11 Incredible Underwater Attractions around the World

By Julius Choudhury

If you thought all great places for travelers to visit were on dry land, think again! Be it museums, art installations, or naturally occurring sites, there are many mesmerizing underwater locales around the world that any sub-aqua enthusiast can explore. Scroll down for some fascinating sub-aquatic treasures that are a 'must-see.'

The Cancún Underwater Museum in Cancun, Mexico

Also known as Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA), this underwater museum is located in the waters surrounding Cancun, Punta Nizuc and Isla Mujeres. MUSA contains over 500 sculptures – both life-sized and monumental – by sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and five other artists.

Neptune Memorial Reef in Miami, Florida

An artificial reef east of Key Biscayne, near Miami, this is a memorial site. The remains of those who are cremated can be placed in one of the reef's structures after their death.

Green Lake in Tragoess, Austria

The lake goes from being a shallow winter pond no deeper than seven feet (2.1 meters) to a spectacular underwater park in high spring, when snowmelt runoff from the nearby mountains floods the lake and submerges surrounding trees, footpaths, benches and bridges, creating a surreal underwater world. The lake’s emerald green color – and its name – comes from the underwater foliage.

Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida

One of the deepest naturally formed underwater caverns in the U.S., Weeki Wachee is also a Florida State Park. It is popular as the only city with live “mermaids” – women in costumes. Guests can enjoy underwater performances and immerse themselves in the watery world of bubbles, turtles and manatees.

Cenotes in Mexico

Cenotes – natural sinkholes filled with fresh groundwater – are found all over the Riviera Maya, near Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Some of these cenotes were once used by ancient Mayans for sacrificial offerings. This incredible and unique ecosystem in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula was created by a combination of various geological events and climate changes.

Christ of the Abyss in Florida

This submerged statue of Jesus Christ is one of the prominent versions of Italy’s Christ of the Abyss installation. Located near the Dry Rocks, off Key Largo in the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the bronze statue is a major attraction among divers and a popular photography site in the Florida Keys.

Great Blue Hole, Belize

A large underwater sinkhole located off the coast of Belize, the Great Blue Hole is a preferred destination, especially for scuba divers, because of its crystal-clear waters and diverse marine life that includes tropical fish and breathtaking coral formations.

Chuuk Lagoon in Federated States of Micronesia

Also known as Truk Lagoon, this site is the final resting place of ships, planes and submarines, as it was Japan's main base in the South Pacific during World War II. In 1944, Japan's fleet was attacked by the U.S., causing more than 60 warships and 250 planes to sink. Enthusiasts can access the ship graveyard and take a firsthand view of the wreckage.

Vanuatu Post in Vanuatu

Located within the Hideaway Island marine sanctuary, Vanuatu Post is the world's first and only underwater post office. Those who wish to send a postcard from under the sea, in the company of corals and multicolored fishes, need only scuba-dive, snorkel or, better yet, swim to the post office. The postcards are made of waterproof plastic and embossed with waterproof stamps.

Underwater Museum at Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea

This underwater museum features sculptures and busts of prominent historical figures as well as former Soviet Union leaders such as Lenin, Stalin and Felix Dzerzhinsky, among others. The collection of busts is known as the Alley of Leaders. Created in 1992 by diver Vladimir Broumenskyy, the museum also houses duplicates of attractions like Eiffel Tower and Tower Bridge of London.

Silfra fissure in Iceland

Silfra fissure offers a unique chance to dive between the continental plates of Eurasia and North America. Divers and snorkelers here enjoy unparalleled visibility and views of multi-colored algae. The crack between the plates widens about 0.8 inches (two centimeters) with every passing year.