There are two main places to snorkel on Catalina, here, and Casino Point. Lover's Cove is a lot calmer and peaceful compared to Casino Point. The first time we came to Catalina, we came to Lover's Cove per brother's recommendation who had lived on Catalina for a summer. We really enjoyed our time! It was the end of October, and the water was surprisingly on the warmer side (though still cold after being in it for awhile...), and we even saw a sea turtle! I guess that is fairly uncommon.. my brother said the waters must have been especially warmer that year. There are a lot of fish here, lovely orange Garibaldi, and some other guys! You don't have to swim too far out to see them, which is nice for me because I don't really like swimming. I know how to swim, but once it starts to get deep (there's a part that kind of drops off), I start to get nervous. It's right in this area where you can see the fish, so I swim around, see the fish, and then swim back to where I can put my feet down and feel solid ground again. The second time we came back to Catalina for hubby's bday, in June. We wanted to see the second snorkeling spot. Casino Point is crazy (to me) .. it's just behind the Casino, there's asphalt, and then a bunch of stairs. I literally set up my beach chair on the asphalt, and watched my husband descend the stairs, and there were a bunch of snorkelers who looked seasoned, and people in actual dive gear. The ocean this time (end of June) was very choppy and freezing cold as well. The stairs were all wet from the waves crashing against it. I was afraid my hubby would get swept away! He claims to have been fine, but it's certainly not for the faint-hearted. He said it was pretty awesome, in that you're pretty much right there, with all the fish, almost instantly. I was not confident enough to get into the water here, plus, freezing cold okay? So we head back to Lover's Cove. I get enough guts to gradually acclimate to the freezing (to me) cold water, and plunge my head under to see the fish. Yay, fish! And then after doing that a couple more times, the fish to cold ratio started to balance out and I was starting to get really cold.. so we got out. It is indeed rocky (though they are round rocks), so bring water shoes if you have them or plan to get a deep tissue massage! We set out our chairs which we borrowed from our hotel on the rocks, so that was nice to have a place to sit versus last time when we put the towel on the rocks and could feel the rocks through the towel. Really love how this place is easy access to nature's lovely creatures, even for a rather out of shape person like me who does not enjoy swimming! read more

Spent an hour snorkeling here on a cloudy day (water was warm low 70s early September due to recent El Nino). Water was clear, LOTS of fish, and uncrowded. The current and waves may get a tiny bit strong near the rocky shore but nothing dangerous. Do need to be aware of the boats like the yellow submarine that traverses the cove, and stay away. There are kelp beds but well below the surface. read more

Lover's Cove - Preparing to enter the water to snorkel. - Beaches Near Me - Avalon, California

It is on the Pebbly Beach road and a short distance east from the city, walkable distance to this cove from town and even shorter from the ferry landing dock. There isn't much of a beach between the road and the water here, where the rocky shoreline is mostly a snorkeling destination. read more

Lover's Cove - Beaches Near Me - Avalon, California

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Great place to swim not too much of crowd ! Would come back again for another trip i always tell people this spot

Free snorkeling spot in Avalon!! 2 minute walk away from boat landing! A small stairway off the street leads you down to the rocky beach (yes, ALL rocks and no sand!). NO place to put your things, but you can rent a small locker for $1 (quarters only) at the boat landing area. If you don't have change, put a dollar into the candy vending machine and press the change button to receive quarters! You can keep your towels up high on the rocky hill. I wouldn't recommend keeping valuables on there just in case! I dug up some info about this place before coming, so my boyfriend and I came equipped with water shoes, a snorkel mask, and a ziploc bag of cereal to feed the fish. Went in the water with just our swimsuits in mid-October and of course it was pretty COLD!! We knew it would be, we just didn't want to rent wetsuits or bring our own. Once you're in and see how many fish are surrounding you, you'll get over it! Just like everyone mentioned, the fish aren't scared of you! You'll probably be more scared of them. I threw a small handful of cereal and they all came up like a wild hungry herd of animals. SEAGULLS will also swoop in on the food too, so it can get pretty crazy. My bf had the bag of food in his hand, holding it above the water AND A FISH SNATCHED IT FROM HIM!! Crazy, aggressive fish! I brought an underwater camera and got some cool pictures and videos. The fishes look directly at the camera sometimes! So funny! We didn't get to see the kelp forest or anything else other than 4 types of fish, but I will definitely be back here when I get the chance and explore more. I'm so glad I didn't buy the 20-something-dollar GroupOn for a "Lover's Cove tour" - bring your own flippers/water shoes, snorkel mask, and explore it yourself!! read more

