10 Ocean Wonders Only Scuba Divers Can Experience
When you get certified to dive, you get a C-card that opens up an amazing underwater world to discover — here are 10 wonders of the ocean that only scuba divers can have (and trust us, there are plenty more)!
Learn more about scuba diving certifications by visiting our Scuba Diving Intro page to get your questions answered and to find out how you can earn your C-card!
iStockThey are called graceful flyers — these relatives of sharks are amazing to encounter in the ocean.
Divers love their encounters with manta rays — both Manta birostris, the larger kind that can have wingspans of 23 feet, and Manta alfredi, which reaches 18 feet. You can encounter them in many places of the world, but popular hot spots include Indonesia, the Galapagos and Hawaii.
iStockThese pint-size beauties are from the Indo-Pacific, and are members of the damselfish family.
Don’t believe everything you saw in the movie Finding Nemo. For one, anemonefish are very bad swimmers and cannot survive without inhabiting the stinging tentacles of anemones. But truth: They are popular with home aquarists.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SCUBA DIVING OR SIGN UP FOR THE OPEN WATER COURSE TODAY!
iStockGreen sea turtles can remain underwater for as long as five hours on a single breath of air.
Scuba divers love their encounters with the world’s sea turtles. There are seven species: green, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley, hawksbill, flatback, and leatherback. Except in polar seas, sea turtles live in every ocean. When they glide by you, you'll have an understanding of what the word noble means.
iStockThe biggest fish in the sea is this shark named after whales because of its huge size — the largest confirmed whale shark was 41.5 feet long.
Swimming with a whale shark is among the most prized bucket-list encounters a scuba diver can have. It can be found in many places, including Thailand, the Philippines, Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef and Isla Mujeres, Mexico. It is one of the most humbling experiences a diver can have.
iStockReef sharks are found in many places of the world, but hammerhead sharks are among the most unique that scuba divers can encounter.
In fact, we divers love all sharks! Shark dives are definitely thrilling, but most of them are not as scary as Hollywood and the news media portray them. Forget Jaws and 47 Meters Down — most shark encounters are like meeting an old friend unexpectedly on the street — delightful and, sadly, fleeting. When you become a diver, you'll understand why we fight so hard to protect them.
iStockAlong with space, the ocean is truly the last undiscovered frontier. In fact, we probably know more about space.
Whether it’s a cave, cenote, shipwreck or a new reef, divers have the chance to find something new each and every time they giant stride into the ocean. And you can determine the level of difficulty you want to tackle.
iStockWhen you find a baitball in the ocean, it often means something larger is hunting nearby. It is truly a breathtaking sight to see.
From amazing behavior of ocean animals like a baitball of fish seeking to defend against a predator to awe-inspiring sights such as Grand Canyon-like drop-offs, scuba divers are privileged to see ocean wonders that our terrestrial friends can't.
iStockThe very pretty French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) is common on shallow reefs.
There are thousands of species in the sea. Many scuba divers keep life lists, looking for more uncommon sightings in specific parts of the world, such as the endemic species in Hawaii and Indonesia.
iStockEver wonder what it would be like to be in the water with a submarine? If you’re lucky enough to be diving when a 40-foot humpback whale swims by, you’ll have some idea.
Divers flock to destinations that offer both reliable snorkel-only whale encounters (like the Silver Bank) or chance encounters (such as the Hawaiian islands). Whales come to specific parts of the world, depending on the species, to either mate and calve or feed.
iStockFriendships and fun are guaranteed when you learn to dive.
Maybe you need a change in your life, or maybe you and a loved one want to try something new together. Whatever your reason, becoming a certified scuba diver allows you the opportunity to become part of the club.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SCUBA DIVING OR SIGN UP FOR THE OPEN WATER COURSE TODAY!
