{"id":1211,"date":"2013-04-08T08:51:30","date_gmt":"2013-04-08T15:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jeffwallach.com\/?p=1211"},"modified":"2013-04-20T10:40:25","modified_gmt":"2013-04-20T17:40:25","slug":"swimming-with-the-fishes-10-underwater-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/travel\/1211\/swimming-with-the-fishes-10-underwater-adventures","title":{"rendered":"Swimming with the Fishes: 10 Underwater Adventures"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A Guide to Schmoozing Sharks, Meeting Manta Rays,\u00a0and Traveling with a Porpoise<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 In fact, outfitters may promise to put you in the water with just about everything but the Loch Ness Monster.\u00a0 And you don\u2019t even have to have a C-card (scuba certification)\u2014just a few C-notes: Many outfitters offer trips for snorkelers and swimmers.<\/p>\n

David Fishman, formerly editor-in-chief and publisher of Fathoms: The Magazine of the Underwater World<\/em> explains how chance encounters have led to a new type of tourism.\u00a0 \u201cIt begins with people who have a passion for the oceans and get excited seeing underwater habitats,\u201d Fishman says.\u00a0 \u201cThey start by cruising a coral reef and seeing a whole other world teeming with life.\u00a0 From there, they seek out trophy experiences that take their interest to the next level.\u00a0 Instead of a chance encounter with a dolphin or a turtle sweeping past, they ask: How can I get in the water with a whale shark?<\/p>\n

\u201cA whole industry has grown up around offering as much of a guarantee as is possible to encounter underwater animals in a wild environment.\u00a0 Dive and tour operators provide expert guides who know when, where, how, and at what depth you\u2019re likely to see various animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bill Acker, owner and CEO of Yap Divers<\/a> in Micronesia, adds,\u00a0 \u201cIt has never been easier for guests to enjoy safe, responsible animal encounters.\u00a0 There are excellent resorts and operations all over the world and with airlines improving and expanding, even remote areas are relatively easy to get to.\u201d<\/p>\n

But just because a dive shop or tour operator has a slick web page and makes a few promises doesn\u2019t mean that the company will act responsibly to protect both you and the animals it makes its living off of.\u00a0 Ron Steven, a dive instructor and environmental artist (www.rogest.com<\/a>) suggests that consumers ask a lot of questions of outfitters. \u201cMost operators offering an interactive experience with any critter in the wild must have accreditation, be permitted, and have a trained crew and an appropriate craft,\u201d he says.\u00a0 \u201cThey should have an operating manual that thoroughly explains what you\u2019re getting into and an outline of what\u2019s going to happen, how they\u2019re going to deal with an emergency or accident or if an encounter gets too close.\u00a0 Ask an outfitter if it has the right permissions, staff training tools, and procedures for interacting with wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bill Acker adds that \u201cWord of mouth is huge, so if potential visitors know someone who has had a positive experience, that\u2019s one way to tell who is really operating responsibly versus just talking responsibly.\u00a0 Having been in business in one location for a long time is another fairly good indicator.\u201d\u00a0 Consumers can also consult dive websites, and seek out operators who\u2019ve received awards from consumer publications and environmental groups.\u00a0 And oh, yes\u2014watch out for a guy named Gilligan peddling a three-hour tour.<\/p>\n

Finally, you may be wondering just how dangerous these outings really are\u2014to humans and to the animals.\u00a0 Although some of the animals do pose a potential threat, adventure tourism is still tourism\u2014 which is to say that in most cases, many people have already safely enjoyed the trip you\u2019re on.\u00a0 Talking about a particular lemon shark dive he participated in, Ron Steven says, \u201cAny shark in the water is potentially dangerous, but they\u2019re not that interested in humans.\u00a0 We don\u2019t look like anything they should be eating.\u00a0 They won\u2019t come up and savage your leg off.\u00a0 We do more damage to sharks than they\u2019ve ever done to us.\u201d\u00a0 And from their perspective, if animals really don\u2019t want to spend time in our company, they can swim away\u2014and they\u2019re much better swimmers.<\/p>\n

In addition to the thrill of swimming with the fishes, such experiences are important for another reason.\u00a0 Bill Acker reflects,\u00a0 \u201cThese encounters are magical when done right and people who have experienced these magical moments with under-water animals come away dedicated to preserving the experience for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following are ten examples of sea creatures great and small (and just plain strange) that you might want to meet.<\/p>\n

Green Adventure<\/span><\/p>\n

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 prehistoric eyes and graceful flippers. \u00a0What’s attractive about this adventure is that since the turtles have no natural underwater predators they’re not afraid of humans. \u00a0You can watch them eating jellyfish or sponges or nibbling algae off stones, oblivious to you.<\/p>\n

Next Best Thing to Law School<\/span><\/p>\n

Off 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.\u00a0 Divers wearing dry suits are suspended from the dive boat in metal cages while fish guts are placed in the water like a shark smorgasbord.\u00a0 \u2018It\u2019s right out of a sci-fi movie as these luminous shadows come closer and closer with speed and grace,\u201d says Ron Steven.\u00a0 \u201cAs the powerful, fierce-looking creatures nose and rock your cage you realize how vulnerable and out of your realm you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Corralling Coral<\/span><\/p>\n