Lover's Cove - These guys snatched our bag of food! - Beaches Near Me - Avalon, California

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Clear water. Watch out for the tourist "submarine". Seems to go thru the cove often. Plan to free dive there, along with the Casino each trip to Avalon... read more

Went there again last week for the seventh time this year. Usually is pretty calm, since it's surrounded by a Cove. Visibility is pretty good as well, after snorkeling here, I would recommend going to casino point, it's pretty good snorkeling as well. It's mainly a scuba divers spot at Casino point, but they're at the bottom, and snorkelers are at the top. Try to get there before 2pm or 3pm because it gets blown out. Also if you want a great bar to go to, on your way to casino point from Lover's Cove, I would recommend Marlins. Cool little bar, with great bartenders. Just saying!! woohoo!! read more

Lover's Cove - Snorkeling Lover's Cove, Catalina Island. - Beaches Near Me - Avalon, California

Ok it's not fair for me to rate this because I came back from Hawaii not too long ago.. so snorkeling here can't beat my snorkeling experience in Hawaii. The Bad: - water was REALLY cold. - the water was kind of murky - no sand... all rocks! so it's difficult to walk and sit. - too many seaweeds and rocks - you can't go far out because there are tour boats passing by, therefore it's limited of space. The Good: - you do see fish.. you don't have to go too far out to see the fish. read more

Snorkeled on 10/10/15, and water was perfectly cool for a hot day in the mid 90s. Short 5 minute walk from where the Catalina Island Express drops you off. Lockers on the way there too. We got there around 10:30 am and there was a decent number of people snorkeling. Saw the beautiful Garibaldi fish, and then we got lucky and saw a turtle! Apparently a pretty rare sighting, but here's proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPs8J7pBFhU. We also saw nice schools of fish dashing in and out like moving mirrors, and saw a flounder camoflauging very well. read more

Lover's Cove - Turtle in Lovers Cove! - Beaches Near Me - Avalon, California

This is a great snorkeling place for folks who might be a little timid or inexperienced. The water is relatively calm and there are lots of fish just a few yards offshore. Because people feed them they swarm around you hoping for food so you don't have to try at all to see at least five species, including copious Garibaldi. We even saw some gorgeous juvenile Garibaldi which are orange and electric blue. Drawbacks to this cove are lack of a sand beach to lay out and warm up on in between dives and the glass bottom boat that seems to pass through every half hour or so. Getting in and out of the water is a little tricky because of all the rocks but really it's not bad. I was there last week in Sept and the water was warm and a delightful respite from the heat. It's about a 15-20 minute walk from most of the hotels and near the pier where the ferries arrive. read more

You can swim and snorkel in the cove or arrive in glass bottom or other tour boat but no scuba diving or fishing here. We walked along the road to visit and we went by glass bottom boat. I loved seeing the marine life - especially the Garibaldi. This is a protected cove and definitely worth a visit! read more

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This is a rating for snorkeling. If I could give less than 1 star, I would. Yes, there are some fish here, but in the sense that there are fish pretty much everywhere in the ocean and so there are some fish here, too. It is shallow over a bottom comprised of small stones. Some fish hang out. But it is essentially a dessert in terms of marine life. I don't generally write negative reviews, but snorkelers need to be warned about this one. Don't go to Catalina to snorkel here. If you are a rookie snorkeler, you need to go somewhere else. La Jolla Cove, for example, if you want to see kelp forests. If you are more advanced (e.g., can dive) and are in Catalina, go to Casino Point. read more

Lovers Cove is an awesome place! Yes, there are rocks and it is not easy to just get right in to swim, snorkel or dive. However, THE ROCKS KEEP THE WATER THERE CRYSTAL CLEAR! If there was sand or mud on that beach, then it would be murky and not a good place to see the beautiful marine life. I digress. 4 YELP STARS for 2 picnic tables across from Lovers Cove along Pebbly Beach Road. After a hearty snorkel, it is a fine thing to pull some Gatorade and an energy bar out of your back pack and sit right down to replenish yourself. These wooden picnic tables are rustic but they do the job. They are right under the steep cliffs that line that part of Catalina Island. The large eucalyptus trees offer shade from above. One of the tables, graciously, is kiddie-sized, for the youngsters to set a spell. These tables are emblematic of the utter charm of Avalon. Who would think of putting some picnic tables on the side of a road? Answer: a city that likes to be hospitable to their guests! 4 YELP STARS for that. read more

