TORBET ON THE TUBE
Andy ’ s Big Five
Confined to his home gym , Andy Torbet ’ s thoughts wander to the places he ’ d most like to go snorkelling
A snorkeller pauses between the continental shelves at Silfra
Friendly manatee in Crystal River
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This column tends to focus on snorkelling in the UK . Many of the principles I discuss are ubiquitous in the snorkel-verse but , apart from times when I write about specific filming and adventure projects abroad , most of the examples are home-grown . Recently , however , I have spent a great deal of time unable to get out snorkelling , even in the UK . So , I have had to console myself with dreaming . And if one is to dream , then one should dream big . Where , then , are the world ’ s top five greatest snorkel sites ? The answers will all be entirely personal .
The shark fanatics among you would fill the list with the likes of whale , basking , great white , mako and thresher sharks , whereas the wreck-heads would be more inclined to find those impressive shipwrecks that break , or are very close to , the surface . Examples would include the Chrisoula K in the Red Sea or the HMS Port Napier near the Isle of Skye . But I ’ ve gone for a more eclectic mix , so there should be something everyone . These are not necessarily the five sites I ’ d choose ( I ’ m not sure I ever could ) but they represent the spread of what truly spectacular snorkelling the world has to offer . Let ’ s dive in , in no particular order ...
Crystal River , Florida
Crystal River is the only place you can legally snorkel with manatees ( a species of sea cow , believed to have inspired the mermaid myth ) in North America . There is a strict code of conduct to protect these rare animals but