50 Ways to Play Underwater

1. Light the Night

The flashy displays at night happen for a reason you might expect: sex. In the Caribbean, off islands such as Roatan in Honduras and Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos, there’s one trippy phenomenon nicknamed String of Pearls. It’s the mating dance of ostracods, aka tiny crustaceans. With a knowledgable dive guide, they’re best observed at new moon, when it is the darkest. As for what you’ll see, expect tiny, perfectly vertical chains of light. “They blink on and off and change direction,” says Duke University biology professor Sonke Johnsen. “That’s how they ID each other.”

cocoviewresort.com

2. Share a Kiss

Sure, removing your regulator for a peck is straightforward. Simple. But try it freediving and it becomes perhaps the most pleasurable way to practice breath holds. “Underwater, you have to navigate up-down, left-right, front-behind to find your lover, which is not easy for a beginner, and then add the time dimension — it takes years of training!” says freediving instructor Alex Barnab Voyer. “But it’s the best training you can find!”

3. Face-off: Play Hockey

“It’s closer to soccer than ice hockey, and we don’t have a goalie,” says Carolyn Erdman, marketing director for USA Underwater Hockey. Play is split into two halves, each 10 or 15 minutes depending on whether it’s a regular game or competition. Teams of six don snorkel gear and rely on a foot-long stick to push a puck across a pool floor. The pool depth, says Erdman, “is whatever we can get, but 7 to 10 feet is ideal.” You might expect players to be water-polo pros or competitive swimmers. Instead, says Erdman, “It’s for people who want to try something different — often it’s folks who weren’t good at, say, basketball or aren’t strong runners.” Want to increase the challenge? Take down the temp and try underwater ice hockey, as shown above in Austria’s Lake Weissensee. Freedivers play upside-down and use the underside of the frozen surface as the playing area.

usauwh.org

4. Burn Calories

One thing is for sure: There’s little risk of back injury with crosswater, aka underwater CrossFit. Currently, there are no gyms or dive centers giving lessons. It’s a sport born as many are: from YouTube videos. It’s BYO kettle- and barbells. Find a sandy patch, and remove your fins. Practicing underwater — at such a slowed pace — allows more time to perfect form in a way that isn’t as easy on dry land. This hobby certainly falls in the do-at-your-own-risk category, but it does come with certain side benefits. Aside from granting big guns, it might leave you with a better air-consumption rate too.

crossfitlanzarote.com

5. Dive a Continental Divide

Beyond getting bragging rights that you dived the Big Crack, it’s the visibility of diving Iceland’s Silfra Fissure that will wow. How does 330 feet of clarity sound? That’s what Hössi Elefsen, general manager of Dive.is, estimates it at — after all, the water has filtered through porous underground lava rock for at least 30 years. The other detail netting major props is that you’re kicking in between two continental plates: those of Eurasia and North America.

dive.is

6. Help with a Coral Restoration Project

“It’s instant reward,” says Augusto Montbrun, dive operations manager at Buddy Dive Resort on Bonaire, of the 1½-day Coral Restoration Diver specialty course. Students first learn about past efforts to restore elkhorn and staghorn corals off the main island and Klein Bonaire. Then they’re given tasks, from replanting to cleaning coral trees with a brush. Montbrun says the best part is when guests return. “Last year’s students are seeing that what they planted is already now a small coral thicket.”

buddydive.com

7. Mug with a Swimming Pig

Sadly, several of the famous swimming pigs of the Bahamas' Big Major Cay died in February 2017; autopsies revealed it was due to sand ingestion and not alcohol as initially believed. The healthy pigs that remain are still available to visits from tourists, but we do ask that you interact with them responsibly (feed them pitted fruits and vegetables only, and feed them in the water and not on the beach). As soon as they hear an engine, they make for the water. They’re great to photograph, but be cautious handling food. The larger pigs will chase you if you're holding food.

stanielcay.com; aquacatcruises.com

8. Hunt for Treasure

Yes, you keep what you find when diving the wrecks of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita, two Spanish ships downed in 1622 roughly 30 miles southwest of Key West, Florida. Sign up for a week of diving, or invest in the company, and Mel Fisher’s Treasures will take you to the site for multiple chances of finding your very own underwater treasure.

melfisher.com

9. Snorkel with Humpbacks

Divers accustomed to liveaboards might be thrown for a loop on safaris to the Silver Bank, a mating and breeding ground for humpback whales off the coast of the Dominican Republic.

