instructions of life guards and listen to the advice of other people. Enjoy this easily accessible sport but stay safe!
Words + Photos by: Dan Wright
