This was published 4 years ago
Six of the best places on Earth to swim with marine life
By Sue Williams
There's something about the terror of confronting a Great White Shark – and surviving – that never fails to appeal.
NEPTUNE ISLES, OFF PORT LINCOLN, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
There's something about the terror of confronting a Great White Shark – and surviving – that never fails to appeal. If you're going to do it with anyone, why not Australian icon Rodney Fox, who was torn apart by one 56 years ago, but now spends his days lovingly introducing great whites to fresh meat. After an overnight boat trip out to the waters the sharks frequent, guests slip down into a specially-designed cage, wearing breathing apparatus, and wait. Fox, his son Andrew and their crew toss bloodied fish around to attract the predators and then … they appear, red of tooth and terrifying as they circle. Rodney Fox, who bears with pride the 462 stitches on his chest and shoulder from the attack, says the cage is impenetrable, and you just have to trust him. He hasn't lost anyone yet. See rodneyfox.com.au
KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII, US
Credit: iStock
The warm tropical lagoons off the picturesque Tongan island of Ha'apai are among the few places in the world licensed to allow swimmers in the water with humpback whales.
It's the dead of night and a huddle of people lie face down on the water, breathing through snorkels and hanging on to lines off the back of the boat, supported by foam noodles. Boat lights glitter on the dark ocean, the water laps softly and then suddenly, from the depths, a massive manta ray looms up, peers at the visitors, swims straight along the nearest human body, and then dives away sideways. Then another ray appears, and another, and suddenly there's a whole ballet going on below. It's astonishing, it's miraculous and, back on the boat afterwards, sipping hot chocolate, you have to wonder who is the most curious, the people or the rays? See fair-wind.com
GLADDEN SPIT MARINE RESERVE, BELIZE
Credit: iStock
If anyone thinks a whale shark is smiling at them, then they're mistaken. The world's biggest species of fish simply has a very, very wide mouth - it can stretch up to 1.5 metres - on a body that can be nearly 19 metres long. Snorkelling in Belize at this marine reserve near Placencia, most swimmers never see creatures that large but even the smallest whale shark can look massive when it's in the water beside you. The only comfort is the knowledge that they only eat plankton and small fish. Being so close to such gentle giants is a breathtaking experience. The season runs from March to June. See belizescuba.com
HA'APAI, TONGA
The warm tropical lagoons off the picturesque Tongan island of Ha'apai are among the few places in the world licensed to allow swimmers in the water with humpback whales. From June to October, tourists stay at the eco-resorts for the chance to snorkel alongside these mighty creatures, to admire their size and their intelligence, and sometimes to witness their playful side. With encounters organised by Australian eco-tour operator Majestic Whale Encounters and governed by the country's Responsible Whale Watching Code, you can swim, watch and marvel, safe in the knowledge that no one be allowed to do anything to jeopardise the trust that can exist between humans and beasts. See
AKUMAL, MEXICO
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There's just something irresistible about sea turtles. Is it their ungainliness on land when, after nesting and laying eggs, they waddle back into the ocean? Is it their tiny cute babies which hatch on the sand and then rush down into the waves? Or maybe it's the way they're so stately in the water. There aren't many places where you can swim with the endangered species but Akumal on the Yucatan Peninsula, with its coral reef and warm waters, teems with marine wildlife, and is one of the best. Swimmers regularly see more than one turtle paddling through the languid water, taking no notice at all of any of the company, intent on their own business. See absolute-adventure-mexico.com
NELSON BAY, NSW
Swimming with dolphins has to be one of the most beautiful experiences possible but too many of these encounters, the world over, rely on captive dolphins specially bred to be tourist attractions. But right here in our own backyard, there's a sensitively-run swim with wild bottlenose dolphins that won't traumatise them – or you. You wear a wetsuit, snorkelling gear and a safety harness, and are carried through the water on a rope tide between the two bows of a catamaran. The dolphins can dart in and out, beside and below you. It's absolutely mesmerising, and all the more enjoyable knowing the dolphins are having just as much fun as you are. See dolphinswimaustralia.com.au
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