Jersey Snorkel Trails 

Jersey’s unique waters make up 95% of the whole of its territory, creating some of the richest coastal waters in Europe. Habitats range from living maerl beds to rocky reefs and sandy beds, which provide homes for 3,200 species of marine life, such as rare pink sea fans, rays, cuttlefish and dazzling anemones.   

Snorkel trails are emerging as an important feature within coastal ecotourism on a global scale, often resulting in improved ecological awareness and understanding of the marine environment. The Jersey Snorkel Trails offer residents and visitors the opportunity to explore the beauty and diversity beneath the waves in Jersey. Created by Blue Marine Foundation with help from the Societe Jersiaise and Bouley Bay Dive Centre, and supported by Mourant, there are now two snorkel trails in Jersey, Snorkel Portelet and Snorkel Bouley.  

Both snorkel trails are made up of three components: the self-guided trail itself, an education programme and a citizen science portal. The aim of the snorkel trails is to connect people of all ages to the sea. Children— as the future generation of ocean stewards— are the key to the future of our seas. 

Download our Jersey Snorkel Trails leaflet here for all the necessary information to assist your snorkelling adventure! 

Snorkel Portelet 

Situated in the southwest corner of Jersey and nestled between stunning headlands, Portelet Bay is an oasis where you can enjoy a degree of isolation from the Island. A winding pathway from the car park, consisting of 200 steps surrounded by densely vegetated cliffs, leads down to the picturesque, golden sands and blue waters of the bay. A small islet located in the middle of the bay, Janvrin’s Tomb (or Île au Guerdain), is surrounded by water at high tide. At low tide, the islet becomes accessible via a soft sand bar. 

The self-guided trail showcases rocky reefs, kelp, sandy bottoms and a small seagrass bed. These habitats support a range of marine life with ballan and cuckoo wrasse, spider crabs and snakelocks anemones among the species for snorkellers to see. The trail sits within the  Portelet Bay No-Take-Zone (NTZ) – the first to be created in Jersey in 2022. The new designation means no fishing or other extractive activities can occur within the zone and it is an offence to remove any marine species, with exceptions for scientific investigation. 

Snorkel Portelet explores four routes, each named after resident anemones: 

• Snakelocks: Discover rich rocky reefs that support numerous snakelocks anemones and fucus seaweeds, sheltering wrasse and crabs.  

• Beadlet: Explore seagrass, gullies and caves that hide beadlet anemones, spider crabs and grey mullet. 

• Dahlia: Boulders and overhangs are home to dahlia anemones, crevices and various types of wrasse. 

• Strawberry: Marvel at rocky reefs, sandy bottoms and oarweed kelp that provide habitats for strawberry anemones and a variety of gobies and blennies. 

Snorkel Bouley 

Tucked away on the north coast of Jersey, Bouley Bay is nestled between Jersey’s tallest cliffs, with a pebble stone beach and a sandy shelf descending into deep blue waters. A long, winding hill poses the only access down to this secluded bay; home to a tiny harbour and Jersey’s only dive centre— Bouley Bay Dive Centre. 

Snorkel Bouley explores four routes, each named after fish species you can find in the bay: 

• Seahorse: Discover beautiful rocky reefs that shelter seahorses and pipefish. Spot a shoal of pollack around the sunken anchor, or a male wrasse guarding his nest near the pier. 

• Cuttlefish: Explore the rocky crevices of L’Islet, then head towards the pontoon to marvel at the sandy bottoms and underwater forests of seaweed and kelp, providing habitats for cuttlefish, rays, spider crabs and bass. 

• Wrasse: Carry on around L’Islet to explore marine boulders and overhangs, housing anemones, wrasse and conger eels. 

Snorkel safety 

Click the below links to download translated versions, including basic information on the trails: 

• Português   

• Polski 

• Francais 

Education Programme

Since 2022, Blue Marine has partnered with Bouley Bay Dive Centre to deliver a free educational outreach programme. Aimed at children aged nine to 11, the package consists of three parts delivered across a week: a classroom-based lesson, a pool session and a guided tour of either Snorkel Portelet or Snorkel Bouley. The education package aims to foster a connection between Jersey’s younger generation and Jersey’s astounding marine environment, inspiring the next generation of ocean stewards. By the end of July 2024, approximately 850 students experienced this rare opportunity over the three years. 

Become a Citizen Scientist

Our seas are experiencing a loss of marine biodiversity, ocean warming, ocean acidification, larger storm events and changes in oceanographic processes. In response to the climate crisis, communities are stepping up to help monitor and mitigate these impacts. Citizen science allows a wider group of people to better understand the marine environment and contribute to scientific research, helping us to understand the impact of climate change. 

A citizen science portal for the Jersey Snorkel Trails has been developed by the Société Jersiaise Marine Biology section and Blue Marine. This portal allows visitors to the trails to upload information and pictures of the marine life they see, and this in turn will help the project track changes in biodiversity in response to climate change.   

Download the Epicollect app and search for the “Jersey snorkel trails recorder” project and begin recording your data! 

Share Your Underwater Experience 

You can share your underwater Snorkel Portelet and/or Snorkel Bouley experience on social media using #SnorkelPortelet or #SnorkelBouley. 

Win a Free Snorkel Tour! 

If you’ve completed one of the Jersey Snorkel Trails, then click this link to complete our feedback form for the chance to win a snorkel tour for two people! (prize drawn June-Sep). 

Respect. Protect. Enjoy.