For starters, the schedule is loose.

The 10-week season that they’re expected in the area extends from the last week of January to the first week of April, but beyond that, there are no guarantees.

Says Larry Speaker, vice president of operations for the Aggressor fleet, whose vessel Turks and Caicos Aggressor II travels to this area, “The whales may be there, or they may not.”

The second consideration is weather. On typical liveaboards, should inclement weather blow in, vessels search for leeward spots and find protection from the elements. Here, the boat is in a shallow area, roughly 50 feet deep, stretching 649 square miles. There is no hiding from the waves.

Those who can power through the conditions are usually honored with the chance to experience groups of five or six males competing for the privilege of mating with a female.

“Think of it like a nightclub,” says Speaker. “The women are dressed up, saying to the males, ‘Show me what you’ve got.’”

Normally, the action is seen from tenders keeping a fast clip alongside the whales. You can expect slapping and breaching but no in-water action; it’s too rough for swimmers.

Pregnant females also return to birth and raise offspring here. One memorable encounter was with a mother teaching her calf to breach. For 90 minutes, the calf tried but could only flop over, prompting guests to nickname him Thumper. But every encounter is unique, says Speaker. “Whatever happens in the water is a very natural interaction controlled by the animal.”

aggressor.com

10. Try Freediving

This past November, PADI introduced its first freediving course, designed to instruct students to descend a guide line to depths between 30 and 130 feet. For most certified divers, the course becomes an opportunity to get closer to animals, unhindered by the noise of regulators and exhales. Says freediving instructor Liz Parkinson, “You want to try and not outdo what your ability is, but you’re constantly training to stay a bit longer at deeper depths.”

stuartcove.com

11. Mingle with Manatees

“Manatees all have personalities, and their moods are different day to day,” says Jeff Sandmann, captain and dive instructor at Bird’s Underwater Dive Center, which runs manatee ecotours in Crystal River, Florida. The area has a resident population of 30 to 40 animals, and in summer, it’s hit-or-miss for finding small groups on snorkel-only tours. But from November to March, when temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico dip into the 70s, many more of the marine mammals crowd into the springs, seeking warmth. During this time, the manatee population is so big and consistent that research groups and professional underwater photographers from all over the world come to spend time with these endearing animals.

birdsunderwater.com

12. Jam Out at the Underwater Music Festival

Jacques-Yves Cousteau might have called it a silent-world sacrilege. Every July, the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival sends out rock, reggae, steel-pan and other upbeat tunes underwater to compete with the local reef’s house band of trumpetfish and spotted drums. Five local dive centers shuttle divers to the venue — and anyone with a boat is also welcome. Plus, there’s a best-dressed costume contest. Says Kathy Boyce, of the Lower Keys Chamber and Visitors Center, “It’s a day that really brings the reefs to life.”

fla-keys.com

13. Compete in a Lionfish Derby

Cite sport, research, prize money or sushi as your reason to suit up for a lionfish derby, held throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and the U.S. In Key Largo, Florida, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation organizes several one-day derbies in which this invasive predator is netted or speared. The 2015 event in the upper Keys removed 488 of the pests; the winning team took home $1,000. Samples of lionfish cuisine, such as ceviche, are served, plus you’ll get demos on how to fillet your catch.

reef.org

14. Ride a Scooter

“People are surprised that you can ride scooters hands-free,” says Joanna Mikutowicz, managing partner at Divetech on Grand Cayman. The shop keeps a fleet of 12 saddle-style scooters, or dive propulsion vehicles, for rentals. They’re also used for a special dive called the West Bay Express — a guided one-way nonstop cruise along the wall, ending with a boat pickup. Upon returning, says Mikutowicz, “A lot of guests say they feel like James Bond or a superhero.” Other popular spots for riding a scooter to explore the reef include Hawaii, the Bahamas and Indonesia.

