Lover's Cove Scenic Vista — Attraction in Avalon

I've been coming to this island since I was a child and some of my most fond memories are snorkeling in this Cove full of ocean life due to El Nino it was a little sad not to see the kelp forest that we normally see but there is always an abundance of life here. The commercial glass bottom boats come through this Cove and this is the first year that I've ever taken issue with them. The boats were trying to push the snorkelers out of the water and chastising them for admiring the marine life. I have run youth programs and was a lifeguard for many years and have a healthy respect for educating our youth in how to respect the environment. I found the self-serving behaviour of these commercial tours to be disgusting. I found several fish carcasses that were placed under their boats to attract more sea life to the location... that being said my sons thrill of Adventure was caught in the pictures I posted I encourage everyone to check this area out. Boats have no business coming so close to swimmers...

Very crowded with snorkel tours.

Open to boats, so keep an eye out.

Very rocky. Not suitable for sunbathing. The strip of dry rocks is pretty small, so not much room for your gear if there's a crowd.

Fish are fed by tour groups, so they can be a little aggressive. Especially the calico bass. Bunches of them will get right in your face all at once, which can be unnerving.

Keep walking down the road out of town to Pebbly Beach for a better experience. More space to spread out. Less crowded. Fish behave more naturally. Only downside is the occasional helicopter landing/taking off. But the beach isn't really suited to lounging, and if you're snorkeling you won't...

Loved the snorkeling here, just make sure you bring water shoes so that the rocks don't hurt your feet so much on the way in and out of the water.

Also, you will want to watch out for the glass bottom boats and semi submersible submarines that come through the area every hour so that you don't get run over while trying to snorkel. The wetsuit rental down the street from here was $15 for the whole day so we felt very comfortable taking our time getting accustomed to the water...