World Snorkeling Day 2023: Date, history significance and all you need to know

World Snorkeling Day is a global celebration of snorkeling's beauty and promotes ocean preservation. From date to history, here's all you need to know.

World Snorkeling Day is a yearly celebration of snorkelling's beauty and an opportunity to spread the word about the value of ocean preservation. Snorkelers of all skill levels, from novices to seasoned aficionados, have the chance to gather on this day and take in the underwater delights that our waters have to offer. Using a mask, snorkel tube, and fins, snorkelling is a common leisure activity that enables people to explore the marine environment from the water's surface. It provides a rare opportunity to see colourful fish, brilliant coral reefs, and other aquatic life in their natural settings. World Snorkelling Day inspires people to get outside, appreciate marine life, and develop a sense of obligation to preserve our seas.

World Snorkeling Day inspires people to get outside, appreciate marine life. (Unsplash/@Ibrahim Razzan)

When is World Snorkeling Day 2023

World Snorkeling Day is celebrated every year globally on July 30.

History of World Snorkeling Day

In 1922, Jacques O’Marchal introduced the world to the concept of using a swimmer's breathing tube and mask for the first time on the beach of La Croix-Valmer. Later, in 1931, he showcased these innovative devices at the International Nautical Show. Around the same time, Barney B. Garden submitted the first patent application for a swimming breathing tube on December 9, 1929.

Joseph L. Belcher followed suit by filing a patent application for a similar device on July 30, 1932, making him the second person to do so. Interestingly, despite being the second to file the patent, it is on Joseph L. Belcher's date of July 30, 1932, that World Snorkeling Day is now commemorated. Over the years that followed, numerous other inventors from different parts of the world filed patents for comparable snorkelling devices, contributing to the evolution and popularity of snorkeling as a recreational activity enjoyed by people worldwide.

World Snorkeling Day significance

The annual World Snorkelling Day is a noteworthy occasion since it promotes a bond between people and marine life while exhibiting the magnificence and beauty of our seas. This particular day promotes the love of snorkelling, allowing people of all ages and backgrounds to fully enjoy the undersea environment and develop a greater understanding of marine biodiversity. World Snorkelling Day is a sign of cooperation in preserving the planet's priceless undersea riches because it promotes awareness of ocean conservation and sustainable practises. This helps to motivate group action to maintain vulnerable marine habitats for future generations.