Each fall off the coast of Bonaire, nearly a dozen species of coral spawn at an exact time that\u2019s synchronized with the phases of the moon.\u00a0 Divers can get in shallow water and enjoy a pristine night dive while waiting for the appointed moment.\u00a0 David Fishman describes it thus: \u201cYou can see the translucent orange eggs in the coral polyps\u2019 mouths waiting to be released.\u00a0 Massive brittle stars and other predators come out and move to the top of the coral heads.\u00a0 There\u2019s an eeriness and sense of anticipation that all the animals are waiting for something special.\u00a0 When the packets of sperm and eggs start to pop and float to the surface its like an incredible upside down snowstorm of sexual energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mixin\u2019 With Mantas<\/span><\/p>\n

Bill \u201cManta Man\u201d Acker, owner of Manta Ray Hotel and Yap Divers<\/a>, explains the exhilaration of diving with manta rays in Micronesia.\u00a0 \u201cThere 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.\u00a0 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pass the Peanut Butter Fish<\/span><\/p>\n

Jellyfish Lake, in Palau, is one of very few places worldwide where snorkelers can mix it up with five million golden jellyfish.\u00a0 Eons ago, a geologic upheaval trapped ocean jellyfish in lakes still influenced by the intrusion of seawater through limestone fissures.\u00a0 The resourceful jellyfish evolved to survive in the lake environment, and in the process lost its powerful stinging capability.\u00a0 Diving is not allowed in the lake because the water is toxic below a certain depth.<\/p>\n

Spotting Leopard Seals<\/span><\/p>\n

For most folks, seals are those cute creatures that swim inquisitively up to them at the aquarium.\u00a0 But leopard seals are 9-10 feet long, weigh 800 pounds and sport large, sharp teeth.\u00a0 Intrepid divers can watch them chase and feed on king and emperor penguins.\u00a0 \u201cDiving 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,\u201d reports David Fishman.\u00a0 \u201cIts like going to the bush in Kenya and watching a lion take down a gazelle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hangin\u2019 with Humpbacks<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the single best adventure I ever had,\u201d says Ron Steven, of being in the cold water off Vancouver Island with humpback whales.\u00a0 \u201cFirst we could hear but not see the humpbacks and orcas.\u00a0 Then we got in the water to snorkel when they were cruising around our boat.\u00a0 They\u2019re very inquisitive.\u00a0 It\u2019s a goose-bumpy experience; their sheer size and grace and comfort are mind-boggling.\u00a0 And the acoustics were like a cross between Enya and Space Invaders.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Congregation of Cuttlefish<\/span><\/p>\n

Divers off the southern coast of Australia can watch hundreds of thousands of cuttlefish dating and mating. \u00a0David Fishman describes \u201cthe 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.\u201d\u00a0 Photographers and environmentalists have undertaken a grass roots 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.<\/p>\n

Nailing Hammerheads<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Northern Triangle between the Galapagos Islands, Cocos Islands, and Malpeo in the eastern Pacific, dozens\u2014 even hundreds\u2014 of hammerhead sharks school during the day, sleeping and socializing with their own kind before feeding at night.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Or they may be<\/span> the evening meal.<\/p>\n

Sting Ray City Slickers<\/span><\/p>\n

Years ago, fisherman off Grand Cayman, in the Caribbean, noticed that when they cleaned their fish, platoons of giant, graceful sting rays would swoop in to snack on what they threw overboard.\u00a0 Today, snorkelers and divers can both swim with these creatures on the site.\u00a0 As Ron Steven describes it, \u201cImagine taking your nephew or Mom for a nice day sailing, arriving on a sandbar, and popping into the water with a snorkel.\u00a0\u00a0 Slowly, six-foot rays come in and scoot between your legs and bump and nuzzle you in the water.\u00a0 You can take great photos and get to see wild marine life up close and personal in a situation that\u2019s not stressful to the ray or the guest.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Guide to Schmoozing Sharks, Meeting Manta Rays,\u00a0and Traveling with a Porpoise If bonding with underwater species is your idea… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[13,4,19164],"tags":[5462,5463,5464,5465,5466,944165,5467,5468,1212,5469,5459,5470,5460,5471,5461,5472],"class_list":["post-1211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure-travel","category-travel","category-offcourse","tag-ron-steven","tag-bill-acker","tag-galapagos","tag-diving-with-turtles","tag-diving-with-sharks","tag-adventure-travel","tag-manta-ray-hotel","tag-jellyfish-lake","tag-diving","tag-diving-with-humpbacks","tag-diving-with-animals","tag-diving-with-leopard-seals","tag-yap-divers","tag-diving-with-hammerheads","tag-micronesia","tag-sting-ray-city"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2010\/04\/leaping-gw.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1211"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4406,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1211\/revisions\/4406"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jeffwallach\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}