Sosua Snorkeling: Two Reefs and a Beach Day in the Dominican Republic

The boat slips away from Sosua's breakwater with a low, familiar hum. Salt air fills the small cabin and the Atlantic stretches flat and blue; the reef line—three dark shadows under the surface—appears like a promise. At the first stop, Three Rocks, the water is warm and clear enough to read the reef like a map: brain coral plates, spur-and-groove ridges, and curly-tailed parrotfish that flick through the corals as if chasing sunlight. The guide hands you a mask, fits your fins, and the ocean seems to lean forward, inviting you in.