divetech.com

15. Carve a Pumpkin

Prepping is the key to carving a submerged gourd. “Gut it beforehand; otherwise, you’re in a cloud of pumpkin guts and seeds — and turtles and fish go nuts eating all of it,” says Ryan Foyt, aquarist and dive safety officer at Sea Life in Minnesota’s Mall of America. His other tip? Outline your design before you drop in to prevent a creativity freeze at depth.

visitsealife.com

16. Serve as a Safety Diver for an Ironman Race

Only divemasters and those with military or police dive training can join Bob Janowski’s team of safety divers for the Lake Placid, New York, Ironman triathlon race. If you meet the first criterion, he’ll invite you to hop in the lake to bring a 150-pound weight to the surface, then perform a tired-diver tow to the dock. Pass, and you’ll be part of his crew of eight to 14 who lie on the bottom, watching the madness begin (scheduled for July 24, 2016). More than 2,000 athletes participate in the annual event. “It starts raining goggles and timing devices,” says Janowski. But it’s a beauty he finds compelling. “It’s just amazing — and surprisingly very relaxing to watch.”

ironman.com

17. Appreciate Art at the Cancun Underwater Museum

Viewing is best after sunset, according to Jason deCaires Taylor, one of the creators of the more than 500 sculptures at the Cancun Underwater Museum. “When you go at night, you see all the colors on the faces, the sea urchins come out to feed on the sculptures, turtles sleep in between the sculptures and feather stars land on the heads to get good purchase,” says deCaires Taylor. “Plus, it’s quite eerie.” Shown above is a more-recent work: Cuban sculptor Elier Amado Gil’s El Entendimiento (Understanding), composed of six figures around a stone that symbolizes Cancun.

musacancun.org

18. Dive in a Cage, Meet a Great White

“People either think cage diving is scary or they’re all over it,” says Jose Luis Sanchez, director of operations for Solmar V, a liveaboard that operates part of the year in Guadalupe, Mexico — a hot spot for great white sharks found 165 miles west of Ensenada. “For those who do want to do it, it doesn’t get more bucket list than this,” says Sanchez, who likens the outings to witnessing lions while on an African safari. “But you can’t get 2 feet from the lions,” he says. And you can with the sharks thanks to his team of seasoned shark wranglers who place the bait to make exactly this happen. For some divers, it’s a one-and-done experience, but for 30 percent of guests, it’s just their first taste of this one-of-a-kind adrenaline high.

solmarv.com

19. Swim Like a Mermaid

The Aquamermaid school, with pools in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, Canada, offers an hourlong trial for swimmers ages 7 and older who want to don a costume tail and monofin to learn synchronized swimming. Channel your inner Daryl Hannah for the school’s adult fitness classes. The sessions pack cardio and strength skills into a low-impact underwater workout that promises you’ll gain rock-hard abs while making a, um, splash.

aquamermaid.com

20. Nail the Shot at Stingray City

For underwater photographer and Grand Cayman resident Ellen Cuylaerts, there isn’t a bad time to visit Stingray City. But her favorite time is sunset. “The rays are calm, lying motionless until they sense movement under the sand and start feeding,” she says.

sunsethouse.com

21. Race a Bike

Every Fourth of July, Discovery Diving in Beaufort, North Carolina, organizes an actual bike race in the sand near the wreck of the USS Indra. Sometimes bikes are provided, and sometimes riders have to find their own junkyardsalvaged ride. Buoyancy is key, and you must remove fins. Competitors can swim, pedal, push or drag their bikes. As for the charter, onlookers are absolutely encouraged. Says instructor Andrew Young, “It’s so funny to watch. The boat is always full that day.”

