Remote destination, extraordinary site or encounter with rare species… many factors can make a dive unusual. Looking for new sensations and unique experiences around the world? Discover 10 dives like no other!
1 – Antarctica
If there’s one destination where you feel privileged – whether you’re a diver or a simple traveler – it’s Antarctica. And this continent must be earned: the journey is long, conditions can be difficult, but the hours spent on planes and boats are nothing compared to the spectacle awaiting you once there. Diving in the icy waters of Antarctica is not for everyone. To have this chance, you must have a minimum experience of 20 dives in cold waters and be perfectly skilled in using a dry suit. Once underwater, the spectacle is breathtaking: immersing near the glaciers, the light and shades of blue are intense and like nothing else. Amidst the kelps and seaweeds, divers are surrounded by sea spiders, anemones, ice fish, jellyfish, or crabs. With some luck, you might come face to face with a penguin! It’s possible to go snorkeling to observe humpback whales – from November to June – and leopard seals.
Practicaltime difference: – 4 hours all year /// water: – 1°C to – 2°C all year /// ideal season: from November to March /// equipment: dry suit /// diving level: good cold water experience /// getting there: flight Paris – Ushuaia round trip from €1,175 with two stopovers. Cruises depart from Ushuaia, starting at €8,000 for 15 days.
2 – The Mexican cenotes
It’s impossible to plan a trip to Mexico without visiting the Yucatán. The peninsula boasts over 10,000 cenotes, and divers from around the world rush to explore these vast basins hidden in the heart of the jungle. Underwater, an exceptional spectacle awaits: water so clear it feels like flying through the air, magical light wells, stalactites, and stalagmites. You may witness an astonishing phenomenon, the halocline: when freshwater and saltwater meet and blur your vision momentarily. The cenotes experience is open to snorkeling as the water is so clear and visibility is excellent, even from the surface; to beginners provided they are accompanied by a guide; and for cave diving enthusiasts who want to push the experience further, there is the possibility to explore the many cavities at the bottom of certain cenotes.
Practicaltime difference: – 7 hours all year (- 6 hours in March) /// water: 24°C all year /// ideal season: all year, but the light is better from May to September /// equipment: 5 mm wetsuit /// diving level: all levels provided you master your buoyancy /// getting there: flight Paris – Merida round trip from €588 with two stopovers.
3 – The underwater museum of Jason de Caires Taylor in Lanzarote
Internationally renowned artist Jason de Caires Taylor established the Museo Atlantico in 2016 south of Lanzarote, at Playa Blanca. Made from PH-neutral concrete and materials that do not damage the seabed, the sculptures are designed as artificial reefs, a refuge for flora and fauna in a territory declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1993. It includes 250 sculptures (whose models were island residents) between 12 and 14 meters deep, representing several scenes: characters walking towards a wall, businessmen swinging, or a vast circle formed by 200 life-sized human figures.
Other submerged sculptures by the artist exist, notably in Mexico, Indonesia, the Bahamas, and Grenada.
Practicaltime difference: – 1 hour all year /// water: 18°C on average in winter, 24°C on average in summer /// ideal season: all year /// equipment: 3 to 5 mm wetsuit /// diving level: all levels. The museum is also accessible for introductory dives /// getting there: direct flights from Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon, Paris, and Strasbourg from €33.
4 – Snorkeling in Norway with orcas
Norway is the only place in the world where you can get in the water with orcas. Each year, from mid-October to mid-February, the largest gathering of orcas takes place in the northwest of the country, in the Lofoten Islands, due to the presence of immense herring schools. They can only be approached while snorkeling and using a very specific technique: approach an orca only if it is hunting or moving from point A to point B, either stay still or swim parallel to it. Dozens of orcas may be observed at the same site.
Practicaltime difference: none /// water: 2°C on average during the orca season /// ideal season: October to February /// equipment: 9 to 10 mm wetsuit /// diving level: none required, snorkeling only /// getting there: flight from France (Toulouse, Marseille, Paris…) to Tromsø from €110 with one stopover.
5 – The Silfra fissure in Iceland
An immense rift between two tectonic plates, European and American, Silfra offers a breathtaking mineral landscape with incredible visibility of over 100 meters. Snorkeling offers a bird’s-eye view of this 100-meter-long and 63-meter-deep fissure. In diving, pass between these two immense walls. Part of the site is so narrow a diver can touch both continents with outstretched arms. The fissure ends in a shallow natural pool. The water is of exceptional purity.
