In 1992, Casper Cox signed up for a snorkeling trip on the Conasauga River with the Tennessee Aquarium. The trip was rain-delayed twice. Anxious for the experience, Cox finally bought his own mask, recruited a buddy, and together they made the one-hour drive to the river.
The moment Cox dipped his head underwater, he was hooked.
"Big fish, little fish ... fish of many colors, some appearing electric in the shimmering sunlight ... many coming right up to your face mask. I was surrounded by all forms of life," he remembers.
Cox has now spent more than 25 years exploring the region's freshwater and helping introduce others to the sport as a snorkel guide for Cherokee National Forest and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency's naturalist program.
In 2019, he wrote the region's first comprehensive and photographic snorkel guide, "Snorkeling the Hidden Rivers of Southern Appalachia." Its colorful pages include beta on seven different sites, recommendations for snorkeling gear, tips on underwater photography and a field guide to native freshwater fish.
"We are now in our third printing," Cox says.
Cox received grant funding from Tennessee River Basin Network to help write, design and print the guide. He donates all the proceeds to help support screenings of "Hidden Rivers," a documentary produced by nonprofit Freshwater Illustrated showcasing the rich biodiversity within Southeastern waterways.
The goal, he says, is to give back to the freshwater communities that have so enriched his life:
Casper Cox, shown here, loves the immediacy and interaction of viewing life under the water. / Photo contributed by David Herasimtschuk>>> "I have always enjoyed nature. My father was an outdoorsman, and while I was in high school our parents bought a farm on the plateau an hour from Chattanooga, way, way out in the country. Nature is a healer to many troubles, and I find it all comforting. Except for the mosquitoes.
>>> I have seen Chattanooga go from a dirty industrial wasteland to a thriving and productive city, but I have always loved that Chattanooga is surrounded by forests, rivers and mountains.
>>> I learned to scuba dive years ago, but it was so involved with gear, logistics and limited opportunities which required extended travel. Snorkeling is easy, simple, using minimal gear, and our region has many excellent sites within and beyond Chattanooga.
>>> So much life is visible through your mask: fish, turtles, crayfish, snakes, hellbenders. Muskrats and beavers, too!
>>> One can sit in the woods for hours, and if you are quiet you will likely hear and see birds, perhaps a squirrel, maybe a deer or even a snake over time, but in the water you are instantly surrounded by abundant life. It's all around you. ... You are physically, actually immersed in their world.
>>> [I have seen] gar, spawning events, Nocomis chubs gathering stones into mounds, spike armored stonerollers bulldozing trenches.
>>> Locally during the last few years, I have enjoyed snorkeling North Chickamauga Creek, especially during drought conditions. Being it is mostly spring fed, clarity is often reasonable and the diversity surprising high in an urban stream. For the last three years, I have led a team of snorkeling trash mongers near the ruins of an old mill while we participate in the Tennessee River Rescue. We pull up all manner of trash, tires and glass from the water.
>>> But the Conasauga River is ideal for a beginner or an avid snorkeler.
>>> In the summer's July and August, a pair of swim shorts, ragged T-shirt and sandals is all I need in the cool bath-like water of the Conasauga River. I suspect most will be fine and enjoy looking through a mask. However, you will want a wetsuit to see wild colored spawning events in April, May and into early June. Those are the best times.
>>> [Snorkeling] never gets old, just me is getting old, and I'm somewhat feeling it these last few years. I use to stay in a creek till dusk and even snorkeled at night using underwater lights. I could and would walk up creeks for miles, being lured around every turn and bend eager to see what was beyond. I still do somewhat but not near as far."
Learn more about Cox's snorkel guide here.