Do you like scuba diving?  Do you like sea creatures and sunken civilizations?  If so, read on, fellow traveler.  Here are 18 exciting underwater adventures.

This incredible underwater phenomenon can only be seen from the air.  From a bird’s eye view, this underwater waterfall appears to be a dangerous dark hole that will draw anyone who comes to close down into its ebony bowels.

In truth, this spot off the rugged coast of Le Morne is naught but an optical illusion. It’s created by deposits of silt and sand on the floor of the ocean contrasting against the various darkening blues.  You and a loved one can hop on a helicopter to check it out for $1054,00.

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The Fakarava Wall of Sharks, French Polynesia

This diving experience is not for the fainthearted.  Head for Fakarava Atoll in July.  It is there, during a full moon, that thousands of groupers gather in a specific narrow channel that runs through the reef.  Lying in wait for them are almost 700 hungry grey reef sharks.

It is then that you will witness a raw, startling example of nature as the powerful predators literally gorge on a veritable banquet of live fish.  Scuba trips to see this feeding frenzy from Fakarava Atoll start at $134.00 per dive.

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Underwater Sculpture Park, Granada

Off the coast and five meters underwater, you will see 75 concrete sculptures on the seabed of the Caribbean.  This unique, artistic artificial reef includes representations of a bicyclist, a man at a typewriter, and a circle of kids holding hands.  This first of its kind park was created by Brit sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor.  You can explore it via a snorkeling trip for $110.00.  Children are half price.

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The Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Maldives

This undersea eatery offers guests an opportunity to see their fish and eat it too.  The menu here at the  Conrad Maldives Rangali Island includes incredible reef lobster, spicy sea snails, and even Oscietra caviar.  This restaurant is nestled inside a huge glass dome in the midst of coral gardens five meters under the sea.  A six-course dinner will cost you approximately $475.00.  (Try not to make eye contact with the fish outside.)

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Cenote Dos Ojos, México

You will find over 6,000 limestone caves and sparkling subterranean pools in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.  Dos Ojos or Two Eyes, near Tulum, is arguably the best of the “pond-in-a-storybook” swimming holes.  Here you’ll put on a scuba tank and mask and follow a special rope line through clear underwater chambers and tunnels for $262,00.  You can also go snorkeling into a bat cave for $131.00 or just drift around and watch the fish.

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Reefsuites. Queensland

You’ll discover this underwater hotel experience in the heart of the famous Great Barrier Reef.  Here in one of two suites on an undersea pontoon at Hardy Reef in the popular Whitsundays, you’ll sleep with the fishes, but in a good way.  The featured floor-to-ceiling glass windows make a night in Reefsuites’ below-deck beds quite popular.

Slip into dreamland as giant grouper go by the foot of your bed, and take a shower next to numerous sea creatures.  They couldn’t care less if you’re naked.  The all-inclusive nightly cost is $799.00  per person.

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7.  Jellyfish Lake, Palau

Swimming with the stinger-free jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake on the popular in Palau is said by some to be “a quintessential travel experience.”  The lake was officially closed for a couple of years due to the plummeting jellyfish population but it is open again now.    You can go on a snorkeling excursion or take a day dive and “get jiggy with the jellyfish” there for $217.00.

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Silfra Fissure, Iceland

How’d you like to dive between continental plates?  Here at this fissure in popular Thingvellir National Park, you can put one hand on Eurasia and one hand on North America.  The fissure itself is due to the movement of the tectonic plates and is full of glacial meltwaters filtered through the lava rock. The visibility is reportedly 100 meters and the fissure has luminous alga and limestone walls.  Snorkeling tours start at $163.00.  Diving tours cost $284.00.

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Bioluminescence, Cayman Islands

The appropriately named Bioluminescent Bay in the Caribbean off famous Grand Cayman Island.  The nightly blue-glow is like nature’s disco light show.  It’s the product of a specific chemical reaction in the marine plankton and takes place when the water there is agitated.  Rent a kayak at Rum Point and get ready to watch your oars light your way.  Two-hour tours will cost you $86,00.

