15 Unique Water-Based Activities You Won’t Want To Miss
From swimming with sharks to shooting yourself into the sky using high-speed water jets, water-based activities can take on many different forms. Anywhere you go in the world, you'll find adventures that range from relaxing to exhilarating. Here are some of the most unique water activities you can try.
1. Explore the world beneath the waves—by scooter—in Oahu
Propel yourself through Oahu’s underwater world aboard an electric scooter. After heading out onto the ocean on a catamaran, board the scooter and dive under the surface of the waves to see green sea turtles and schools of colorful tropical fish.
2. Go cave tubing with glowworms in New Zealand
Choose your own adventure while black-water rafting (cave tubing) in Waitomo Caves. Float underground on an inner tube and tackle a small waterfall jump, or upgrade to the longer, more intense Black Abyss experience which includes rappeling down limestone walls. Whichever option you choose, you'll get up close to thousands of twinkling glowworms.
3. Snorkel between continents in Iceland
Explore one of Iceland’s most distinctive geological features by snorkeling between the North American and European tectonic plates. The Silfra Fissure, which forms the boundary between the two continents, is part of the UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park.
4. Swim among green sea turtles in Oahu
Snorkel with green sea turtles in Oahu's Turtle Canyon on this catamaran tour from Waikiki. Sail along the shore of Oahu toward the island’s best spot for seeing turtles, then slip into the water to swim among them.
5. Explore an underwater museum in Mexico
Visit an art museum with a difference. This snorkeling tour from Cancun takes you below the surface of the Caribbean Sea to explore the Underwater Museum of Art, which is home to more than 500 life-size sculptures.
6. Journey under water, submarine-style, in Hawaii
Dive beneath the waves, without getting wet, onboard a submarine-style glass-bottom boat. Explore Oahu's waters in comfort and learn all about the fish, coral, and other marine life you see.
7. Kayak through glowing bioluminescence in Puerto Rico
Paddle through mangrove channels to Laguna Grande where billions of water-dwelling microscopic plankton light up after dark. Admire the iridescent glow of this natural phenomenon and learn all about its unusual ecosystem as you explore.
8. Swim with sharks in Oahu on a cage-free dive
Interact responsibly and safely with sharks off Oahu’s North Shore on this cage-free dive. Swim and snorkel with tipped reef sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, Galapagos sharks, gray reef sharks, and sandbar sharks while learning all about the majestic creatures.
9. Walk under the sea in Moorea
Take an effortless stroll along the floor of a South Pacific lagoon. Simply don a helmet and head beneath the surface of Moorea’s calm waters to walk among multicolored fish and coral.
10. Swim with whale sharks in Mexico
Swim with the world’s largest fish off the Yucatán coast on this snorkeling tour. Be wowed by the majestic whale sharks as they swim up to you, while also looking out for dolphins, manta rays, and turtles.
11. Explore the thrilling side of Niagara Falls in Canada
Prepare to get wet on this wild adventure on the Niagara River. This open-top jet-boat ride lets you experience all the thrills and spills of the Niagara Falls' Canadian side as you zip through rapids and over rolling waves.
12. Combine diving with conservation in Australia
Help protect the Great Barrier Reef, and make a genuine contribution to marine conservation, while enjoying some of the world’s best diving on this 12-day conservation program from Cairns.
13. Soar above the water by flyboarding in Dubai
Combine adrenaline-fueled adventure with bird’s-eye views on a thrilling flyboard session in Dubai. Experience the sensation of flying as you propel yourself up to 45 feet (14 meters) in the air using high-speed water jets.
14. Meet magnificent manatees in Florida
Meet central Florida’s endangered manatees on this boat tour from Crystal River. Swim and snorkel with these slow-moving gentle giants in their natural habitat—it's the only place in the US where you can legally swim with them.
15. Tackle river rapids in the New Zealand wilderness
Get your adrenaline pumping on a white-water sledging adventure from Rotorua. Take to the Okere River on your floating sledge; twist and turn through swirling rapids; and float along flats while admiring the views over the Kahikatea Forest.
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