Most snorkeling spots are located on the west side of the island. Tumon Bay, Guam’s main resort district, filled with hotels, oceanview restaurants, and beach bars, is, without doubt, the busiest snorkeling spot on the island.

But for those seeking more secluded reefs to explore, the island offers dozens of other snorkeling spots for all levels.

Snorkeling Tumon Bay, Guam
Shallow watered Tumon bay is ideal for beginners. Numerous blue starfish (Linckia laevigata) can be seen there.

The most popular sites in the area are Gun Beach and FaiFai Beach (just a 5-minutes drive north of Tumon Bay), Ypao Beach (at the southern end of Tumon Bay, which is one of Guam’s five marine preserves), GabGab Beach, Haputo Beach, Piti Bomb Holes and Cabras Island (but you’ll generally need a boat to reach this last site).

Spanish Steps, a shallow cove surrounded by cliffs, located at the very tip of Orote Peninsula, is also one of the best options. Most of the snorkeling spots are free and easy to access, but be aware that some of them (Haputo, Spanish Steps) is located on US military installations and have limited access.

Many snorkeling spots are accessible from the shore, edged by narrow fringing reefs ending in a drop off facing the open sea. The coral, which rises to the surface of the water, literally “drops” towards the ocean depths in a wealth of colors and shapes.

Snorkeling Guam
Guam coasts are fringed by coral reefs (on the left, Ritidian Beach) where mailed butterflyfish (Chaetodon reticulatus, on the right, photographed in FaiFai Beach) are a common sight.

For such a small island, Guam possesses a wealth of marine habitats that allow for exceptional diversity. The island’s reefs host over thousands of marine species (1000 species of reef fishes and 375 species of corals), including reef sharks, manta rays, angelfish, sea turtles, and the very rare Maroon anemonefish (Amphiprion tricinctus) endemic to Guam and the Marshall Islands.

When to go snorkeling Guam?

The climate on Guam is purely tropical, hot, and humid all year round, but we can distinguish two main seasons. The dry season, from January to June, is the warmest and sunniest period, with an average temperature of 81°F/27°C.

In the wet season, from July to December, the weather is wetter and more changeable (intermittent tropical rains and sunny spells), and the air is cooler (an average of 72°F/22°C).

The island is subject to typhoons, which brings rain and strong winds, generally from mid-May to mid-November. Actually, the best time to go snorkeling Guam is from February to April, during the driest season, and out of the typhoon period.

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