Discover a marine paradise

Striking images of swimmers with hammerhead sharks has sparked an interest in snorkelling in WA.

Western Australia is blessed with some of the world’s richest and most beautiful underwater sites. Visitors cross the globe to swim at Ningaloo Reef, the Mackerel Islands’ snorkel trail and along the Busselton Jetty.

Even around Perth’s coastal suburbs there is plenty to wow the beginner and intrigue experienced swimmers.

And more of us are donning fins and heading out in search of serenity and sea creatures. The Perth Snorkeling Facebook Group is an online gathering of beginners, enthusiasts, underwater photographers and keen fish watchers.

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This summer, viral videos of snorkellers swimming with hammerhead sharks has prompted a jump in the group’s membership from 588 in early December to about 1000 members now.

Matt Smith and Belinda Forbes are administrators of the Facebook group which originally aimed to link swimmers with buddies.

Mr Smith leads free events, taking snorkellers out to popular sites. The events are graded, giving a clue to how skilled swimmers must be. Intermediate snorkellers must be able to rest less, swim further and will likely dive deeper and hold their breath longer than beginners.

Mr Smith finds that beginners start by scoping out the surface. Then their interest turns to capturing the scene with a still camera or GoPro and that, in turn, prompts an interest in diving down to capture marine life below the surface.

“Most of our events happen between Fremantle and Rockingham because it’s protected,” he says. “Garden Island gives a lot of protection.

“If you get down to the water between 8 and 9 o’clock you can have some fantastic conditions. By around 11 o’clock the conditions are going the other way and it’s starting to get bumpy and a bit more windy.

Mr Smith suggests all snorkellers in his tours use flippers.

“I prefer to have people with fins from a safety point of view.

“I’m very mindful of where we’re going, the conditions we’re going in. Irrespective of whether people can or can’t snorkel without them, from a safety perspective, I’m a fan of fins.”

Belinda Forbes took a Coral Bay snorkelling tour and was so enchanted she came back and started the Facebook group in 2012.

“I went straight in the deep end,” she says. “I’d never used fins and a snorkel before I went on this trip. And chasing after manta rays you learn pretty quick. I couldn’t dive back then. I’d love to go back to Coral Bay now I know how to dive.”

“I made the group with a few other friends I knew that snorkelled so we could get together because it’s not a safe thing to do alone.”

The Omeo Wreck at Coogee is an entry point for beginners and families. In low wind and calm sea conditions it’s a gentle introduction to undersea life and how to navigate around a submerged structure.

On a hot weekend, it’s a lively scene at Coogee with parking at a premium and the beach crowded. Above the wreck there’s a mass of flippers, snorkels and underwater cameras as adults and children marvel at shimmering schools of fish and starfish attached to the old ship’s frame.

There are many reasons snorkellers don’t move on to get their scuba ticket. They love the freedom of travelling light, with the minimum of gear and a strong breath.

Costs or a medical condition may be an obstacle. People such as Matt Smith, who intends to do a scuba course in the next year, sees scuba as a different discipline but not necessarily better or a natural progression.

DOs AND DON’Ts

Buddy up. “That’s rule number one,” Matt Smith says.

Be aware of your surroundings — conditions, other swimmers and marine life — at all times.

Be aware of your ability, how far you can swim and how much rest you need.

Wear fins. They help conserve energy and assist if you need to fight rough conditions or move quickly.

Don’t touch or interfere with marine life. Don’t provoke fish. Be mindful where you’re standing.

Cover up. Belinda Forbes recommends wearing gloves and full sun protection.

NAME THAT FISH

With a degree in conservation biology and a keen interest in bird watching, Belinda Forbes is more interested in taxonomy than photography. She says fish identification can be learned by the amateur.

Ms Forbes pores over Sea Fishes of Southern Australia by Barry Hutchins and Roger Swainston as her reference. After an ocean swim, she compares her photos to the book.

“What sort of fish is it? Is it a wrasse, is it something long and thin? Where have I seen it, what sort of environment is it in? There’s a lot more to it than just what colour it is. Also, fish change throughout their lifetime so much. What they look like from the book and underwater is completely different.”

“It’s doing it a lot and looking at the book and getting familiar with everything.”

Also see The Rottnest Island Fish Book by Glen Whisson and Alexandra Hoschke, which takes in the Leeuwin Current influence on marine life, the Recfishwest phone app and Department of Fisheries resources.

TOP WA SPOTS

Mackerel Islands

Ningaloo Reef

Jurien Bay

Mettam’s Pool

Rottnest Island

Omeo Wreck, Coogee

Shoalwater Islands Marine Park

Busselton Jetty