Discover Snorkelling Nerds
of Tasmania

Discovering Tasmania beneath the surface with a community created by Alison McNeice.

Tasmania is well known for its mountains, forests, wildlife and spectacular coastline, but some of the island’s most remarkable natural treasures are hidden just beneath the surface.

For those willing to put on a mask, snorkel and fins, Tasmania’s coastal waters open the door to an entirely different world — colourful seaweeds, rocky reefs, fish, crabs, sea stars, marine slugs and countless other creatures that can easily go unnoticed from the shore.

A Community Built Around Getting in the Water

At its heart, Snorkelling Nerds of Tasmania is about something wonderfully simple: getting people together and going snorkelling.

The group provides a place where members can share their snorkelling adventures, organise group outings and let others know when they are heading into the water and would like some company.

That community aspect can make a real difference.

For someone who is relatively new to snorkelling, finding people with local experience can help turn an unfamiliar stretch of coastline into an exciting place to explore. For experienced snorkellers, it provides an opportunity to share discoveries, compare observations and enjoy the water with people who have the same enthusiasm for Tasmania’s marine environment.

And, of course, there is always the possibility that somebody will surface having found something nobody else spotted.

Meet Alison McNeice

The group was created by Alison McNeice, whose enthusiasm for Tasmania’s wildlife extends both above and below the water.

Alison has a background in zoology and has developed a particular passion for exploring and photographing Tasmania’s marine environment. Her underwater photography demonstrates just how extraordinary some of the smaller and less obvious inhabitants of our coastal waters can be.

Marine slugs, hydroids and other creatures that many people might swim straight past become fascinating subjects when viewed more closely.

That enthusiasm for looking a little deeper is very much in keeping with what Snorkelling Nerds of Tasmania represents.

Tasmania's Underwater Backyard

Tasmania sits beside the Great Southern Reef, an enormous temperate reef system extending around southern Australia.

Unlike the tropical coral reefs that dominate much of Australia's tourism imagery, Tasmania's reefs are characterised by temperate marine life — including extensive seaweed communities, sponge gardens, rocky reef habitats and an extraordinary diversity of invertebrates.

You don't necessarily need scuba equipment or a boat to begin exploring it either.

Some remarkable marine life can be found surprisingly close to shore.

Look a Little Closer

A sheltered bay, rocky reef, jetty or patch of seaweed can contain an entire miniature ecosystem. Slow down and look carefully and the environment begins to reveal itself.

• A seemingly ordinary piece of seaweed might be hiding a tiny sea slug.
• A rock ledge might shelter crabs, shrimp or small fish.
• What initially appears to be a plant might turn out to be an animal.

The same location can look completely different from one visit to the next depending on tides, seasons, water temperature and conditions.

That element of discovery is a big part of what makes snorkelling around Tasmania so addictive.

More Than Just a Snorkel

Groups such as Snorkelling Nerds of Tasmania also demonstrate the value of community observation.

Every photograph and observation encourages people to look more closely at their surroundings.

What on earth did I just find?

The inevitable question

That question can lead to learning about an animal's behaviour, ecology, distribution or relationship with other species.

Photography has made this particularly valuable. Even when an identification cannot be made immediately, a good photograph can allow other community members, naturalists and specialists to help identify a species later.

Over time, those individual encounters build a much broader appreciation of Tasmania’s marine biodiversity.

Finding Your People

One of the barriers to getting involved in outdoor activities can simply be not knowing anybody else who wants to do them.

Snorkelling Nerds of Tasmania helps remove that barrier.

Someone planning a snorkel can post that they are heading out and see whether anyone else would like to join them. Friendships form, knowledge gets shared and people who might otherwise have explored alone become part of a wider community.

It is a wonderfully grassroots way of encouraging Tasmanians to get outside and appreciate the environment surrounding them.

Or, perhaps more accurately in this case, to get underwater and appreciate it.

Join the Snorkelling Nerds

Whether you are an experienced snorkeller, an underwater photographer, a marine-life enthusiast or simply someone wondering what might be hiding beneath the water at your local beach, Snorkelling Nerds of Tasmania is worth discovering.

• You don't need to know the scientific name of everything you encounter.
• You don't need professional camera equipment.
• And you certainly don't need to be an expert.

Curiosity is a pretty good place to start.

Thanks to Alison McNeice for creating a community where Tasmania's snorkelling enthusiasts can meet, explore, share their discoveries and encourage others to experience the extraordinary marine life found around our island.

From Our Tasmania · https://ourtasmania.au/blogs-news/article/discover-snorkelling-nerds-of-tasmania/

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BushRenegade

iNaturalist: wildroo

The developer and keen naturalist and photographer with in interest in underwater photography.

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