Komodo snorkeling works because the best sites are shallow. Karang Makassar, Pink Beach, Taka Makassar, Kanawa, Siaba, Manjarite, Kelor, Sebayur and Turtle City all sit in 1 to 12 metres of water with visibility of 15 to 30 metres from April to November. On Pinta, snorkelling gear, a glass-bottom tender, paddleboards and a kayak are included, and non-swimmers are given a buoyancy vest and a guide in the water.
The nine snorkelling sites, with numbers
Snorkelling in Komodo is not a consolation prize for people who do not dive. Mantas at Karang Makassar feed in 8 to 18 metres and are routinely visible from the surface; the reef at Pink Beach starts at ankle depth. The table below is what our crew works from when placing non-divers.
| Site | Snorkelling depth | Current | Visibility (Apr–Nov) | What you see | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karang Makassar (Manta Point) | Surface over 8–18 m | Gentle to moderate drift | 15–30 m | Manta rays, eagle rays, turtles | Confident swimmers, drift briefing required |
| Pink Beach | 1–8 m | Light | 15–25 m | Coral garden, anthias, parrotfish, turtles | Everyone, including first-timers |
| Taka Makassar | 1–6 m | Light to moderate on the edges | 20–30 m | Sandbar reef edge, reef fish, occasional rays | Everyone; beach entry from the tender |
| Kanawa | 1–10 m | Light | 15–25 m | House reef, turtles, huge fish diversity | Everyone; usually the final morning |
| Siaba Besar (Turtle City) | 2–12 m | Light to moderate, sheltered bay | 15–25 m | Green turtles in numbers, macro life | Everyone; the reliable turtle stop |
| Manjarite | 1–10 m | Light | 15–25 m | Sloping hard-coral reef, reef fish | Everyone; classic day-one stop |
| Kelor | 1–8 m | Moderate around the point | 15–25 m | Coral fringe plus a short hill trek | Everyone; about one hour from Labuan Bajo |
| Sebayur | 2–12 m | Light to moderate, stronger at the point | 15–25 m | Soft-coral garden, dense reef fish | Confident swimmers |
| 马万 | Surface over 10–25 m | Moderate to strong | 15–25 m | Manta cleaning station from above | Strong swimmers only, tender stays alongside |
December to March the same sites are still snorkelable but visibility falls and surface chop makes the exposed ones uncomfortable. In those months the crew shift the programme towards sheltered bays — Siaba, Manjarite, Kanawa — and use the glass-bottom tender more, which lets people who do not want to get in the water still see reef.
What if I cannot swim well?
This is the question the reservations desk gets most often, and the honest answer is that weak swimmers snorkel in Komodo every week — with structure. On Pinta the structure is: a buoyancy vest that keeps you floating without effort, a guide in the water with you rather than fifty metres ahead, entry from the tender in shallow protected water rather than a drift start, and the tender itself parked within a few metres. Nobody is put into the Karang Makassar drift on their first attempt.
| Item | Provided | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mask, snorkel, fins | Yes, included | Send shoe size when you book so fins are ready |
| Buoyancy vest / life jacket | Yes, included | Standard for weak swimmers and children |
| Guide in the water | Yes | Ratio tightened for nervous swimmers and children |
| Glass-bottom speedboat tender | Yes | Two 40 HP Yamaha engines; reef viewing without entering the water |
| Stand-up paddleboards | Two, included | Flat-water bays only |
| Kayak / canoe | Yes, included | Used in sheltered anchorages |
| Jacuzzi and sundeck | Yes | Where most non-divers spend the surface interval |
| Wetsuit or rash guard | On board | Sun protection matters more than warmth in the north |
Sun is the underrated risk. Equatorial sun on a wet back at 9 a.m. burns faster than people expect, so a rash guard or a long-sleeved shirt beats sunscreen — and reef-safe sunscreen beats ordinary sunscreen, because oxybenzone-based products are measurably harmful to the coral you came to look at.
