Would you like to know where the best snorkelling on earth can be found? Most would say that it’s in the Caribbean and comes with any of the numerous cruises that go to those tropical waters. Others might tell you it’s the South Pacific where the underwater scenery is at its best. Both are a lot of fun and worth the trip, as is Australia and New Zealand. If you’re planning on taking a snorkelling trip this year here are a few suggestions for destinations. They are not ranked because they all offer something a little different than the rest.

The Caribbean is the most popular place to go snorkelling. Grand Cayman offers a swim with the stingrays and Cozumel in Mexico has a sunken plane you can explore. Other great spots are Virgin Gorda and Anegada, both in the British Virgin Islands. Be sure to take some time and explore the many coral beds and look for sunken ships off of Anegada. Maybe you can find some lost treasure while you’re there.

Staying in the Caribbean, five equally exciting snorkelling spots are Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, Dominica, Tobago Cays, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, and Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Talk to your travel agent about trips to any one of these islands and take advantage of what most will tell you are the spots for the best snorkelling in the world. If you’re on a Caribbean cruise these locations may be regular ports of call and snorkelling just might be a standard activity offered.

If you would like to experience something different, travel across the world and do some snorkelling in the South Pacific. Oahu and Kona are superior venues and Maui is one of the best places in the world to get a glimpse of a real live humpback whale or two. These massive creatures may look fierce but they are actually quite tame and willing to allow you to observe them. You won’t see them over the coral reefs you’re exploring but you can check them out from afar while you’re in the water.

Finally, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia has perhaps the largest single surface that you can cover on a snorkelling adventure. The diversity of sea life and coral at this wonder of nature rivals anything you will find in the Caribbean. There are also a number of nearby spots in New Zealand and Papua, New Guinea that are worth exploring. If you book an extended cruise out of Sydney you just might be able to try out all three.