Scuba Diving
10 amazing animals to swim with and where to do it
Fancy going face to face with a great white or spinning around with a seal? Then check out these 10 unbelievable underwater experiences (in the UK and beyond).
If you love snorkelling or diving but you’re tired of the same old fish, you’re about to discover how to crank your underwater adventures up a notch.
Swimming with animals is an amazing experience and the bigger, more dynamic or more dangerous they get, the more exciting it becomes.
From the giant plankton-sucking Whale Shark to the lake with wall-to-wall jellyfish that have no sting, here's 10 top safe (or relatively safe) animal experiences where you can get up close and have the thrill of a lifetime. Just always remember: look, don’t touch.
1. Whale Sharks
The largest confirmed whale shark measured 41.5ft long
© Wiki Commons
Where: Belize City, Belize
Swimming near a mouth so big it could suck you in like Jonah (from that whale story) may seem insane – but these gentle giants, the biggest fish in the sea, are serene, slow and sensational to swim with.
The undisputed biggest fish of the sea, whale sharks have a lifespan that's estimated to be 70 to 100 years and it's only when you get close up to them do you realise what beautiful creatures they are.
In spring, large groups swim up from Argentina to Miami, and, as they pass Belize City, they hang around at an ocean ridge where they guzzle on plankton all day. The best way to see the whale sharks is by booking a guided scuba diving trip.
2. Seals
The UK's Cornish coast is festooned with seals
© Charles Hood
Where: Land’s End, UK
Swirling around at super speed, these playful creatures love to interact and, if they like you, they’ll stick to you like glue. Their favourite tricks are chewing flippers and bumping noses, so be prepared for a close encounter.
The rocks off Land's End in Cornwall are a great place to go as it’s relatively sheltered, easy to get to and there’s loads of them swimming around. The best time to find seals there is from mid-May through to October, however you can book scuba tours to seal spots year round with Charles Hood.
If you go further afield, however, the Galapagos Islands and Kaikoura in New Zealand are also prime seal spotting locations.
3. Sea Turtles
Sea Turtles swim underwater for up 5 to 7 hours before coming up to breathe
© Flickr CC
Where: Akumal, Mexico
These serene creatures are so slow moving and so apparently unaware of your presence that you can easily move with them like your part of their group – which is an amazing experience.
Loggerhead and Green Sea turtles are the most common and you can swim with both in Akumal – which is Mayan for ‘place of the turtle.’ You can buy a scuba mask and go yourself (click here for a brilliantly in-depth guide about how to scuba with sea turtles in the region) but to go out more than 45m from the shore you need a guide.
4. Crocodiles
Diving with a crocodile in Botswana
© Amos Photography
Where: Okavango River, Botswana
Yes, if you actually want to, you can swim with a crocodile. The African crocodile is bigger and stronger than any human, not least underwater, but if you swim in the right way (so the tour guides say) you can get away with being in their presence.
To go totally wild you need to head to the remote wilderness of Botswana, and the Okavango River. Between June and July (the winter season) is officially Nile crocodile diving season here, as the water temperature drops to 13-17 degrees Celsius and makes the beasts lethargic and slow, giving divers a unique chance to swim up close with the crocs. One writer for RedBulletin went and did just that last year – read about it here.
5. Black Tipped Reef Sharks
While these sharks are harmless to humans, they're still a fearsome sight
© Flickr CC; Greyloch
Where: Perhentian Islands, Malaysia
These mini versions of their big scary great white cousins are completely harmless, but seeing one magnified underwater as it skulks around in circles will have the Jaws theme ringing around your head.
Lots of reefs have resident schools but, as its name suggests, Shark Point in the Perhentian Islands is a reliable spot, and, because it’s quite a long swim out from the beach, it builds up the fear and anticipation along the way. Check out this in-depth guide to the area.
6. Jellyfish
Where: Eil Malk Island, Palau, Micronesia
If Ross Edgley's painful encounters with jellyfish taught us anything during his Great British Swim, it's that when you see one in the water you do your best to avoid it.
You'll have no such worries at Ongeim'l Tketau Jellyfish Lake in Micronesia, though. The creatures in this diving spot have no sting at all. The lake has been closed for the last two years to help the population grow back, but there’s now more than half a million golden jellyfish in its waters and it’s back open again. As this mind-blowing video shows, it will feel as if you are actually swimming in jelly. Book your flights and organise a trip with Sam's Tours of Palau and you're golden.
7. Penguins
Penguins gathered on South Africa's Boulders Beach
© Flickr CC; Stan Aron
Where: Boulders Beach, South Africa
You can waddle into the waves with a penguin without it batting an eyelid, but once you’re in the water you’d better be quick because they’re like super fast bullets and it’s impossible to keep up with them.
Boulders Beach, just 40 minute’s drive from Cape Town, has a permanent colony and you're allowed to get in and swim with them. If you’re truly brave, you could also try out Antarctica...
8. Manatees
Manatees are known as sea cows due to their large size and idle nature
© Wiki Commons
Where: King’s Bay Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA
These ‘sea cows’ are gentle giants that spend all day munching on sea grass in shallow waters. That makes them quite easy to find and, as long as you act calmly, they’re more than happy to let you join them.
Manatees are endangered so human interaction is regulated, managed and monitored very carefully. Thankfully there are some great guided tours that ensure you can swim alongside the animal in a safe environment.
Florida's Crystal River is home to the world’s largest population, with peak season in winter months and a small population in the warm months. This three-hour snorkelling tour from River Ventureswill take you deep into the manatees' habitat for a swim like you've never experienced.
9. Manta Rays
Manta rays have top speeds of up to 25km per hour
© Flickr CC; Henrick Winther Andersen
Where: Isla de la Plata, Ecuador; Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, USA
These majestic rays can span up to 7m and swimming with them is a very ‘up close and personal’ experience, because they’re very inquisitive and will happily swim to within an inch of your face to check you out.
Ecuador's Isla de la Plata sees more than 2,000 manta rays visit between June and October, but the most unique experience can be found in Hawaii’s Makako Bay, where boats go out at night and shine on the plankton, drawing in giant crowds. Book a trip with Big Island Divers.
10. Great white sharks
Where: Mossel Bay, South Africa; South Coast, Australia
With: Whitesharkafrica.com
Shark cage diving may require nerves of steel but it’s worth it – because it’s one of the most adrenaline-pumping underwater experiences you can have.
There are some great companies across Africa and Australia offering you the chance to be lowered into a cage and look eye-to-eye with a true apex predator. For our money though, South Africa's Garden Route is the best spot of all. A stunning area with an abundant sea life of diverse fish, seals, whales, penguins, other sea birds, dolphins, and the occasional orca, it's also home to a plentiful supply of great whites. Book with White Shark Africa for a terrifying diving cage experience.
Fin.
