All the resorts offer snorkelling trips as part of their vacation package and rent out snorkelling equipment like masks, snorkel and life jackets. Young children, the elderly and even non-swimmers can enjoy snorkelling. Just put on a lifejacket, mask and snorkel and jump into the water. While there are powered masks and child-sized life jackets for rental, these are limited. If fit and hygiene are important, you may prefer to bring your own.

On boat snorkelling trips, there will be snorkelling guides accompanying snorkellers to ensure the site is safe and free from currents and also to render assistance. Sometimes, bread is provided for snorkellers to feed the fish. For those snorkelling on your own off the beach, there are no guides or lifeguards, so do so at your own risk.

Probably the best house reef (and the busiest) is Tanjung Tengah in Pasir Panjang. The southern side of Tanjung Tengah is commonly known as 'Shark Bay' as the reefs there are a nursery for baby black-tip sharks. April to August seems to be the best time to spot these shark pups, up to a dozen of them. Also resident to this reef are schooling needlefish, a few turtles, squid, an orange-striped triggerfish, a resident barracuda and the other coomon reef fishes.

Due to the popularity and easy accessibility of this house reef, over the years it has suffered quite a lot of damage particularly the corals nearer shore. During low tide, the corals are in very shallow water and are easily damaged through physical contact with snorkellers when they stand on them or kick them accidentally, especially when wearing booties or fins. As a precaution, some environmentally-conscious resorts at Pasir Panjang have stopped rental of fins to guests who snorkel. Please do not use fins unless you are able to control your buoyancy and use them well. Snorkel carefully, don't go too near the corals and for your own safety, do not snorkel beyond the floating white markers where you may put yourself in the path of boats.

This house reef is easily accessible from the front and rear beach of Redang Reef Resort at southern Pasir Panjang. From the front beach, get in the water and snorkel right along the rocky outcrop. It is not as 'busy' as Shark Bay, but you'll get to see just as much variety of reef life, including a resident stingray, titan triggerfish, school of squid, porcupine fish, giant grouper, clams, christmas tree coral and perhaps even a banded krait sea snake and octopus.

Alternatively, you can also start from the rear beach and head out with the outcrop to your left. Going around the outcrop should be left to experienced snorkellers as the water can get a little choppy once you reach the side facing the open sea.

The Marine Park Centre is the most popular snorkelling destination and can be crowded during peak visiting season. At 3-6m deep,the area around the jetty at the Marine Park Centre in Pulau Pinang is covered mainly with hard corals and offers easy access to a large variety of marine life that are resident among the PVC pipes of the artificial reef directly under the jetty, the most popular being the resident giant grouper and moray eel.

This place has the largest concentration of fishes in any single location probably due to the fact that many visitors feed the fish. Expect plenty of hungry damselfish, sergeant majors, wrasses, parrotfish and the resident triggerfish seeking food handouts from visitors. Just be careful not to get your fingers mistaken for food! Napolean wrasses are occasionally spotted to the west of the jetty, as are adult blacktip sharks.

To the east of the jetty is a shipwreck lying in about 8-10 metres of water with part of it visible above the water surface. The coral encrusted structures make it an interesting place to explore. Just be careful not to scratch yourself on the metal structures and avoid touching the stinging hydroids that grow on the wreck. It's many crevices and hiding places are home to moray eels, giant groupers, batfish and angelfish. Be careful of currents when swimming out to the wreck - it is best to avoid visiting it when there are currents. Also keep within the white marker buoys as there are strong currents sweeping through the channel between Pulau Pinang and Pulau Redang.

Here are a few tips to help you to get the most out of your snorkelling sessions.

• Choose a mask that fits well. Put the mask on your face without strapping, breathe in through your nose to create a vacuum in the mask and look down while holding your breath. If it fits well forming a perfect seal, it should not fall off. Adjust the snorkel length and position on the mask so that the mouthpiece fits comfortably in your mouth, between your teeth and lips. Bite gently on the protruding tabs to hold it in place and breathe in & out through your mouth.
• To prevent your mask from fogging, rub a little defogging solution on the inside. Alternatively, you can use toothpaste, baby bath, shampoo or even saliva if you don't have anything else. Apply when dry then rinse the mask (but don't scrub it) before you wear it.
• When wearing your mask, make sure you comb back your hair so that no hair gets trapped between the mask and your face which will cause leaks.
• It is best to cover up for protection from the sun as well as from marine stingers you might accidentally brush against. Jellyfish and other marine stingers sting when they detect the presence of certain chemicals on human skin, so wearing clothes, wetsuits or swimsuits to cover skin also prevents stings.
• Learn to recognize the titan triggerfish, which is quite common in Redang. Because of its size (adults can grow up to about 75cm long) and powerful bite, it is best to keep your distance from this fish as it can be aggressive especially when guarding its nest.