There are three main motivations for offshore snorkelling: geological, historical and biological, with some overlap. The first includes remote rocks that pierce the ocean surface like an oasis in blue desert. My most memorable was Eddystone Rock, which forms the foundation of the eponymous lighthouse. Here, after a boat journey of 12 miles, we dropped in on a huge shoal of bass that seemed to be circling the rock.
I have also visited some distant shipwrecks with my snorkel. Some are too deep to be mentioned here but one example, the HMS Port Napier, lies around 300 metres off the coast. However, the closest piece of land is only reachable by hours of hard trekking over pathless parts of Skye, so both divers and snorkellers will opt for a boat.
The wreck is around 150m long, intact and breaks the surface at low tide, so you can enjoy it without having to commit to a breath hold. I filmed here for The One Show a few years ago and was blessed with calm seas, clear visibility and the Scottish sun, a creature seen less frequently than the Megalodon.
The offshore surface can also be a haven for large pelagic life. Although I have been fortunate enough to swim with seals all over the world and often from the shore, my best encounters have always been around the Farne Islands, only accessible by boat. My forays into filming both blue sharks and makos both required us jump in with snorkels more than 20 miles from land.
In truth, you can have a great time snorkelling close to shore. But if the open ocean calls and the vastness beckons, there’ s always something out there for an adventurer armed with their trusty snorkel. �
For more information on snorkelling with BSAC go to bsac. com / snorkelling Looking to introduce snokelling into your club? Find out more at bsac. com / snorkellinginstructor
Hanging out amid the wreckage of the Port Napier
Blue shark briefing with Monty Halls
At the Eddystone Lighthouse, a spectacular wall snorkel
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