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Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia

Chuuk Lagoon a.k.a. Truk Lagoon, is reputed to be “the holy grail of scuba diving.”  It’s the world’s largest ship graveyard with a horrible history.  During World War II, the Japanese naval base located here was bombed by the US military.  50 ships and 250 aircraft were sunk.  Now they’re covered with hard and soft corals making a dive here an eerie experience.  A dive will cost you $115.00.

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Submarining, USA

Play Captain Nemo and go submarining off the shining coast of Oahu, Maui, or the Big Island.  You will voltage beneath the sea to 20 meters to see airliners, sunken shipwrecks, and coral reefs full of sharks, stingrays. And turtles.  If you don’t like scuba diving this is the perfect alternative providing you don’t have claustrophobia.  Rides start at $160.00 but children are half price.

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See the Manta Rays, Indonesia

You’ll find manta rays in the waters where the Indian ocean meets the South-West Pacific Ocean.  Here in the  Manta Point Komodo in Komodo National Park, manta rays are drawn to enjoy the plankton-rich waters.  SLip into the water at this protected marine sanctuary and watch the rays dance and feed.  Climb aboard a five-night cruise to Komodo between May and October on a phinisi schooner for $2760.00 per passenger.

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Kilsby’s Sinkhole, Australia

This sinkhole is located on a sleepy sheep farm in South Australia 14 kilometers away from Mount Gambier,  It sounds like an odd place for snorkeling and yet this is where you’ll find this 69 meter-deep limestone sinkhole.   The SA police divers actually train here and it has only recently been opened to non-cave divers.  You can go snorkeling here for $69.00, recreational diving for $80.00, or take the “landlubber’s tour” for only $12.50.  Sample the local Sinkhole gin too.

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Polar Snorkeling, Antarctica

Taking a polar snorkeling excursion gives you the chance to actually see exactly what really is beneath the famous “tip of the iceberg.”  Under the water here you will be able to see crustaceans, nudibranchs, and even starfish.  You’ll also spot penguins zoom through the cold water and launch themselves onto the ice with their spring-loaded feet. Snorkeling here starts at $930.00 dry suit included.

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Humpback Swimming, Tonga

When the humpback whales head out on their migration from Antarctica to warmer climates, they take a break in Tonga.  From July to September, this little Polynesian archipelago is their top locale for mating and calving.  It’s also one of the world’s best places to go swimming with these sea dwellers.

Take an eight-day tour for the opportunity to see eye to eye with a humpback.  A tour will cost you $4935.00.  The price includes a domestic plane ticket, flights, meals, and a beachside bungalow.

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Yonaguni Pyramids, Japan

Here off the coast of Yonaguni, you can see these well-known pyramid-shaped stone slabs that suggest an ancient civilisation.  They were accidentally discovered by scuba divers searching for hammerhead sharks.  Since then, they have truly intrigued scientists.

Some researchers believe they formed naturally,  Other scientists think they are the remnants of an ancient 5000-year-old lost civilization.  Some locals think they were left by aliens.  Book a glass-bottom boat tour or a dive and see what you think.  Snorkel there for $66.00.  Boat tours are $80.00 and dives are $106,00.

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Green Lake, Austria

Visit the village of Tragöess in spring.  The snow on the stunning surrounding Hochschwab mountains melts and the water floods the little alpine lake there creating a unique underwater park.  The emerald water engulfs the beach, the footbridge, the hiking trails, and even the trees.  The Green Lake or Grüner Sea rises up to 12 meters across the entire valley then evaporates in summer.  Sadly, swimming is not presently permitted here but it’s still a noteworthy attraction.

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Under Norway, Norway

Some say under the water is a strange place for a restaurant but this eatery found five meters below the shining North Sea is anything but “all wet” even if it is impacted by the Atlantic Ocean.  In this 34-meter semi-submerged box at lovely Lindesnes you will dine in an aquatic world and partake of dishes made from local produce for roughly $360.00).  Naturally, there are no tropical fish but there is a lot of marine life here.

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The phrase “underwater city” might make you think about Atlantis from the movie “Aquaman.” Plato even alluded to the fictional island many years ago. Ah, but there are actually places in the real world where you will find more than an octopus’s garden. Rest assured there are real-life underwater cities as well. Here we present but seven stunning travel destinations if you would like to explore undersea cities and villages.

1. Shi Cheng, China

Shi Cheng is an ancient city now under Lake Qiandao. This ancient metropolis, founded roughly 1300 years ago, currently lies between 26 and 40 meters (85+ and 131+ feet) beneath the water.

