One of the best attributes of the Gulf of Mexico is how shallow it remains far off the coast. For miles off of Destin’s coastline, the maximum depth of the waters here is just a couple of hundred feet. In large part because of these shallower waters, those swimming in the Gulf get to enjoy warmer water temperatures and greater underwater visibility. Both those benefits equate to fantastic snorkeling opportunities with established outfitters like Flippers Snorkel Adventures in Destin, FL.
You will find the parking lot and business entrance for Flippers Snorkel Adventures just off of Harbor Drive near where it intersects with Melvin Street. It’s hard to miss the turn as the parking lot is comprised of attractive brickwork and that brickwork ends in two brightly painted yellow and red buildings. These buildings house several water-oriented tour outfits, all of which launch from docks just behind the buildings, including Flippers Snorkel Adventures.
Flippers Snorkel Adventures has been operating out of this location for over five years now. They have become a fairly popular snorkeling outfit for this area, so you will need to book a reservation to make a trip. The good news is that you often only need to make this reservation one day in advance due to this outfitter running a pretty busy schedule.
There are three types of tours offered by Flippers Snorkel Adventures:
Two-Stop Snorkel & Dolphin Tour
This is their most popular tour and the one that tends to fill up the fastest. The Two-Stop Snorkel & Dolphin Tour typically lasts about two-and-a-half hours and includes two distinct stops where guests can get out and enjoy snorkeling with frequent dolphin sightings along the way.
Dolphin Tour
If you don’t want to snorkel, because of the season or for other reasons, you might enjoy this simpler one-and-a-half-hour boating tour. This tour just features a boating portion with a high chance of seeing dolphins.
Sunset Dolphin Tour
This tour only takes place once a day and is geared more towards adults. The Sunset Dolphin Tour includes provided beer and guests are encouraged to relax and enjoy a gorgeous motorboat ride along the coast as the sun dips down beneath the sea.
Where Flippers Snorkel Adventures really excels is with customer service. From the moment you book your tour to the time you leave the dock, every employee on staff is there to make your adventure enjoyable and stress-free. They provide all of the necessary snorkeling gear (you can also opt to rent a wet suit from a rental company just across the street) as well as beverages for the entirety of the trip.
This Destin, FL touring company has several boats available for use on their tours. All are relatively new and outfitted with the latest gear. Rest assured that you are traveling with a talented and experienced crew as all captains are US Coast Guard-licensed Masters and both captains and crew members have received specialty employment training in swimming, snorkeling, and boat handling specific to the fleet used by Flippers Snorkel Adventures. Finally, all are trained in First Aid in CPR.
The small building they operate tours out of also has merchandise available for sale. This includes reasonably-priced shirts, hats, and similar items.
One final thing to note: While the Gulf waters are clear, the snorkeling here is not compared to a snorkeling experience in the Florida Keys or the Hawaiian islands. This is because there are no major reefs here and so while you will see the underwater life, you are apt to be disappointed if you go in expecting a lot of coral fish.
Insider Tips:
-While Flippers Snorkel Adventures does offer beverages during the boat tour, they do not offer food items and you might find yourself feeling a little peckish after an hour or so swimming and enjoying the sun. Consider grabbing a sandwich to go from Red Rooster Cafe, which is just a few blocks west of the snorkel spot on Harbor Blvd.
-Alternatively, you might grab something cold and sweet at Pecan Jack’s Ice Cream & Candy shop. That spot is just a couple of blocks east of the snorkel spot, also on the same road.