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A great place to snorkel & scuba dive. There are plenty of sea life to see and it's a protected area so you never have to worry about the population dwindling over the years. The water is also extremely clear so you can see forever (that is, if there wasn't the kelp blocking you from time to time) Just be warned that it is a very rocky beach so be careful. read more

If you're coming to Catalina for a day trip... ...and are looking to sneak in a quick snorkel, Lover's Cove is the perfect place for you. Although there isn't as great a variety of marine wildlife as I would like to see whilst snorkeling, its hard to beat Lover's Cove (after all, it's free)! Giant Kelp Stalks, Calico Bass and Garibaldis galore, perhaps the occasional Sheephead, schools of Anchovies moving in giant silvery clouds, Sea Urchins and Cucumbers, the ocassional Lobster, and supposedly, even a Giant Black Sea Bass (upwards of 400 lbs) once in a blue moon! Quick tips: 1) To get to Lover's Cove, exit the ferry and head toward the left side of the island (for you technical seafarers, head in a southerly direction). If you want, you can buy a sack of fish food pellets at the green pier for $3. I'd recommend bringing your own snorkel gear b/c the cost of renting vs buying is pretty much a wash, but if you need to borrow a wetsuit or more, check out Snorkeling Catalina which has some decent rates (they're next to the golf car rental between the ferry docks and the cove.) 2) Walk along the railing until you get to a set of concrete stairs that lead down to a pebbly beach. 3) Store your SANDALS/DRY CLOTHES high above the waterline (preferably on the rocky slopes) b/c the tide can raise the water level real fast (we almost lost our sandals to the waves!) 4) Put on your swim fins and WALK BACKWARDS into the water (you'll find this much easier than trying to navigate your clumsy fin-fitted feet facing forward). 5) Head straight out and look to see where other snorkelers/divers are congregating to find where the fish are. (honestly though, they're everywhere). 6) After you feel comfortable in the water, get out your fish food (or ziploc bag of bread or cereal) and slowly release into the water. Be careful! These fish are FRIENDLY and have been known to nibble a finger or two...more harmless than hazardous...but youve been warned! 7) Be sure to snorkel with a buddy as you never know what might happen! 8) If you get tangled in the kelp. RELAX! Stop kicking and let your legs float to the surface. You should be able to glide out of the kelp. HAVE FUN EVERYONE! read more

Almost bought a deal for snorkeling at Lover's Cove but it turns out we can snorkel here for free! We bought snorkeling gear with us to Catalina Island and Lover's Cove is walking distance from the pier where you get dropped off at in Catalina so it's not too bad of a walk. All the fish just seem to surround you. My boyfriend was just standing in the water and suddenly he was surrounded by fish eyeing him down for food. I would suggest wearing water shoes or fins in the water, the smooth rocks look harmless but they're cover in algae and pretty slippery especially with the strong currents pushing you around. I even got a cut on my toe and my nails got pretty scraped up. Overall a good place to snorkel for free. Only downside was that all the tour boats also stop around that area is it's good to keep an eye out for them! read more

What a great experience! I'm new to snorkeling but if there was ever a place to learn, this was it. I waded around the water aimlessly catching glimpses of some pretty huge fish; I'm used to very skittish fish that bolt when you get within 5 feet; but these guys were fine with all the underwater visitors. Tip: Bring fish food. I saw a little girl surrounded by fish and asked what she was doing...she responded "want to see?" and preceded to throw handfuls of fish food around me---the amazingness struck as i was surrounded in what im going to describe as a tornado of fishes. IT WAS GREAT. Only reason this doesnt get 5 stars; this place has no shore, no where to sit, no where to put your stuff--its pretty terrible. Also, if you're not floating on top of the water its almost impossible to walk on the rocks without extreme pain. MEH. read more

Why 5 stars? Can you name a place where you can wade into 4 feet of water and have schools of fish actually play with you? I can't. The fish are bass and they are pretty big by bass standards. I know fish. Cause I usually hook them. These fish are the same fish you can see from the boats that frequent this area. So, what I like to do is bring some bread rolled up and wade in and feed them. Watch them literally jump at the bread. I imagine this is what being in the water with Piranhas is like. No worries these fishies just want your food ....not you...... Bring the little ones this is a cool experience. They will love it. One of the few free events on the island by the way......... Enjoy! read more

