Much of the St. Joseph Bay is a protected aquatic preserve. Its shallow waters and plentiful sea grass flats make it a prime area for snorkeling. The best way to get up close to our remarkable marine life, such as crabs, shells, turtles, sea urchins, starfish, puffer fish, and more, in their natural habitat is with a mask and snorkel. You can either walk straight into the bay from the shore, or you can take a boat out into the bay, or you can book a snorkeling excursion. During August and September, the bay is filled with snorkelers intent on gathering succulent bay scallops for a tasty dinner.
If you’re a little more adventurous, dive off our shores and discover a whole new underwater world with over 200 artificial reefs. Our coastline has relatively shallow depths, which allows divers longer bottom times and good natural light for photography. You can dive on artificial reefs from 2 miles to 20 miles offshore in depths from 20 to 110 feet. Divers can expect to see a variety of aquatic life including leopard toadfish, goliath grouper, sea star, arrow crab, horse conch, cow fish, flounder, sea turtle, dolphin, and more.
For more information, check out the Gulf County Tourist Development website at: