Reef-Safe Snorkeling Checklist

Follow these guidelines every time you enter the water at Anini:

Before You Go

• Check the tide chart and swim only during low-to-mid tide in the lagoon.
• Check surf and wind reports — avoid days with large north swell.
• Use only mineral-based, reef-safe sunscreen (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide), applied 20+ minutes before entering water.
• Never snorkel alone; tell someone your plan.

In the Water

• Float, don't stand: Standing on coral kills it instantly — coral polyps are living animals that grow only millimeters per year.
• Keep at least an arm's length from coral and reef walls.
• Wear reef-friendly booties or fins to avoid cuts from rock, not to walk on coral.
• Watch for sea urchins (wana) tucked in crevices — their spines can break off in skin.
• If you feel a current pulling you toward the channel or crest, swim parallel to shore, not against it, until you're free, then head in.

Leave No Trace

• Take nothing — shells, coral, or rocks — from tide pools; they're habitat for the next visitor and generations of marine life.
• Pack out all trash, including biodegradable food scraps.