Flooded cities, caves and even museums - we bring to your attention the top 7 amazing sights under water, among which there is one for those tourists who do not want to get wet.
The objects causing excitement among divers were under the water column for various reasons. In the ocean, the water level gradually rose, and terrestrial caves found themselves at a depth. Some towns or villages were deliberately flooded when rivers and lakes were dammed. Other attractions were made by lovers of underwater structures themselves, lowering unnecessary statues to the bottom of the sea and organizing museums.
Where should you schedule your diving trip now or after the pandemic?
Lake Gruner See (Austria)
Lake Gruner See, or Green Lake, is located at the foot of the Hochschwab Mountains in the Austrian region of Upper Styria. Tourists come to its shores almost all year round to enjoy the breathtaking mountain landscapes and take a walk in the picturesque park by the lake.
However, once a year the snow melts in the mountains and raises the water level in Zelenye Lake by 5-11 meters. In this case, the entire park goes under water. This is when it becomes an ideal destination for divers who are passionate about exploring the flooded park.
Underwater Museum in Crimea (Russia)
The Tarkhankut Peninsula is located at the western end of the Crimea. There are no beaches here, but there is an interesting underwater museum created by the submariner Vladimir Borumensky.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he collected many discarded busts of political leaders and lowered them to the bottom of the Black Sea near the picturesque Bolshoi Atlesh Cape. This collection became the basis of the underwater gallery "Leader's Alley". Over the next few years, the museum's collection expanded to 50 sculptures. Now you can see under water:
- busts and monuments to Stalin, Lenin, Kirov and other high-ranking officials who ruled in Soviet times;
- sculptural images of composers and writers: Beethoven, Mayakovsky, Yesenin, Vysotsky, etc.;
- miniature copies of famous landmarks - the Eiffel Tower, London Tower Bridge.
Cancun Underwater Museum (Mexico)
This charming museum is one of the most famous underwater galleries in the world. Founded in 2009 in Cancun, it features over 500 sculptures that have been adapted for marine life. That is, over time, new coral colonies appear on all statues.
The main author of the project is the Englishman Jason de Cayres Taylor, who was assisted by 6 other sculptors. This museum displays a wide variety of images. Many statues are combined into separate compositions. Among the statues of people, find buildings, a Volkswagen car, a mine.
Jason de Cayres Taylor has also inspired similar projects in Caribbean Grenada and Australia. There you can see completely different underwater exhibits.
Dos Ojos Underwater Caves (Mexico)
Another interesting underwater attraction of Mexico is located on the Yucatan Peninsula, near the city of Tulum. This is the Dos Ojos cave system, which can be translated as "Two Eyes". This name means that the cave complex has two entrances. Recently, divers discovered that the Dos Ojos formation is connected by a tunnel to the neighboring Sak Aktun cave.
Diving in a cave can be intimidating. Diving into a space filled with narrow and wide corridors, stalactites and stalagmites is available only to experienced swimmers.
Also, tourists are attracted by a large natural park located not far from the caves. The very popular beaches of Playa del Carmen and Tulum are also nearby.
The flooded city of Shi Chen (China)
The flooded city of Shi Chen is also called the "Atlantis of the East". It is located in China at the bottom of Qiandaohu Lake in Zhejiang Province. This 1,300-year-old city was deliberately flooded in 1959 during the construction of a hydroelectric dam.
For some time, the historical buildings at the bottom of the lake were forgotten, but in 2001, interest in this place began to grow. More and more curious divers are diving to the bottom of the lake to see first-hand the stonework of the five impressive entrance gates, statues of dragons, phoenixes and lions, intricate carved streets and buildings, and much more.
The underwater city of Shi Chen is located at a depth of 28 meters. Visibility in the lake is poor, divers have to use flashlights to see at least something.
Ordinskaya cave (Russia)
The Ordinskaya cave in the Urals does not look as picturesque and cute as the Mexican grottoes of Dos Ojos, but it certainly amazes with its majesty. It is the longest partially submerged cave in Russia and at the same time one of the first gypsum caves in the world for the length.
You need to look for the Ordinskaya cave in the Perm Territory, on the Kungur River, in Kazakovskaya Mountain, which is an inconspicuous hill covered with grass. It is here that the real treasure is hidden underground - huge halls filled with water and well lit. They attract many experienced divers. Thanks to the gypsum tunnels, the water in the cave is crystal clear.
The Orda Cave is 5100 meters long. 300 meters of tunnels are not filled with water. The entrance to the underwater part of the cave is in a magnificent hall called the Ice Palace, which is especially beautiful in winter.
Ithaa Underwater Restaurant (Maldives)
If you want to see something underwater without getting wet, our selection has an original place that will interest you. This is the Ithaa underwater restaurant on Konrad Rangali Island in the Maldives, where you can dine in front of the ocean fish floating on the other side of the glass.
The restaurant belongs to a local fashionable hotel, is located at a depth of 5 meters and is designed for only 14 visitors. They sit in a small tunnel over which fish of different sizes swim.
The menu offers dishes of European cuisine, they are very expensive, but in an underwater restaurant, in essence, money is not charged for food, but for the opportunity to become a diver, not knowing how to use scuba diving.
