For being in the travel industry for so many years, our number 1 job for a successful vacation was to qualify the traveler. Meaning find out exactly what they were looking for. Was it fine dining, beautiful beaches, historical sites, SNORKELING?? Whatever it was, I was to find the perfect vacation for our clients.

Well after many many years, I finally found a tool that did what I use to do… qualify your likes & dislikes. Fodors & Discover has teamed up to make this free internet tool, 80 DEGREES. Answer a few questions and they will give the top 10 destinations that you should travel to.

I tried it and found that 80 DEGREES is right on but I was disappointed to see that it only covered the Florida, Hawaii and the Caribbean. Hopefully within time, they will cover the rest of the world.

I love talking to our customers! While I would like to think I am up on all the great snorkeling destinations, I always learn something new.

La Jolla, California… have you heard of it? It seems that every summer the magnificent Leopard Sharks return to the waters off of La Jolla. Hundredes of the harmless sharks can be found in shallow waters of 2-6feet of water, near the shore. They do not eat humans so dont be afraid. They have small teeth and feed on crustceans and other invertebrates that live in the muddy & sandy bottoms.

Snorkel out in the waters to view the sharks or hop on a kayak and then snorkel these great creatures. There are a few companies that will take you on a tour, just google “leopard sharks in La Jolla”. And of course we had to search in youtube and this is the best video we found. The waters can be murky since it is so shallow. I hope to put this on my travels for next year, to snorkel with the Leopard Sharks.

With summer upon us all, vacations are being planned. With the economy, well the way it is, drive vacations are very common. I came across this website that I would like to bring to your attention and could be valuable to all snorkelers in the Midwest.

In 1992 through 1997, Nancy Washburne drove in the spring, summer & fall, over a 1000 public access Michigan inland lakes and kept notes off every experience with detailed information of the vegatation, names of fish and the locations. Included with the print, she took over 80 hours of video in which PBS TV aired 3 programs, Michigan Out of Doors.

The name of the book, Snorkeling Guide to Michigan Inland Lakes is still a popular choice for those who would love to experience the fresh waters in Michigan.

SNUBA… have you heard of it? If you have traveled to a warm water destination or been on a cruise ship, you have seen or maybe experienced the SNUBA program. But for those that have not, SNUBA is Snorkeling & Scuba put together. “SNUBA was created for those who enjoy the simplicity of snorkeling and would like to experience the wonders of breathing underwater”, says SNUBA.com.

SNUBA divers can breathe underwater with a 20 foot hose and the air tank is on the surface of the boat. What else do you need? Your snorkel gear that includes a mask, fins and snorkel. Though you cant purchase this unit (as you need to be certificed in SCUBA to fill the tank), you can experience SNUBA through over 50 travel destinations and over 6 cruise lines that offer this program. Click to find a SNUBA destination.

View the video that shows travelers having fun on SNUBA.