The valley where the city was located was intentionally flooded back in 1959. The government did so in order to build a hydroelectric power plant and an artificial lake. The power station no longer produces energy but is a top tourist stop. The peaks of the submerged mountains look like groups of islets thus this place is nicknamed the Lake of the Thousand Islands.

The water temperature averages between 50 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit and thus the underwater city remains in remarkable condition. You can see its gateway and buildings carved with various mythological creatures. The weather is always acceptable but the very best time to visit this Qing dynasty city is in the fall when it is sunny, dry, and colorful.

2. Kalyazin, Russia

If you’re rushin’ to Russia here is another special spot to add to your potential itinerary. Oh, what’s even better is you do not necessarily need to be a scuba diver to explore the Kalyazin ruins either. The city’s cathedral belfry towers high over the water.

Once significant as an important commercial center, it began to lose its importance following a revolution in 1917. Decades passed and it became all but insignificant. Thus in 1940 the powers that be decided to relocate the locals to higher ground and sink most of the city in order to construct the Úglich reservoir.

3. Sant Romà de Sau, Spain

San Romà de Sau is a little village in Catalonia’s Osona region. It is totally submerged by the water of the Sau dam. This place once had a bridge, homes, and even a nice Romanesque church.

The best time to visit is when the reservoir is not filled to capacity. It is then that you can see the church’s bell tower emerging from out of the water. Mind you, if you get there during a drought you can visit the ruins of the entire village because there is no water there at all.

4. Mediano, Spain

The underwater village of Mediano can be found in Huesca, Spain. In 1969 the village was intentionally flooded in order to build a reservoir. The news media did not report it when it happened but the reservoir was opened with warning the locals.

When the area began to flood, the residents had to flee their homes taking little more than only what they could carry. All but one building disappeared as the water level rose. The bell tower of Mediano’s church–which dates back to the 1600s– remained above the maximum water level. If you visit today you will be able to see a few of the buildings rising slightly above the water’s surface.

5. Port Royal, Jamaica

Port Royal is one of the country’s oldest areas. Thus, it is considered by its citizens to be a significant part of its overall heritage. Unfortunately, for history buffs, part of it is actually under the water.

Port Royal was the official seat of the British government in Jamaica during the 1600s. It was once a popular place for outlaws and pirates and acquired titles such as the “Sodom of the New World” and the “wickedest city on earth.” In 1692 the city was submerged by a tsunami.

The underwater city is not in the best condition that it could be due to the fact that it simply has not been maintained all that well. Nevertheless, according to the official Visit Jamaica website the water around Port Royal is reported to be “an archaeological gold mine, full of pieces of history that tell stories of the early days of the English occupation.”

6.  The Lost Villages of Ontario, Canada

A total of 10 different towns make up the famous “Lost Villages” of Ontario, Canada. They were all once municipalities of Osnabruck and Cornwall in Ontario. In 1958 the construction of a new waterway both of those areas was submerged.

Visitors can see buildings and sidewalks from some places above the water’s surface. Canada dedicated a museum to these submerged towns to keep their history alive. One of the museum’s more memorable exhibits includes a few of the structures that were relocated from the towns that were submerged. Great care has been taken to restore them to their pre-flood condition.

7. Pavlopetri, Greece

Pavlopetri is perhaps the oldest underwater city in the world. It is ensconced off the southern coast of Lakonia. The city was flooded approximately 5,000 years ago. It was not discovered until some time in 1967. Ever since then it has been a highly valuable archaeological site.

According to sources at the BBC, Jon Henderson of the United Kingdom’s University of Nottingham commented on this place following some more recent discoveries back in 2009. He told reporters:

“It is a unique discovery in the sense that we have found on the seabed an almost complete city, with streets, buildings, gardens, tombs and what looks like a religious complex.” The sunken city of Pavlopetri is one of the sites travelers can visit along the different “water ruins” routes offered in the general Peloponnese area.

So there you have it, dear travelers. Not all underwater cities are fictional. Not all underwater cities require visitors to be a scuba diver (although it does generally help). Do you know of any underwater city that is open to all visitors that we may have missed? If so, let us know in the comments section!

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