Jeff Wallach
Schmooze with sharks, swim with seals, play with porpoises
If bonding with underwater species is your idea of a good time, various commercial and educational opportunities exist worldwide to study, swim beside, dive next to and possibly even communicate with a variety of large, friendly, dangerous and/or simply curious sea creatures. In fact, outfitters may promise to put you in the water with just about everything but the Loch Ness Monster. Not a seasoned scuba diver? No worries: Many outfitters even offer trips for snorkelers and swimmers.
David Fishman, editor-in-chief and publisher of Fathoms: The Magazine of the Underwater World, explains how chance encounters have led to a new type of tourism...
Schmooze with sharks, swim with seals, play with porpoises
If bonding with underwater species is your idea of a good time, various commercial and educational opportunities exist worldwide to study, swim beside, dive next to and possibly even communicate with a variety of large, friendly, dangerous and/or simply curious sea creatures. In fact, outfitters may promise to put you in the water with just about everything but the Loch Ness Monster. Not a seasoned scuba diver? No worries: Many outfitters even offer trips for snorkelers and swimmers.
David Fishman, editor-in-chief and publisher of Fathoms: The Magazine of the Underwater World, explains how chance encounters have led to a new type of tourism...
Jeff Wallach Schmooze with sharks, swim with seals, play with porpoises If bonding with underwater species is your idea of a good time, various commerc... more
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1
Sea Turtles
The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
In the Galapagos Islands, divers and snorkelers have the rare possibility of getting in the water with dozens of three-foot green sea turtles with primeval eyes and graceful flippers. What's most attractive about this adventure is that since the turtles have no natural underwater predators, they're not afraid of humans. You can watch them eating jellyfish or sponges or nibbling algae off stones, oblivious to you.
2
Coral
Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
Each fall off the coast of Bonaire, nearly a dozen species of coral spawn at an exact time that's synchronized with the phases of the moon. Divers can get in shallow water and enjoy a pristine night dive while waiting for the appointed moment. As David Fishman describes it, "You can see the translucent orange eggs in the coral polyps' mouths waiting to be released. Massive brittle stars and other predators come out and move to the top of the coral heads. There's an eeriness and sense of anticipation that all the animals are waiting for something special. When the packets of sperm and eggs start to pop and float to the surface it's like an incredible upside down snowstorm of sexual energy."
3
Manta Rays
Yap, Micronesia
Bill "Manta Man" Acker, owner of Manta Ray Hotel and Yap Divers, explains the exhilaration of diving with manta rays in Micronesia. "There are no words to describe kneeling on the sand when the 82-degree water is crystal clear and 10 or more garage-door-sized stealth bombers glide in so close that you could literally reach up and touch them. The mantas are cleaned by very colorful small wrasses darting in and out of their mouths and gills, and the surrounding coral is covered with every color and size of tropical fish." Admittedly, the experience may not be for everyone.
4
Jellyfish
Palau, Micronesia
Jellyfish Lake, in Palau, is one of very few places worldwide where snorkelers can mix it up with five million golden jellyfish. Eons ago, a geologic upheaval trapped ocean jellyfish in lakes still influenced by the intrusion of seawater through limestone fissures. The resourceful jellyfish evolved to survive in the lake environment, and in the process lost its powerful stinging capability. Diving is not allowed in the lake because the water is toxic below a certain depth.
5
Leopard Seals
Antarctica
For most folks, seals are those cute creatures that swim inquisitively up to them at the aquarium. But leopard seals are nine- to 10-feet-long, weigh 800 pounds and sport large, sharp teeth. Intrepid divers can watch them chase and feed on king and emperor penguins. "Diving with these powerful, curious, playful creatures has become a real prized expedition for those willing to don a dry suit and get on an expedition to Antarctica," says David Fishman. "Its like going to the bush in Kenya and watching a lion take down a gazelle."
6
Humpback Whales
Vancouver Island, Canada
"This was the single best adventure I ever had," says Ron Steven, of being in the cold water off Vancouver Island with humpback whales. "First we could hear but not see the humpbacks and orcas. Then we got in the water to snorkel when they were cruising around our boat. They're very inquisitive. It's a goose-bumpy experience; their sheer size and grace and comfort are mind-boggling. And the acoustics were like a cross between Enya and Space Invaders."
7
Sharks
Australia
When it comes to the world's greatest undersea adventures, "Jaws" is hard to beat. Off the coast of South Australia, certified lunatics (certified by a dive organization, that is) can spend more time with sharks than Maria did in "West Side Story." Divers wearing drysuits are suspended from the dive boat in metal cages while fish guts are placed in the water like a shark smorgasbord. 'It's right out of a sci-fi movie as these luminous shadows come closer and closer with speed and grace," says Ron Steven. "As the powerful, fierce-looking creatures nose and rock your cage you realize how vulnerable and out of your realm you are."
8
Cuttlefish
Australia
Divers off the southern coast of Australia can watch hundreds of thousands of cuttlefish dating and mating. David Fishman describes "the haunting style of obvious intelligence of the cuttlefish, which has an ability to mimic other creatures, change color, texture and shape, and watch you with its large eyes." Photographers and environmentalists have undertaken a grassroots effort to make the cuttlefish mating a tourist attraction to protect the creatures from fishermen, who are also drawn to the large aggregation of protein.
9
Hammerhead Sharks
Eastern Pacific
In the Northern Triangle between the Galapagos Islands, Cocos Islands, and Malpeo in the eastern Pacific, dozens—even hundreds—of hammerhead sharks school during the day, sleeping and socializing with their own kind before feeding at night. Divers can swim right into the middle of the parade with little risk, as long as they get back to the boat before the evening meal. Or they may be the evening meal.
10
Stingrays
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Years ago, fisherman off Grand Cayman noticed that when they cleaned their fish, platoons of giant, graceful sting rays would swoop in to snack on what they threw overboard. Today, snorkelers and divers can both swim with these creatures on the site. As Ron Steven describes it, "Imagine taking your nephew or Mom for a nice day sailing, arriving on a sandbar, and popping into the water with a snorkel. Slowly, six-foot rays come in and scoot between your legs and bump and nuzzle you in the water. You can take great photos and get to see wild marine life up close and personal in a situation that's not stressful to the ray or the guest." However, it is worth bearing in mind that a stingray may behave rather more erratically than, say, a housecat: Prudence is advised.
[source: https://www.forbestraveler.com/adventure/underwater-experiences-story.html ]
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