discoverydiving.com

22. Pay Homage to Nymphs

Off Naples, Italy, the Underwater Archaeological Park of Baiae is a collection of submerged ancient ruins, including thermal baths and marble statues from a monument built by Emperor Claudius in the first century AD to honor the nymphs.

parcoarcheologicosommersodibaia.it

23. Join a Scavenger Hunt

You’re missing out if you’ve never signed up for a scavenger hunt. The team behind PADI Diving Society’s annual Total Submersion Dive Festival hides small tokens where they won’t damage coral. For some events it’s a photo challenge, as with the Pura Vida Divers event on Florida’s Singer Island. There, contestants are asked to snap photos of critters named on a hunt list. Either way, even those who don’t score prizes exit the water with a win.

padi.com; puravidadivers.com

24. Descend the Great Blue Hole

“It’s an adrenaline-junkie dive,” says Larry Speaker of Belize’s famous Great Blue Hole, near one of the Western Hemisphere’s four coral atolls, Lighthouse Reef. The vice president of operations for the Aggressor and Dancer fleets says the thrill comes not from the marine life, of which there’s little, but from reaching 130 feet, which puts you at the bottom of a ledge. There, you weave momentarily alongside a former cave that now houses grand stalactites, formed when the cave’s roof collapsed and the site was filled with fresh water some 153,000 years ago. Beneath you, the bottom looms at 407 feet.

Overhead, the walls of the Blue Hole slope upward, much like those of a teepee; you’ll see light from the opening all the while. But it’s more than just the depth you’ll appreciate.

Speaker says he pauses with admiration when he takes in the view. He likes being in a spot made famous by underwater explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who, in 1971, brought the Calypso team to chart the sinkhole’s depth; afterward, Cousteau declared it one of the world’s top 10 dives.

Says Speaker, “It’s a big deal to me that I get to follow in his footsteps on some things.”

aggressor.com

25. Find a Dive Cache

To find an underwater geocache — essentially an Easter egg or similar-size prize — either line up a GPS above water or follow coordinates as far as possible, say, to a beach, then use your compass. Rich Best, owner of Sunken Treasure Scuba Center, made his cache in the Susquehanna River, near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, difficult to locate. Says Best, “I’m not a believer that everybody gets an award just for participating.”

divestsc.com

26. Discover a New Species

For frogfish scientist Rachel Arnold, divers are a huge part of discovering new species. If you’re a citizen scientist hoping to stumble upon a species not identified in any book or document, she recommends diving in places with high biodiversity, such as Indonesia. “Generally speaking, the more primitive the animal, like nudibranchs, the more room there is for new species findings.”

27. Learn to Hand-feed a Caribbean Reef Shark

“I don’t want to say it takes a certain skill set because anyone can come down and do it,” says Rudy Ferguson of the shark-feeder program taught at Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas in Nassau. For four years, the dive instructor has been teaching the two-day course, noticing that some students take to the instruction better than others.

“It takes a positive mindset and a willingness to accept the creatures for what they are — graceful and beautiful, not man-eating,” he says.

But before you don a chain-mail suit to hand-feed the sharks, you’ll first complete a Shark Awareness Specialty course. Ferguson points out that much of the course covers the animal’s biology, helping students read its behavior and body language.

Unlike mammals, he says, “a shark is pure instinct.” And when bait hits the water, the sharks’ demeanor changes from indifference toward divers to a sudden interest in the food source.

It’s a change Ferguson wants you to notice to build your awareness. By the end of the course, you’ll have fed fish to anywhere from one to 40 Caribbean reef sharks — with the digital photos to prove it — and more important, you’ll have a greater understanding of what it’s like in the mind of one of the ocean’s most awe-inspiring creatures.

stuartcove.com

28. Trip the Light Fantastic

It’s a night dive for those with a been-there-done-that feeling about night diving. Scuba centers offering the experience provide a special yellow filter for masks and a fluorescent light carried just like a regular dive torch. Then the magic happens. Colors of the reef appear illuminated as if by black light. Patterns, details and shading that you might possibly otherwise overlook now pop. In the Caribbean, scorpionfish, anemones and fireworms are a few creatures appearing the most transformed. Says Augusto Montbrun of Buddy Dive Resort, “The scorpionfish is a beast decorated — it goes from ugly to pretty.”

