Snorkel is a breathing tube that lets swimmers explore just below the water's surface without constantly lifting their heads to breathe. The tube is shaped like a J, with one end held in your mouth and the other end sticking up above the water. As long as the top stays above the surface, you can breathe normally while floating face-down, watching fish dart through coral reefs or searching for interesting shells on the seafloor.

After World War II, swimmers adopted smaller versions of these tubes for recreation, and snorkeling became a popular way to see underwater life without the heavy equipment that scuba divers need.

Modern snorkels often include features like valves that close if a wave washes over the top, and some attach to diving masks for convenience. Learning to snorkel takes practice: you have to stay calm, breathe slowly through your mouth, and clear water from the tube by blowing hard if any gets in. Once you master it, though, snorkeling opens up a whole new world to explore, letting you drift peacefully above underwater gardens while schools of tropical fish swim right beneath you.

As a verb, to snorkel means to swim using a snorkel.