From deep and beautiful cenotes in Mexico to the quiet and serene Ginnie Springs in Florida, U.S., here is a look at some of the most spectacular underwater caves that offer an amazing diving experience.
Check them out for more information and start to see our world through photos!
Ordinskaya, Russia
Ordinskaya (also called Orda Cave) is the largest underwater gypsum cave in the world, and the only one that offers underwater excursions. It is believed to have been formed over 300 million years ago. Interestingly, since gypsum is a water-soluble mineral, the cave’s structure keeps changing over time, with new passages and chambers formed on almost daily basis.
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Chinhoyi Caves, Zimbabwe
The Chinhoyi Caves have a colorful history, including tales of robber barons, tribal warfare and murder. A principal attraction here is the Wonder Hole – a cavern with a collapsed roof which drops to the Sleeping Pool and its crystal-clear waters. The Hole is open year-round but, be warned, the cave system is slowly collapsing and could disappear over time.
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Chac Mool, Mexico
A visit to the deep, dark and mysterious Chac Mool cenote in Mexico is made breathtaking by low levels of light underwater, making it a technically difficult dive even for professionals. It is also an interesting dive because of haloclines – a layer of water that acts as a buffer between normal to salty levels of seawater.
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Green Cave, Ravnik, Vis, Croatia
Located on an islet called Ravnik (on the south side of the island of Vis), the Green Cave is a little off the beaten path but offers a stunning dive. The color of the cave and waters comes from sunlight bouncing off the green algae growing on the ceiling.
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Great Blue Hole, Belize
A large submarine sinkhole off the Central American’s eastern coast, the Great Blue Hole is one of the world’s best scuba diving locations. The circular underwater cave is home to an exotic variety of marine life, including reef and nurse sharks. The hole is, as the name suggests, perfectly circular, and is 410 feet (125 meters) deep.
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Eden Rock and Devil’s Grotto, Cayman Islands
Located on the Grand Cayman island, Eden Rock and Devil’s Grotto are cavern and reef systems filled with tunnels and underwater caves and chambers, lit by rays of sunlight filtering in through overgrowth and vegetation on the ceiling. Explore these wonderful chambers with Barracuda sharks, turtles and even stingrays for company.
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Taj Mahal Cenote, Mexico
Considered one of the best cave-diving locations in Mexico, the Taj Mahal has a mesmerizing web of tunnels and chambers to explore. What’s more, some rock sections glow when lit by sunlight (or torch light, for that matter) to create jagged laser-like light shows.
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Cenote Chan Hol, Mexico
Yet another beautiful cenote in Mexico, this one is particularly famous for the discovery of a nearly intact skeleton in 2006; it was found 1,500 feet (457 meters) inside the cave. The skeleton, scientists later said, was probably of a man who lived 10,000 years ago.
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Ginnie Springs, Florida, US
Touted as one of the world’s “favorite freshwater dive” locations, Ginne Springs offers breathtakingly clear waters for dive enthusiasts. A popular destination for scuba diving, snorkeling and canoeing, the springs (there are four of them) also feature underwater caverns with sand and limestone floors.
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