Snorkeling – Tunisian Experience

Tunisia has over 700 miles of coastline that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists per year. There are beautiful, white sandy beaches, warm weather, and in many places, crystal clear water. So, shouldn’t you expect to have an excellent snorkeling experience this summer? Well, yes and no. You can easily snorkel from any beach along Tunisia’s coast, and the town of Tabarka in northwest Tunisia has some amazing coral reef to explore. While you can easily snorkel along all of the other beaches in Tunisia, the conditions make it somewhat boring. I live in Tunisia, and I’m a casual beachgoer who is interest in snorkeling some this summer. I did some research on what to expect. Read on for the most relevant info I discovered! Mediocre Snorkeling in Most Places in Tunisia You are free to snorkel from any beach you want to in Tunisia. That is, you don’t have to worry about any restrictions. It is normal and acceptable to snorkel next to beach resort hotels. I drove down from Tunis to Hamammet (a popular beach town in northeastern Tunisia) and asked around at five different hotels. All five of the hotel front desk clerks that I asked said that “of course” you can snorkel. While it’s possible to snorkel anywhere along the coast, you will probably get bored quickly because Tunisia doesn’t have the best conditions for good snorkeling. If you had in mind that there would be lots of brightly colored sea creatures as in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, think again. The Tunisian coast is a long way from the Red Sea! Snorkeling in most of Tunisia is mediocre because you need a good, accessible coral reef in order to see lots of wildlife. Tunisia has over 700 miles of coastline, but the only coral reef that you can easily reach from the beach (that I know of) is in Tabarka—more about Tabarka in a little bit. A second disadvantage to snorkeling in Tunisia is that the water is shallow. That is, the water gets deeper very gradually. The best water depth for snorkeling is about 10-15 feet, or 3-5 meters. Beaches in Tunisia don’t have a rocky drop-off where you can get in a good depth of water right off the shore. The “Pro’s” to Snorkeling in Tunisia One positive aspect to snorkeling in Tunisia is that there is good visibility just about anywhere you go. Tunisia’s beaches have very clear water, so whatever fish or other wildlife are there, you will be able to see them! The other “pro” is comfortably warm water. The water is warmest from June through October. During that time, the average water temperature stays above 20° Celsius (68° Fahrenheit). In August, the hottest month, the water gets up to 26° C (79° F) in Bizerte, a northern city, and nearly 28° C (82° F) in Sfax, which is in the middle of the country. For a benchmark, a comfortable swimming pool is usually set between 26° and 28° C (78° and 82° Fahrenheit). Tabarka: Tunisia’s Best Snorkeling Destination Tabarka is hands down the best destination for snorkeling in Tunisia. In fact, it may be the only place in Tunisia where you would go just for the snorkeling. The large coral reef around the “island” of Tabarka (it’s not actually an island) makes it a great spot for diving, and there is a National Marine Park that conserves the wildlife. Abi and I hopping around the rocks near Tabarka Tabarka is a fishing town that attracts thousands of scuba divers per year. They hold an annual event for underwater photography called the Coralis Diving Festival. While the coral reef along Tabarka’s shore has several good spots for scuba divers, some of the specific attractions to scuba divers are not available to snorkelers. For example, there’s a section of the reef called the Tunnels, which scuba divers swim through. You can’t really explore these from the surface. Still, you can swim with your snorkeling gear from the shore and see more than you would from other beaches in Tunisia. The coral reef at Tabarka is known for having very large Grouper fish weighing up to 40 kg (80 pounds). You can also find octopus hiding or swimming around the reef. How to Prepare for Snorkeling in Tunisia Snorkeling from the beach in Tunisia will require very little preparation. The first and obvious thing to worry about is equipment. The bare bones essentials consist of a good mask and snorkel. Swimming fins will also help to get around without wearing yourself out. Some snorkeling guides online recommend a wet suit in order to protect you from cuts against sharp corals and rocks, and to keep you warm. Unless you’re going to Tabarka, you won’t have to worry about getting cut on a reef. And you won’t have to worry about water temperature if you’re coming from June through October. You can buy some snorkeling equipment in Tunisia. But if you are depending on having a good time snorkeling, I would buy the equipment ahead of time and bring it into the country. The friendly hotel workers in Hamammet said that they do sell the equipment in shops, but I have yet to see it with my own eyes. You wouldn't want to depend on buying the equipment when you get here and then have to search in several places. Safe and Responsible Some of the beaches in Tunisia get a lot of trash in the water. If you’re going out to snorkel, consider picking up any trash you can see, or at least don’t contribute to what is already there! There are no unusual hazards to worry about in the water. There are jelly fish, but as far as I can tell there aren’t any that are particularly dangerous. There is a species of Box Jellyfish, but it is not deadly like the kind in Australia. As for sharks, there are several species found off the Tunisian coast. There was even a large Great White shark caught near Sfax a few years ago. Still, there are virtually no shark attacks on record. There are hundreds of thousands of beachgoers who visit Tunisia each year, and the last known attack was decades ago. Conclusion I live in Tunisia and I like to get in the water, so I figured I would give snorkeling a try this summer while we’re at the beach with friends. I wanted to answer for myself what are the basic things you need to know before snorkeling in Tunisia. I was surprised how little info there is online on the subject. If I am able to go this summer, I’ll expand this post with what I learn!