Dear Nancy,
The answer is yes and no. This area is not ideal for snorkeling - the
water is usually deeper than what you would use just for snorkeling
(without diving), the snorkeling areas are off-shore and you have to
get there by boat, and in general, diving and snorkeling fans
recommend to travel to the Atlantic Coast or to the Keys (see comments
quoted below, and there are many more).
However, in the Fort Myers area, you have several nice spots to try.
On the Boca Grande:
- Cayo Costa Island (Cayo Costa State Park, 941-964-0375)
<http://www.floridastateparks.org/cayocosta/default.asp> - you will
have to take a boat or a ferry to get there, though. Gasparilla Island
is also in the same region.
- Fort Myers lists its beach as a possible snorkeling point, and it is
worth mentioning that the "Edison Reef" in the area is a man-made reef
with tropical fish.
Florida Tourism Site adds an advice: "For optimal visibility,
snorkelers should arrive one hour before high tide to begin their
adventure, as the tides bring clearer waters closer to shore. Water
temperatures range from the upper 80s in the summer to the low 60s in
the winter." (SOURCE: Visit Florida, Southwest Diving & Snorkeling,
<http://www.flausa.com/interests/divesnorkel/sw.php>).
Further Advices
===============
Google Groups: "Goldfish in Fort Myers?"
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=4YjE5.1547%24W31.22966%40news1.online.no&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3D%2522fort%2Bmyers%2522%2Bsnorkeling%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3D4YjE5.1547%2524W31.22966%2540news1.online.no%26rnum%3D1
- Quote:
"Planning a trip to Fort Myers FL next week. [...] Can I get the same
type of snorkeling around Fort Myers or would it be worth to drive
down to the Keys?
A: there is absolutely nothing in FT MYERS, in the way of snorkling or
diving".
Google Groups on Scuba Diving: "I hate to be the bearer of bad news,
but there really are no good diving OR snorkeling sites to be had
close to Sanibel, Captiva, or anywhere else near the Fort Myers /
Naples area. There are several sites off-off-off shore (45 min to one
hour boat ride) but due to the very
shallow, very calm nature of the Gulf of Mexico in our area (which makes
for great tourist beaches), the diving is almost nil. Most of the
divers in the area (my wife and I included) usually invest the few
extra dollars and driving time to go either to Fort Lauderdale /
Miami, or even take the next step and head for the upper Keys (Key
Largo, etc.)."
(SOURCE: http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22fort+myers%22+snorkeling&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=19961204031200.WAA21454%40ladder01.news.aol.com&rnum=4).
I hope this answered your question. I used the terms mentioned in your
topic (snorkeling, Fort Myers) in order to find the answers. Please
contact me if you need any further clarification on the answer before
you rate it. |