This place is a fun place to snorkel. Its a protected area so there are a ton of fish. Its literally a quick walk away from the main harbor area. There is a staircase in the center of the cove that takes you right down to the beautiful, little rocky beach. Even if you are not snorkeling its nice if you want to get away from the super touristy main area of Avalon without paying for a tour or transportation somewhere else. There is a nice bench on the far end of the cove that is a nice spot to sit and enjoy the views away fr mall the crowds. I highly recommend bringing a bag of cereal or something to feed the fish! (do this if your not snorkeling too) They surround you and beg like dogs its hilarious. You don't even have to go out far to see the fish they will come up to you as soon as you get in the water. If someone is a little timid going into this then do not feed the fish near them because they literally surround you and get right in your face and they are pretty large fish. If you go out towards the big rocks on the farther end of the cove with all the bird poop on them there is a lot of kelp and it has better views around there than just the begging fish. Be careful of all the submarine tours and glass bottom boats. They will be in the same area that you are snorkeling. read more

1. In August, the water isn't too cold - you don't need a wetsuit. 2. Get your mask, fins, and snorkel, go down the stairs and just wade a few feet in - fish are everywhere. 3. You don't need fish food! If you do have fish food and toss it anywhere near your body, they'll jump all over you - that tends to freak some people out, but the fish won't eat you! 4. If you wade 50 yards out on the right side of the cove, there's amazing kelp forest - make sure you do that - it's a great experience. read more

My favorite activity on Avalon. Snorkeling on Lovers Cove! The visibility is very high and the fish are plentiful! Yes it is rocky but where else isnt on the island? It's a great little spot to see and experience snorkeling at a beginners level. The kiosk near the landing for the Express sells rentals for $10/2 hours which was excellent. One negative was the ridiculous proximity the STUPID underwater boats had to the cove. Go AWAY the horn made us swim inwards every 10 minutes or so... read more

Before you decide to go ahead with scuba-diving, try doing snorkeling first, see if you feel safe being in the water, cause I don't. This was the place where I went the first time and it's really cool. Plenty of Garibaldi fish, orange-color that's a symbol for California if I wasn't wrong. This Cove is perfect for those people who doesn't know how to swim, but really want to experience swimming with fishes and snorkeling at the same time. The whole place is full of rocks that you can just step on to walk around the area, it's not deep too, probably about 2 feet deep by the coast area. Make sure you have a booty shoes for water to avoid you getting hurt by the rocks. As you went further, be careful with the Nautilus submarine yellow boat that liked to pop-up from underneath the water near Lover's Cove. My advice, don't go to the deep side unless you were guided. I went with a guide and I happened to saw a barracuda from underneath, what a cool scene, too bad I couldn't capture it with my camera! All in all, if you're scared of the water but still want to see the fishes, just bring or buy the fish food, even near the inland, if you put the food in the water, they'll still come to ya! Bring your own snorkel gear to save money, this one you really can do it on your own and stay in here as long as you want. read more

This place was where I had my very first snorkeling experience. We found this place by happenstance while exploring the island while driving our golf cart. It's beautiful here and I would HIGHLY recommend wearing water shoes. The pebbles though the word "pebble" would seem harmless they can in turn really hurt. Much more when walking barefoot in the water. The place is a marine reserve so there is no spear fishing or fishing of any kind. In turn this means tons of spoiled hungry fish. You can buy fish food which would enhance your experience which is fun but these fish here are used to be feed and will follow you around even if you do not have food. Our experience was amazing. The only downer was the tour boats and faux submarines that come rather close to the area in which you will be snorkeling in. Other than that it's a fun place to swim around even if you are not snorkeling or diving and perfect for sun bathing on the rocks. read more

This little cove is the absolute perfect place to see fish and take great pictures!! If you're going to feed the fish, bring peas in a plastic water bottle rather than bread (not good for the fish). Be careful because they bite! read more

Lover's Cove - Clear water and lots of fish! - Beaches Near Me - Avalon, California

Very small crowded rocky cove. No actual beach to relax on. Only one very crowded stairway. Not all that much to see underwater, I have definitely seen better snorkeling. Facilities are about a block away. If you looking for some snorkeling action, you may want to consider hiring a boat to take you out. read more