buddydive.com

READY TO TRY UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY? SIGN UP FOR PADI'S ONLINE U/W PHOTO COURSE TODAY

29. Score a Selfie

“If you have a good opportunity, take a selfie,” says underwater shooter Greg Lecoeur. For his manta shot (at left), he had a lengthy encounter when the angle of the approaching animal worked well for a selfie. Lecoeur suggests studying the animal’s trajectory to line up perfectly — and to note that a selfie should be the icing on the cake. “Some people spend more time in the water trying to take a selfie than connecting with the animals — don’t forget to live the moment.”

30. Blow Bubbles

• Be horizontal to the surface.

• Take a deep breath and remove your regulator (while blowing a small bubble stream so as not to break the No. 1 rule in diving).

• Fill your cheeks so you look like a pufferfish.

• Poke your tongue out, still with big cheeks.

• Pull your tongue in quickly and release the air from your cheeks. It’s great to practice on safety stops!

  — Charlotte Faulkner, PADI Master Instructor

31. Practice Yoga

“You are weightless, so you’re able to flex yourself into certain positions you couldn’t do on land because of gravity — but you need to deal with the pressure in the lungs and the sinus flush,” says yoga instructor Brittany Vanacore. That said, it might be better for photo ops. “It’s artistic, but it’s not as pleasant and ethereal as pictures convey.”

btruyoga.com

32. Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

Why not find your inner zombie and add a little Walking Dead to your next family vacay? You and the kids can enroll in the Zombie Apocalypse Diver course — a real PADI specialty that teaches practical survival skills — during Kids Sea Camp weeks. Check the website for 2016 dates.

zombieapocalypsediver.com; familydivers.com

33. Swim with Whale Sharks

This 42-foot-long plankton guzzler is almost a sure bet in the summer months off Cancun, Mexico — specifically at Isla Mujeres. The best window for sightings starts with June’s full moon and lasts through mid-August. Later in the season might be best, as it was on August 12, 2009, when a recordsetting 420 whale sharks milled around long enough for an official count.

prodivemex.com

34. Say “I Do”

Tying the knot underwater is perhaps the only time guests will ask to attend the rehearsal. After all, when you arrange a ceremony — yes, it’s legally binding — through a scuba center such as Nautilus Dive Tech in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, you’ll likely have sea lions in attendance. The only catch: The bride has to be careful of the dress, swimming and turning slowly to avoid entanglement.

nautilusdivetech.com

35. Spend the Night at Jules Verne Undersea Lodge

It’s the stuff of science fiction. Off Key Largo, Florida, you’ll dive to 21 feet to enter this underwater hotel from the bottom of the habitat. Choose to stay for a three-hour lunch with pizza, or spend the night (and still get the pizza).

jul.com

36. Compete in a Photo Shootout

The Digital Shootout is technically a competition with prizes, but it’s not only about winning. “It’s not really a competition because you have people helping each other out, asking, ‘How’d you shoot that?’ and trading tips,” says Jim Decker, CEO of Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo, which organizes the event. Attendees learn from one another, as well as 15 or so instructors and gear reps bringing 35 different camera systems for demo purposes. Sport Diver staff have been participating for the past two years, taking their underwater photo skills to the next level and having a lot of fun along the way.

backscatter.com; thedigitalshootout.com

37. Plunge into the World’s Deepest Swimming Pool

You don’t need a wetsuit to play in the 91-degree water of the world’s deepest pool, Y-40, found in Padua, Italy, roughly an hour west of Venice. You can work on deepwater skills or practice with reels in the pool’s cave network.

y-40.com

38. Dive for Pearls

The first pearl farm on the French Polynesian island of Fakarava — part of the Tuamotu group — is now its smallest. Pearl Havaiki, created by a local woman and her husband in 1989, opens its bungalow doors to travelers seeking an intimate on-water stay, plus the chance to learn the pearl-making process in the property’s lagoon. Free afternoon tours show how pearls are cultivated on underwater ropes; for an added fee, you can play the pearl lottery, trying your luck with any oyster.

havaiki.com

39. Model for a Photo Session

If you’ve ever tried taking a picture of an underwater scene with your dive buddy positioned in the perfect angle, you know that underwater modeling is harder than it looks.

