7 Places to Swim with Marine Life

1. Plantation on Crystal River, Crystal River, Florida. The only legal place to swim with manatees in the wild. The gentle giants, also known as sea cows, flock to the warm natural springs near this Gulf Coast town every winter.

2. Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Feel the echolocation clicks and listen to the vocalizations of beluga whales in frigid river waters while swimming with a pod.

3. Pico Island, Azores, Portugal. Pico Sport provides the rare opportunity to snorkel with sharks, as well as whales, dolphins and Mobula rays, on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

4. Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. The world’s largest and most spectacular coral-reef system offers a wealth of marine adventures, including snorkeling with turtles and diving among 1,500 species of fish.

5. Nanaimo, Canada. Hundreds of harbor seals live on Snake Island, where they often playfully interact with visitors arriving via adventure tours.

6. Stingray City, Grand Cayman. Stand in just three feet of crystal-clear water on the Stingray City Sandbar as southern stingrays glide past peacefully at one of the island’s most popular natural attractions.

7. Jellyfish Lake, Palau. Be surrounded by pulsating orbs of jellyfish that have lost their sting due to millennia of never having to fend off attackers.