Snorkeling is the best pass time for the summer! AHHH! Just a few weeks ago, the bf and a few of our friends decided to give this cove a try. And we absolutely love it! Pro: - a LOT more fishes to see, they are freaken huge too they casually swim by you as if you are NOTHING, even if you reach out to touch them. doesn't phase them. at all. - water is VERY clear, you can see everything and anything. SERIOUSLY anything, I saw a random swim cap on the bottle. Con: Only complaint: ROCKS, everywhere. there is no sand at all, you will be walking on rocks and yes, It does hurt. Suggestions: bring snorkeling shoes Helpful: - $1 locker rentals right in front of the snorkeling area there are also gears rentals too, but I don't know the price - shower on the opposite end of the 'beach' area. $3 for the first 5 mins then $1 each additional min. I will definitely go back again, maybe next summer and I will even stay over night to explore the rest of the island. read more

My bf and I bought a living social deal to snorkel here and it included a guided tour, wetsuit, snorkel gear (mask, snorkels, and fins) for the both of us. They nicely went over everything before us getting into the water. They also provide lockers for you for $2, and have other things like underwater cameras for sale ($15) and towel rentals. It wasn't much of a guided tour (I mean, where are they supposed to take you) but he did show us some cool sea creatures. Then they just let you loose to explore. We went all the way out to where they suggested (by the white rocks) and found ourselves surrounded by school of fish!! Didn't think the water was going to be so cold, but I sure am glad that we had their wetsuits on! The only thing I didn't enjoy was the shore area with the pebble rocks everywhere. It was very hard and painful to walk on top of that --but not much you/they can do about that. Also, there are some boats that often come by, so you just have to watch out for that. Would definitely come back and this time, I'll be sure to buy some of the fish food they sell at the trailer :) read more

This place is very nice, it is hard to beat around the country. If you come to Catalina you really should come check it out. Why the three stars? Well those tours the ones with the glass bottom boats and the semi sub keep coming through, Which honestly is just annoying you have to keep looking out for them if your snorkeling. Also All i did see were the same fish and not different sea creatures which i chalk up to the boats coming and going. Still worth seeing. read more

Hint: ONLY GO DURING HIGH TIDE! When they say pebble beach, they mean it. There were so many rocks it was hard to walk or stand. Going during high tide gives you a few feet of water right from the start, but we went during low tide and our feet hurt so bad. Aside from the rocks, there is a quick drop off and you can see plenty of fish. It's a great experience and the water is very clear. Gear can be rented if you want to do it just once, we bought some snorkel gear from a gift shop and just used that. It worked, once we got past the cold water. Still some nice sights to behold. read more

Awesome snorkeling and free diving here this place has great access into the water and the sea life is amazing definitely will come back read more

Lover's Cove - Beaches Near Me - Avalon, California

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A very nice place to dive and snorkel. The fish are beautiful and there is plenty of kelp to keep you on your toes. Haha! I saw an octopus, a few striped starfish, the signature Garibaldi goldfish everyone talks about, a small lobster and more. It was quite the fun adventure. The water was super clear when we were there. I was told by the residents it was the clearest they had ever seen it. That may have helped, but I would still go back. read more

If you wish to go snorkeling in Avalon, Lover's Cove is your destination. As soon as you arrive, you will walk down some stairs and immediately will notice the rocks down below. The best thing to do is to put on your fins and mask as soon as you are at the bottom. The water seemed shockingly cold, so I rented a full-body wetsuit. My boyfriend, on the other hand, did not opt to rent a wetsuit, and as a result found himself shivering every time he was out of the water. I was amazed at how many fish surrounded us near the shallow end of the ocean water. I'm guessing the family that was there before us fed the fish because they were everywhere. Our scuba instructor from our previous dive demonstrated that banging two rocks together scrapes the algae off into the water. The fish were trained via Pavlovian conditioning to expect feeding once they felt the vibrations in the water. As soon as my boyfriend began hitting the rocks together, I observed the fish hungrily eye-balling us for food. The fish at Lover's Cove eerily remind me of of pigeons at a park - wild animals domesticated by the presence of tourists. They are well trained to solicit food. I only saw two or three different species of fish and it was difficult to swim further out due to the current. You have to be mindful of the boats/submarine passing by and swim away from them. Other than that, grab your lover's hand and float with the fish. If you want to spoil them, bring frozen peas or bread. read more