The unusual setting coaxes spontaneity from subjects and has become one of the hottest trends in portrait photography. Some underwater shooters are even using their skills for a good cause.

That was the case for the photo shoot shown above. Underwater photo pro Mike Veitch was working behind the scenes, capturing the work of concept photographer Von Wong in his underwater studio.

“One of the main goals of the shoot was to capture an image that was then put on sale for a charitable cause — to raise money for Saving Eliza, a fundraising effort for a 4-year-old with a terminal brain disease,” says Veitch.

As for the challenges, Veitch says, “The model is underwater, wearing unfamiliar dresses or costumes, no fins and no regulator. Trained safety divers provide air, but the model goes through a lot of stress and fatigue. The photographer must be patient and not push the limits of a model’s comfort zone and safety.”

Luckily, Veitch reports, “Both of the models on this shoot — which took two days — were experienced freedivers, so they were very comfortable underwater.”

vonwong.com; underwatertribe.com

40. Night Dive with Mantas

“We’ve known Lefty longer than we’ve known our own children,” says Wendy Laros, of Jack’s Diving Locker on Hawaii’s Big Island. It’s a locale famous for its resident mantas, of which Lefty — so named for her broken left cephalic fin — is one of the most well known. The night dive to 35 feet is offered every night except Tuesdays and Saturdays.

jacksdivinglocker.com

41. Overnight at an Oil Rig

It’s a toss-up between what’s cooler: the elevator that delivers suited-up divers to sea level, or the sun-deck bungee that swings wild ones out over the waters of Sipadan, Malaysia. Seaventures Dive Rig is the world’s only former oil rig converted into a nonstop scuba hangout, where visitors can encounter ghost pipefish, and ribbon eels before kicking back for some evening fun.

seaventuresdive.com

42. Weave through an Obstacle Course

PVC pipes and rope are the stuff of underwater obstacle courses. At a basic level, they force divers to fine tune buoyancy skills while providing a fun distraction. Some instructors create these as underwater mazes because they serve as prep for the doors, windows and hatches of wreck penetration, as well as the tunnels and small openings of cave diving. You must develop a strategy to avoid entangling yourself or your gear in the spiderweb-like challenges. The obstacles can be anything, from a series of PVC-pipe diamonds spaced a few feet apart to a jungle-gym-style tunnel with ropes tied between beams. The key is to bob and weave your way through while staying calm with a cool head.

43. Float in a Lake of Jellies

Right now, the famous jellyfish of Palau have disappeared and locals are watching carefully, as they have always made a comeback in the past. When they are present, snorkeling with jellies, Palau’s signature bucket-list experience, is about overcoming fear — if only in a mind-over-matter way. This saltwater lake on Eil Malk, part of Palau’s Rock Islands, is filled with golden jellyfish that don’t sting, but it takes a few minutes to mentally adjust to being surrounded by dozens of Cnidaria. Go for the experience, the photos and to witness the strange phenomenon. These animals pump their way across the 1,510-foot lake daily to trace the sun’s arc, feeding the zooxanthellae inside them. Each dawn, their starting line is the lake’s western shore. At noon, they rest at the lake’s opposite shore. Then, come late afternoon, they once again scoot back, all the while avoiding the shade-dwelling anemones, which might otherwise devour them.

samstours.com

44. Swim with Penguins

What makes penguins so adorable? For starters, they have the cutest waddle and they look like they’re dressed in tuxedos. There are a number of places in the world where you can get in the water and photograph these aquatic flightless birds: South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the Falkland Islands and, if you’re lucky, the only place on Earth where they’re found near the equator, the Galapagos. Look for them in between seeing hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, turtles, sea lions, schools of tuna and whale sharks.

aggressor.com

45. Join a Rugby Match

Filling the ball with salt water keeps the ball negatively buoyant so two teams of six players can fight to score goals against each other. Play happens at the bottom of a pool no more than 15 feet deep. If the sport doesn’t already sound difficult, consider this: The ball must stay submerged the entire time. The only relief is regular substitution of players, allowing them to catch a break — and their breath.

