Snorkelling With… Genine Keogh, Snorkel Wild, Berwickshire, South East Scotland

In this ongoing series, we speak to the people who run snorkel centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the snorkelling they have to offer…

What is your name? Genine Keogh.

What is the name of your business? Snorkel Wild.

What is your role within the business?

I founded the business. I’m an instructor and guide.

How long has the business operated for?

Just a couple of months. I started piloting the snorkel teaching and guiding in September 2020 so just a few months ago to gauge interest in running. This was on the back of the self-led snorkel trails developed and promoted by the Scottish Wildlife Trust in association with the local voluntary marine reserve – Berwickshire Marine Reserve. There was a lot of interest in snorkelling in this area and I was guiding people voluntarily.

Scottish Wildlife Trust Self led Snorkel Trails – https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/snorkel-trails/

How long have you snorkelled for, and what do you enjoy most about it?

About 3 years. I discovered UK snorkelling when I moved to the coast in North East England. Before that I’d snorkelled abroad occasionally. I’ve scuba dived for 8 years and took up UK diving in 2014, but hadn’t really thought about snorkelling.

Snorkelling allows me to explore a hidden world that nobody else is experiencing at that time or place – it’s an adventure. I enjoy the feeling of floating with my face and ears immersed, disconnected from the outside world – it allows me to switch off as it’s very mindful & relaxing. Every time I snorkel I see or experience something different, whether it’s a sea creature or a new sensation from the movement of water. I love how snorkelling is so accessible. There isn’t the planning or heavy kit needed as with scuba diving, I often see as much marine life.

If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit what would it be?

I think people would be surprised at how beautiful and clear the North Sea can be. Snorkelling is an activity often associated with the warm tropical waters, but put your head beneath the surface of the North Sea in the Summer months you see as much marine life as you can in the Mediterranean!

What is your favourite snorkel spot and why?

I have so many! If I had to choose one of my favourite’s it would have to be Weasel Loch, within the marine reserve in Eyemouth. I love the variation of habitats here. There are lots of boulders in the shallows as you enter, a deeper sandy channel down the centre, kelp forests and vertical walls down either side full of cracks and crevices. The variety of habitats brings with it a diverse range of marine life. On a sunny, calm day the light can be incredible too. In the warmer months many jellyfish get washed into this site, so it’s a haven for those that love jellyfish – like me! It’s a great site and if the tides are right you can swim out of Weasel Loch around to another great site for snorkelling – Killidraughts Bay.

What is the main focus of your snorkelling trips? i.e. photography, training, marine life etc. My main focus is on introducing people to snorkelling and teaching beginners – this could be people of all ages or levels who’ve never had any experience or even been in the UK sea before. I like to build people’s confidence, remove any preconceived ideas of the North Sea or any fears, whilst also ensuring people learn something about the marine environment and the marine life that live in the UK.

I also offer guided snorkelling for those that have some experience or have snorkelled abroad, who want to explore a new place or try UK snorkelling, Guided snorkelling allows them to have the comfort of a guide that knows the area.

What do you find most rewarding about your current role? I’d have to say the reaction of awe from people when they realise how incredibly beautiful it can be. It’s so rewarding for me when people get excited at spotting a flat fish or a crab for the first time and point it out to me – both children and adults! It’s great to see any initial fears of putting on a mask, breathing through a snorkel, the cold water and the movement of the water are all alleviated the moment they relax into the feeling of floating over and through an underwater jungle and can focus on exploring.

What is your favourite underwater creature?

Not everyone’s favourite – but I’d have to say jellyfish. I find them mesmerising, they are simplistic and I enjoy watching the movements and shapes they make in the water, especially beautiful if the light catches them. I enjoy floating beside them and feel like I’m dancing with jellyfish in a Jellyfish Disco – Spongebob squarepants reference (Jellyfish Disco)

As a centre what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?

I’ve not encountered any problems so far. Planning to run snorkelling in a limited area with unpredictable sea conditions can be a challenge. We are dependent on good calm seas, especially for running beginners’ sessions.

Is your centre involved in any environment work?

We work within the Berwickshire Marine Reserve which is a voluntary marine reserve run by the community to protect and promote responsible use of an area of coastal water. We abide by the marine reserves’ code of conduct and don’t ever touch or take any marine life. We are hoping to involve their volunteer marine rangers in the future.

As a future idea I’m also looking at how we could conduct underwater surveys to capture marine life data for Seasearch, a national charity that submits the data to national databases, used by scientists and researchers across the UK to understand the state of the seas in the UK. When we can we pick up any litter we can carry whilst snorkelling. As with the marine life surveys this is something we can do more formally and capture and submit through marine litter surveying too.

Are there any exciting changes / development coming up in the near future?

I have lots of ideas for the long term. As I’ve not long started up my main focus is on preparing for starting up full time next year, which is exciting in itself. I’m also looking at how I could offer snorkelling to the local community and other groups such as disadvantaged children and adults giving them the opportunity to have a go. I’m investigating funding opportunities to be able to get assistance and perhaps provide subsidised sessions.

How do you see the Snorkelling / Freediving / SCUBA industry overall? What changes would you make?

I can only share my thoughts from my own personal experience and the organisations I know, that the industry despite the difficulties it has been through and continues to go through is doing ok. I’ve seen an increase in the promotion of freediving and snorkelling in the UK, but I guess only time can tell. When we had the freedom to travel during those few months in the Summer, it was great to see more people seeking experiences in the UK and hearing the ad hoc reports about people becoming closer to nature – it can only be positive. I hope that people now feel better connected to the UK and when we get back the freedom to travel, people realise they don’t have to travel far to experience something wonderful in their own country.

I feel that some operators and guides still need to improve their attitude and conduct to protect the marine environment and marine life. If we employ people that have a positive attitude and conduct toward the sea this is then reflected well into their customers. I’d like to see operators and guides all actively promoting codes of conduct and the importance of caring for the sea. We all need to run a business, but if we don’t look after the environment that has allowed us to run our business in the first place, nobody can enjoy it.

Finally, what would you say to our visitors to promote the snorkelling you have to offer?

Snorkelling is an activity that anyone can have a go at. You don’t need to be a strong swimmer and you can stay on the surface floating. I keep sessions small and personal, either run as one-to-one sessions or small groups of friends and family. Each group is taught according to their experience and needs. I’m a patient and calm instructor, ensuring everyone in the group is comfortable and safe before progressing to anything a bit more challenging. I’d like to know that everyone has walked away having had a great experience, has learnt something new and has an appreciation for the beauty of the underwater world of the North Sea.

Where can our visitors find out more about your business?

Our website has all the basic information on www.snorkelwild.com.

For any more information you can email me info@snorkelwild.com. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at @snorkelwilduk, where you can see some of the photos and videos of the snorkelling sessions we have done so far.