This is a great spot both for snorkeling and just to hang out away from the hustle and bustle of Avalon. The boyfriend and I rented snorkels, masks, and flippers for $10 pp for 2 hours from the stand by the dock. We brought our own spring suits, which was fine in late April (I'm a wussie and I wasn't cold). Visibility was great and the fish were abundant! It's not exactly a coral reef but we saw about 5 different types of fish in huge schools and numbers. There are tons of orange garabaldi. A fun, cheap, active excursion that I highly recommend. read more

This cove is nice! The snorkeling I feel is good for what it is. Clear waters, and lots of the same fish, but thats okay. If your looking for a quick offshore snorkeling adventure, and don't want to spend money on a snorkeling tour than this is where you should go. Yes, the reviews don't lie, its rocky, one crowded staircase, no where to sit and relax on the shore, but if your going to swim and snorkel then you shouldn't mind. It was definitely fun and an adventure that always wins. Patience is a virtue especially when you are on a tourist island. It was a gorgeous little cove. The boats that come by for the tours you have to stay away from them, go figure, but other than that it was a great time! read more

It's a nice little getaway. You almost feel like you're in Europe! Only over an hour ride from Newport. The good thing about the cove is that it's rocky. The bad thing about it is that it's rocky. The cove is small. There are stones instead of sand to lay out on. Great free pressure points! No sand in places it shouldn't be. But it is a bit rough after a while. We almost brought a little umbrella to prop up since this was our first time. Good thing we didn't since we couldn't really pitch in in the ground. You can snorkel and there's a lot of fish you can see. The odor of the water is pretty intense since it's further out in the ocean as opposed to the beaches. There's parasailing, zip lining, sub marine tours and other beaches with sand such as Descanso but this was just fine for us. read more

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We love to snorkel here. We have been here twice and the only bad thing is the rocks. You have to walk on rocks to get to the water and even to set your stuff down which is not very comfortable. Other than that, once you are in the water its a beautiful spot. read more

**THINGS TO BRING** 1)a pair of water socks so you can walk along the tiny shoreline. no sand here, just rocks, you know those garden type rocks. 2)lawn chairs or towels..it's kinda difficult to just sit on the rocks, unless you're into that whole rock massage thing 3)wet suit: the water is cold! i think this cove is just OK. can't go far because the tour boats pass through and real close... the fish are friendly and won't bite, but i think these fish were planted there because they will come up to you expecting fish food. i noticed a couple of girls throwing fish food, which they bought at the wet suit rental place. oh yea, and the fish are HUGE! talk about obese america, these fish are like 2 feet long and 8 inches wide. wtf are they feeding them?!? read more

i heart lover's cove. i took my wife for her birthday. we rented bikes to tour the island. we stopped off at lover's cove and enjoyed lunch at a quite table all to ourselves outside by the side of a mountain overlooking the cove. ahh the view, the weather, the company..... i fell in love with my wife all over again and she fell in love with me. i fell in love with the beach again. i could not believe this was california for the water was crystal clear and we could see the bottom of the ocean floor! happy birthday baby!! such the perfect place to relax, have effin fun, feel young again and enjoy each other. the people are friendly. the neighborhood was quint yet bustling with activity. we can't wait to go back for there is so so much to do! read more

went snorkeling here, not too many ppl around but there also isn't much space to roam either - they have guys in speedboats patrolling the area that whistle at u if u get too far out (near the glass bottom boats). the water was freezing (believe they said 63 degrees), but we got used to it sans wetsuits after 5-10 minutes. saw a good amount of fish (i even pet one! -- which they discourage), but there's a lot of seaweed too, so be careful! the BIG con to this place is that there are sharp rocks, and TONS of'em 'n if the current sweeps you in, you'll def get banged up. read more

Lover's Cove is a beautiful spot to snorkel. We also tried the diver's spot behind the casino and it was no where near as great as Lover's Cove. Buy some fish food or frozen peas before going and feed the fish. We took our GoPro and got and awesome video of the fish swarming us over a bag of frozen peas. You will see a lot of Garibaldi! The water is almost crystal clear on good days! Watch out for tour boats though, they will practically run you over if you're not careful. There is no real beach, its all rocks. I highly recommend taking a under water camera with you! read more