Snorkel-only charters: what they cost
If nobody in the group dives, you do not need to pay for a dive charter. Pinta publishes a separate leisure rate card for snorkelling and cruising trips, and it is materially cheaper.
| Trip length | 1–4 guests | 5–9 guests | 10–13 guests | Extra guest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2D1N | USD 4,900 | USD 5,250 | USD 5,550 | USD 200 |
| 3D2N | USD 6,900 | USD 7,150 | USD 7,450 | USD 250 |
| 4D3N | USD 8,400 | USD 9,050 | USD 9,350 | USD 300 |
| 5D4N | USD 10,200 | USD 10,800 | USD 11,250 | USD 350 |
| 6D5N | USD 12,100 | USD 12,700 | USD 13,150 | USD 450 |
| 7天6晚 | USD 13,800 | USD 14,450 | USD 15,050 | On request |
| 8D7N | USD 15,400 | USD 16,000 | USD 16,650 | On request |
Four people on the 3-day / 2-night leisure charter pay USD 6,900 for the boat — USD 1,725 each for two nights, all meals, all snorkelling, the tender, the paddleboards and eight crew. Ten people on the same trip pay USD 7,450, or USD 745 each. As with the dive charters, group size drives the per-person number far harder than trip length does.
Park tickets sit on top: IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per visit under PP 36/2024, with trekking, wildlife observation and snorkelling included in that ticket. Indonesian visitors pay IDR 50,000 on weekdays and IDR 75,000 at weekends and on public holidays.
Best for — matching people to sites
- Best for children and first-timers: Pink Beach, Manjarite and Kanawa — shallow, calm, reef starting almost at the beach.
- Best for seeing turtles: Siaba Besar, which divers call Turtle City for a reason.
- Best for mantas without a certification card: Karang Makassar, with a drift briefing and the tender following the group.
- Best for photographs: Taka Makassar, where the sandbar and 20–30 m visibility do the work for you.
- Best for people who would rather not swim at all: the glass-bottom tender at Pink Beach and Kanawa.
Groups that mix divers and snorkellers are the normal case rather than the exception on this boat, and the itinerary is built around it — sites are chosen so both halves of a family surface at the same anchorage.
Frequently asked questions
Can you snorkel with manta rays in Komodo?
Yes. Karang Makassar, known as Manta Point, is shallow with gentle to moderate drift, and mantas feeding at 8 to 18 metres are routinely visible from the surface. A drift briefing is given and the tender follows the group.
Is Komodo snorkeling good for beginners?
Very. Pink Beach, Manjarite, Kanawa and Taka Makassar all have reef starting in one to three metres with light current. Buoyancy vests and an in-water guide are standard for nervous swimmers.
What is the best snorkeling spot in Komodo?
Pink Beach for accessible coral, Siaba Besar for turtles, Karang Makassar for mantas and Taka Makassar for clear water over a sandbar. Most Pinta itineraries include all four.
How is visibility for snorkeling in Komodo?
Fifteen to thirty metres from April to November in the north and centre, best in April to June and September to November. Visibility drops during the December-to-March monsoon and the programme shifts to sheltered bays.
Is snorkeling equipment included on Pinta?
Yes — mask, snorkel, fins, buoyancy vests, two stand-up paddleboards, a kayak and the glass-bottom tender are all included in the charter rate. Send shoe sizes when booking so fins are ready on arrival.
Can non-swimmers join a Komodo liveaboard?
Yes. Non-swimmers use a buoyancy vest with a guide in the water and enter from the tender in shallow protected water. The glass-bottom tender lets people see reef without entering the water at all.
How much does a snorkeling-only Komodo charter cost?
Pinta’s leisure rate card starts at USD 4,900 for the whole boat on a 2-day / 1-night trip and USD 6,900 for 3 days / 2 nights, before Komodo National Park tickets.
Do snorkellers pay the Komodo National Park fee?
Yes. The entry ticket under PP 36/2024 is IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per visit, and snorkelling, trekking and wildlife observation are included in that ticket.
Book Pinta Liveaboard
Snorkel-only groups are quoted on the leisure rate card, not the dive rate card — make sure you are quoted on the right one. Pinta is operated and marketed by Komodo Luxury (part of Juara Holding Group, running Komodo trips since 2015). Reservations, cabin availability and current-season rates: WhatsApp +62 811 3823 875 or email [email protected]. Quote the trip length and your certification level in the first message and the desk can hold a date the same day.
Keep reading
- Certification requirements for Komodo — what you need if a snorkeller in the group wants to start diving on board.
- Pinta dive packages — dive counts and prices for 3-, 4- and 8-day charters.
- Pinta dive FAQ hub — 100 answers on diving and snorkelling in Komodo.
