Snorkelling at Balmoral Beach on Sydney Harbour

Did you know there are many terrific places for children to enjoy snorkelling in Sydney?

Balmoral Beach is one of our favourites, certainly our fave in the Harbour.  On the ocean side, I think Shelly Beach at Manly is fantastic.

I’ve dusted off this post I wrote after a lovely day there with the twins a couple of years ago. Have just changed a few things and improved the photos.  My twins were five when we went, and this was one of their first snorkel trips.

Enjoy!

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So off we went to beautiful Balmoral the other day.  I was fully accessorised with twins, picnic, cossies, towels, sunscreen, flippers, hats drinks etc  

We met up with some boy/girl twin pals, their mum and and extra added bonus, their grandparents who are over on a visit from the UK.

It was just spectacular, the sand, the gorgeous old Bathers Pavilion, the green-blue water, Manly ferry sweeping past out to see, darting sail boats.  How lucky are we to live here, how grateful are we?

Our usual haunt at Balmoral is the south end, where the sailing clubs are, near the playground and the cafes and kiosks.  But this trip was to the north end,and it’s paradise for littlies.

There are rockpools with fish, crabs and wiggling periwinkles, big rocks to jump from.  The beach feels wilder, more remote at this end, plus there is shade under trees.

But the great revelation was that four year olds love snorkelling.  Who knew?  Actually my friend did, she’d brought all the snorkels and masks; two for kids and two for adults.

The little girls went first, zipping over to check out the weeds and rocks and then shrieking with a mixture of joy and horror; ‘Fish! Fish.”

And there are loads of fish there, great big ones as well.

The boys were not quite so bold, but they flippered and floppered around, looking down, ducking under.  A first for my kids, but not a last.

But the best bit…

The four kids went scampering off to play and we two mums went for a snorkel ourselves, leaving granny and grandpa on twin patrol.

It was bliss to bob in the waves, to wait and watch little schools of stripy, darting fish, to get a fright at the odd huge one.

So even as summer fades, we can still enjoy the surprises of this gorgeous city.

On a blue sky, shiny Sydney day, I am so grateful that we live here; clean, safe, free and wearing flippers.

Read full descriptions of all the beaches at Balmoral here.

Have you visited the new Balmoral oathouse, near the Baths?

I’d love to hear of more great snorkelling spots around Sydney.

Happy splashing!