And using a camera will keep the process educational and enjoyable. Using a camera also encourages snorkelers to take a closer look at the details of a reef. Especially after learning to surface dive, taking photos of smaller areas that include anemones, sponges, and corals can be particularly rewarding. Many creatures survive by use of cryptic coloration, making them difficult to notice at first. Upon careful examination, it's not uncommon to see more animals in a picture than you remember seeing when you took the shot.
Photographs are also instrumental in identifying marine life, especially fish.
Details are easily remembered when seen on film. During workshops one of our favorite activities is looking through fish books to find the species that most closely resembles the one in a photograph taken by a snorkeler. In fact, this is one of the most enjoyable and educational ways to learn the subtle variations that differentiate one type of fish from another. Many snorkelers pride themselves in collecting images of as many kinds of sea life as they can. In this way, photography soon leads to a more thorough understanding of specific species, as well as their ecological relationships in the coral reef community.