The world is filled with breathtaking underwater attractions – natural and manmade alike! Coral reefs, seabed sculptures, restaurants and shipwrecks await discovery by all! There’s truly something special here for everyone!
Devils Hole, located within Death Valley National Park, is an underwater cave home to some of the rarest fish species found anywhere on earth. A Curiosity Stream/NPS Submerged Resources Center production.
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal in Siberia provides one of the most breathtaking diving adventures. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Baikal boasts one of the deepest and oldest lakes worldwide and hosts thousands of plants and animals that thrive there – some unique only to this ecosystem.
Crystal clear water reflects the beauty of its surrounding taiga and mountains for an unforgettable sight. Additionally, this lake serves as a source of drinking water for those living nearby and helps cool cities nearby. In summer it provides lush warmth while during the colder winter months it becomes frozen over with spectacular ice formations.
As the world’s deepest lake, Lake Baikal is also an exceptional biodiversity hot spot, home to 80% of endemic plants and animals that call this environment home. Common species include nerpa seals, omul fish and golomjanka.
Diving in this Arctic environment requires both special equipment and proper training. Adjusting to the cold temperatures may prove challenging for divers, and they must possess camera gear capable of operating in such harsh conditions. Furthermore, this environment contains an abundance of dissolved oxygen which has allowed some species such as the omul fish to flourish larger than anticipated; some varieties even reach two feet in length! This fish has evolved to survive its harsh environment.
Zhemchug Canyon
Most scuba divers dream of diving tropical dive sites where the water is warm enough for them to wear thin exposure suits all year, but some adventurous individuals have ventured into Arctic or Antarctic waters in search of amazing sights that cannot be found elsewhere on this planet. Although Arctic or Antarctic diving might not be for everyone, those willing to step outside their comfort zones and brave it will find breathtaking sites that won’t soon forget!
One such amazing place is Zhemchug Canyon in the Bering Sea – an extraordinary underwater canyon that is an astounding 2,500 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon and was formed during an Ice Age river’s flow.
This vast chasm of the ocean is alive with marine wildlife and supports whales and dolphins as well as bubblegum, bamboo and Hexactinellid corals that form habitat-forming communities. However, bottom trawling overfishing threatens this deep-sea canyon’s rich ecosystem by damaging these spectacular reefs.
Honeymooners often limit themselves to snorkeling around their overwater bungalows near shallow waters with rays and reef sharks; but adventurous certified divers may want to head further offshore into Tuamotu Archipelago for some amazing underwater action. You will see everything from walls of grey reef sharks with O2 Fakarava to wild dolphins at Rangiroa; this region’s spectacular marine life will astound you!
The Palace of Cleopatra
History buffs will delight in this aquatic adventure. An international team of archaeologists has been excavating harbor sediments off Alexandria and recovering treasures that once belonged to Cleopatra. All part of an ambitious plan to create an underwater museum.
Now you can visit this site and admire a temple pylon and other treasures, including one dedicated to Isis made of granite rather than limestone as in Giza pyramids – dating back to 300BC during Cleopatra’s rule over Egypt.
One can find treasures such as sphinx statues, massive Roman columns and carvings from this ancient port city’s shores here; an amazing sight and one of the world’s top diving experiences!
Micronesia offers divers an unforgettable underwater adventure, with its vibrant coral reefs providing divers of all skill levels with a wonderful diving experience. Additionally, its islands host other marine wonders such as manta rays, hammerhead sharks, and numerous fish species – as well as its submarine tour which takes visitors deep below the ocean floor to experience this extraordinary underwater world!
SS President Coolidge
The SS President Coolidge is one of the world’s largest and most accessible wreck dives, as well as being home to an array of coral and marine life. Situated off Luganville on Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu, its 200 metres long length will delight experienced divers alike.
The Coolidge was constructed as a luxury ocean liner in 1931. Measuring nearly 600 feet in length and boasting presidential suites fit for royalty as well as cinema screenings, stock exchange trading and much more, its launch marked an era of great luxury at sea.
But just 10 years later, war broke out across Europe and normal shipping routes became unsafe, prompting the Coolidge to be converted to a troop ship and begin transporting men and equipment across the Pacific to support US garrisons. On her final voyage she hit a mine near Segond Channel off Vanuatu’s southern coast and was destroyed.
At present, the Coolidge stands as a stark reminder of its past: military gear like guns, helmets and gas masks has been abandoned on her deck, where it now attracts darting tropical fish. Zegrahm Expeditions’ Faces of Melanesia cruise includes diving on this remarkable site as part of its itinerary through Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