Practicaltime difference: – 1 hour in winter, – 2 hours in summer /// water: 2°C to 4°C all year /// ideal season: all year /// equipment: dry suit /// diving level: dry suit certification or proof of 10 dry suit dives /// getting there: flights from several cities in France to Reykjavík with one stopover, from €107.
6 – The DeepSee at Coco
Off the coast of Cocos Island, Costa Rica, you have the opportunity to board an unusual submersible: the DeepSee. Featuring a bubble-shaped window, this unique submersible offers a 360° view and can descend to 300 meters deep, in total darkness. It is accessible from theArgo, a cruise ship operated by Undersea Hunter. Two immersions are offered, the first between 80 and 100 meters and the other at 300 meters deep. From the dome, enjoy a panoramic view of the seabed, and you may have the chance to observe mobula rays, deep-sea sharks, schools of hammerhead sharks…
Practicaltime difference: – 7 hours in winter, – 8 hours in summer /// descent budget: between €1,350 and €1,750 /// getting there: flights from several cities in France to San José with one or two stopovers, from €433. 36-hour boat ride on average to reach Cocos. More information about the DeepSee
7 – Yonaguni in Japan
Not far from Taiwan, the Japanese archipelago of Okinawa houses a truly intriguing diving site off the small island of Yonaguni. These are mysterious ruins discovered in 1986 by Kihashiro Aratake, a friend of Jacques Mayol. No one knows if this site is an « Atlantis, » a lost city over 10,000 years old or simply an unusual geological formation. The mystery remains, but swimming above the giant steps of this impressive structure, 75 meters long and 25 meters high, is a unique experience.
Practicaltime difference: + 8 hours in winter, + 7 hours in summer /// water: 28°C on average in summer, 21°C on average in winter /// ideal season: between January and March to also have the chance to see schools of hammerhead sharks on site /// equipment: 3 to 5 mm wetsuit /// diving level: level 2 with a good experience (around a hundred dives) /// getting there: Paris – Naha round trip from €547 with one stopover.
8 – The sardine run in South Africa
Head to South Africa between February and July, where the waters of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet. During this period, immense schools of sardines migrate for spawning, attracting frenzied predators: dolphins herd the sardines into a bait-ball, hungry sharks take advantage to feed. Humpback whales might also make an appearance. On the surface, birds join this great aquatic ballet, Cape gannets plunging headlong into the water to partake in the feast, indicating to boats the presence of sardines bait-ball from above..
Practicaltime difference: + 1 hour in winter, none in summer /// water: between 15°C and 21°C /// ideal season: between February and July /// equipment: 5 mm wetsuit /// diving level: PADI Advanced or N2 and a minimum of 100 sea dives or non-diver with snorkeling gear. Mirror and dive balloon required. /// getting there: To Port Elizabeth round trip from €520 with two stopovers.
9 – The Gardens of the Queen in Cuba
Located 100 km south of Cuba, this archipelago is a paradise where pelagic fauna reigns supreme. Strictly protected, this natural reserve is completely preserved. The flora is exuberant, and sharks, groupers, and jacks are not shy. Six species of sharks are present in these waters: Caribbean reef sharks, silky sharks, nurse sharks, lemon sharks, blacktip sharks, and whale sharks in October and November. Beside the reserve, the mangroves of the Queen’s Gardens are also open for snorkeling, allowing you to observe up close… crocodiles! Note that only 3,000 divers are permitted here each year.
Practicaltime difference: – 6 hours all year /// water: 24°C on average in winter and 29°C on average in summer /// ideal season: from October to May /// equipment: 3 to 5 mm wetsuit /// diving level: PADI Advanced or N2 /// getting there: direct flight Paris-Havana round trip from €350.
10 – Crystal River in Florida
Crystal River is the only place in Florida where you can get in the water with manatees, declared a sanctuary for these mammals. In winter, when temperatures drop, manatees migrate to this warm, shallow river fed by some thirty springs. Water access is done by snorkeling and is strictly regulated, sometimes seeing hundreds of manatees at the site. Kayaking on Crystal River is possible. The clear water allows observing the mammals from the surface.
Practicaltime difference: – 6 hours all year /// water: 22°C on average all year /// ideal season: November to March /// equipment: 5 mm wetsuit /// diving level: none, snorkeling /// getting there: direct flight Paris-Orlando round trip from €278.