Beautiful Underwater Sea Life

One of the main reasons who so many people want to dive underwater is that below the surface, the sea life can be a breathtaking sight. All the marine animals and plants seem exotic and wonderfully strange, and they can give you a truly memorable experience. It’s for this reason that so many people try to bring video and photographic equipment underwater. Sometimes you just want a souvenir, and of course the pictures are great when you want to brag about your underwater adventures.

So what can you hope to see underwater? While caverns and shipwrecks can be fascinating, the true superstars underwater are the beautiful sea life that never fails to mesmerize divers of all levels.

Here are some examples:

• Fish. There are so many types of fish in the water you simply cannot list them all. And in fact, you don’t even have to know their names. All you need to know is that many of them are extremely colorful, and when you encounter a school of fish you’ll feel as if you’re right in the middle of an explosion of colors.
• Sharks. These are, of course, a kind of fish. But sharks deserve their own category. After all, there aren’t really all that many creatures in the ocean that could eat you (we’re not saying that they will!). Besides, their size and terrifying look will be great for those looking for some excitement and thrill. Most sharks however are very passive and docile, like the nurse shark.
• Dolphins. By now you should know that dolphins aren’t fish at all. They’re mammals, and they can be very friendly and playful. Some are even known to protect people from danger. Like other water mammals such as seals and whales, dolphins are also quite intelligent.
• Turtles. These animals don’t have legs. Instead they have fins for arms.
• Eels. Some tend to hide in crevices.
• Freshwater plants. For the most part, these plants aren’t dangerous at all.
• Sponges. These aren’t plants at all. Sponges are animals without organs, and they may form balls or look flat. In shallow water they’re green but in deep water their natural color is light brown or gray.

Most sponges are not dangerous, but one exception is the Fire Sponge. It has a nice red color, but just make sure you stay away from it because it can sting like hell.

• Sea fans. They’re also called sea whips or gorgonians. They grow several feet across and high, but they’re only a few inches thick. A lot of them have bright and pretty yellow, red, or purple colors.
• Clams. Most people have never seen clams move, but they can especially if they don’t like the surroundings.
• Octopi. The large ones can be especially awesome, and they can also be very smart. But the small blue-ringed octopus is extremely venomous, and there’s no anti-venom for the bite so be very careful!
• Jellyfish. Some are small but a few are quite huge. If you see a jelly fish, you really should keep your distance and appreciate them from afar.
• Portuguese Man-o-War. They can look quite majestic, especially with their long tentacles.
• Squids. The Humboldt squid is a sight to behold, but they can be dangerous too.

Always make sure you do your research before you dive, so that you will know what type of sea life you’re likely to encounter in a particular area.