reel-m-n

looking for a place that I could take my kids snorkling in the bay or ajecent waters where they might find seahorses, tropical fish like destin jetties, or any other sea life

a

Good luck! read the paper, Pensacola waters, especialy Pensacola bay are polluted. kids? your kidding.

Evensplit

There are a few spots in the bay that offer some decent snorkeling opportunities, but you won't find anything like the Destin jetties - yet. There are lots of grassbeds along Fort pickens and along Johnson Beach that can be decent if the water is clear and the current's not too strong.

Water quality in the lower part of the Bay isn't bad. I would stay clear of theBayous though.

There aremany people that have been working for years to try to get the county to let us putsnorkeling and diving reefs in shallow water on both sides of Santa Rosa island. There are reportedly permits in the works to make this happen, but given the local history of getting things done, I'll believe it when I see it. Winter is coming, and there will be a lot more folks with extra time on their hands to help fight the fight.

lastcast

Not sure how familiar you are w/ Ft. McRae but, on the westend there's a little cove. It's marked a no motor zone. Lots of Eel Grass, crabs, small fish and even keeper size reds and trout. It might be a place to check out, and would be a SAFE place to let the kids swim w/ no boats. Happy snorklin!

Skip

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reefcreature

i can vouch for this post. it is shallow and safe. i have snorkeled there in the past and saw more than i thought i would.

welldoya

I was going to suggest that cove also but you would need a boat to get there.

I used to snorkel it a lot back in the mid-80s when it was full of scallops. It would be a great place to go if you can get to it. Other than that, just anywhere that you can find grass beds would be good.

Sailor612

Gulf Islands National Seashore (a portion is located inbetween Gulf Breeze and Midway on HWY. 98) There are large area's of grass beds along there. There is also a "Welcome Center" with a nice parking lot that you can park in.
I used to snorkel along there when I was younger...and occasionally still do if I want to see small marine life.
You can expect to see anything from seahorse, baby/large flounder, redfish, trout, puffers....there is a lot to entertain little kids. It is also very shallow...a couple feet on a high tide!!

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!!