46. Test Dive Gear

If the thought of new scuba gear sends your heart racing, consider joining Scuba Diving magazine’s team for a ScubaLab test, held roughly every other month in central Florida. You will need to bring your own gear, save for the item in question. Note that you will need to be an experienced diver, pay your own expenses and have dive insurance.

YOU NEED ADVANCED SKILLS TO TEST GEAR! SIGN UP FOR PADI'S ONLINE ADVANCED OPEN-WATER COURSE TODAY

47. Frolic with Sea Lions

Few in-water animals are as playful and surprising as sea lions. They’re among the favorite subjects for many photographers, who regularly dive Los Islotes, Mexico; Hornby Island, British Columbia; the Galapagos; and California’s Channel Islands to see what they’ll do next. Go often and you might share a tender moment, as Melissa Singh Cole did when a sea lion moved in to share a bubble kiss.

truthaquatics.com

48. Mail a Letter

As of July 25, 2015, you can now drop good old-fashioned correspondence — it’s an actual collection point — at the world’s deepest underwater post office, 131 feet deep off the coast of Layang Layang Island, Malaysia. The hardest part is inking messages that stay put on water-resistant postcards or on letters tucked into waterproof envelopes. So what exactly do you pen home about? Your deepest thoughts, of course.

avillion.com

49. Set a Guinness World Record

There are some interesting world records listed by Guinness, such as heaviest weight lifted by a human beard (140 pounds, 16 ounces). Some of the unusual Guinness World Records for scuba divers include longest open saltwater dive in cold water (13 hours, 42 minutes), most underwater rope jumps in one hour on scuba (1,608), most people scuba diving at a single venue (2,486) and longest underwater distance while swimming on scuba (49.04 miles in 24 hours). And then there’s fastest 100-meter hurdles while wearing fins (14.82 seconds). The record holder was also wearing a mask and snorkel.

guinnessworldrecords.com

50. Swim with Wild Atlantic Spotted Dolphins

He who shows the most creativity wins, when it comes to the attentions of wild dolphins. Think of them as you would Labrador retrievers: They’re happy to see you, but happier still if you find a prop to initiate play. Feel free to keep it simple. Even a blade of sea grass plucked from the seafloor and waved to mimic an eel signals a willingness to engage these highly creative thinkers.

For a week of snorkeling alongside wild pods of up to 60 Atlantic spotted dolphins, there’s almost no place better than off the Bahamian island of Bimini. Nearly year-round, several liveaboards, including Indigo, cruise these waters.

And although touching and harassing these animals is strictly forbidden, you can get in the water to fin among them. Given that it’s snorkel only — no scuba diving. In the calm waters of the Bahamas, the conditions here are ideal, making it an ageless getaway. Guests of Indigo have ranged in years from 4 to 86.

You’ll freedive, and the more animated you are in swimming loops and spinning, the more you’ll pique their curiosity, inspiring them to draw closer. And in those moments of connection, nothing is more thrilling than watching a marine mammal studying you.

Says guest John Gentile, “The dolphins were allowed to be who they were — it was all about respect.”

Dr. Denise Herzing is one of the world’s leading authorities on the species Stenella frontalis and began the Wild Dolphin Project in 1985. As Herzing told Sport Diver in 2012, “These dolphins are not just numbers in a book but are fully actuated individuals and deserve the right to live, have healthy family lives and be left in the wild to be dolphins.”

dolphinexpeditions.com; wilddolphinproject.com

Want more ways to play underwater? Check out 36 Best Big Animal Encounters and The World's 50 Best Dive Sites!