In the Golfo de San Blas you will find one of the most untouched coral reefs by mankind. The reef holds its beauty for decades now since people do not pollute the waters around it. Unfortunately the Kuna Indians who control the area around the San Blas Islands will not allow people to scuba dive in their waters. You could ask yourself why not? This will greatly boost their tourist income and will give us the opportunities to experience the beauty of an untouched reef. But the Kuna Indians live from the sea and hunt on it. They hunt the reefs and sandbanks by using simple snorkeling gear and do not over fish their own waters because they only take what is needed to stay alive. They are scared that scuba dives will kill the great schools of fish and leave the Kuna without food to survive. They will preserve the coral reef for future generations this way.
Snorkeling in San Blas
Fear not, scuba diving might be a hell of an adventure and can bring you to deeper levels than snorkeling but since most of the reefs in San Blas are pretty shallow and just beneath the sea surface you’re still able to experience the beauty of the coral reef by gearing up in simple snorkeling gear. The rich sea life and the crystal clear water will give you plenty enough time to drift away from the world above water. One of the easy places to get in touch with this sea life is the shipwreck near Isla Perro. This place is perfect for people not used to snorkeling or scuba diving but also gives people that have done it before a nice challenge to spot all the sea life around the ship. Don’t forget to bring your underwater camera because spotting a wild turtle, shark or octopus isn’t a rare sight in the waters around the San Blas Islands.