Cancel your safari because Earth's greatest wildlife experiences take place beneath the surface of the ocean
There's no shortage thrilling marine encounters for intrepid travellers.
French Polynesia can now officially boast the world’s largest Marine Protected Area. The recent classification of Tainui Atea, which covers about two million square miles of ocean, means that there’s now a ban on seabed exploitation and drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), plus strengthened conservation objectives and the sustainable management of marine resources.
The archipelago is world renowned for its diving, surfing and marine wildlife, including rare endemic birds and migrating humpback whales. And despite increasing interest, there are still pockets where you can swim with them in relative privacy. (Elegant Resorts can put together bespoke itineraries and organise private yacht charter.)
French Polynesia is far from the only sanctuary where the sea still feels gloriously unexplored and thriving: from the deep blue to coral atolls , there are extraordinary conservation success stories across the globe that reward travellers willing to venture further afield.
The following round-up celebrates the world’s most thrilling marine encounters, but it is also a reminder to choose operators with strong conservation credentials, avoid overcrowded experiences and tread as lightly as possible in these fragile blue frontiers.
What? Participate in urgent shark conservation work
Where? Raja Ampat, Indonesia
The Lost Sharks of Raja Ampat is a first-of-its-kind, 10-day expedition from the brains at luxury yacht specialists Silolona Sojourns and adrenaline junkies Cookson Adventures.
Hosted by ReShark conservationists Dr Mark Erdmann and Nesha Ichida, guests — staying on board a traditional phinisi yacht — will help track and tag critically endangered leopard sharks using pioneering satellite technology, visit shark nurseries at Kri and Misool, and participate in pup releases.
ReShark's work was highlighted in Ocean Dreams, a giant-screen and IMAX documentary narrated by Shailene Woodley and released globally on World Oceans Day (June 8, 2026).
What? Swim with 18-metre giants
Where? Dominica, the Caribbean
On Dominica, one of the few places where sperm whales can be seen year-round, only three swimmers and a guide may enter the water with an animal at any time.
Conservationists say the whales help capture carbon by stimulating plankton blooms through their nutrient-rich waste.
From November to March, travel specialist 1953 offers Swimming with Giants itineraries, combining stays at Secret Bay, catamaran expeditions and guided whale swims with expert freedivers and local naturalists.
What? Dive into the deep
Where? Laamu Atoll, the Maldives
Six Senses Laamu is the only luxury resort in the remote Maldivian atoll of the same name and home to the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI) which brings together the Manta Trust, Olive Ridley Project and Blue Marine Foundation.
Spinner and bottlenose dolphins are commonly seen on the resort’s sunset cruises and guests can join turtle-monitoring and manta-research activities.
The PADI 5* Deep Blue Divers centre offers everything from introductory dives to Divemaster training. Just offshore lies Hithadhoo Corner, a renowned megafauna site and natural cleaning station for resident manta rays.
Between May and July and again from October to November, divers can watch the extraordinary manta chain dance, when a female leads a procession of males through looping, twisting movements until only the strongest remains.
Book with trusted Indian Ocean-experts, Turquoise Holidays.
What? Follow in the footsteps of early Norse explorers
Where? The Canadian Arctic
In the nutrient-rich waters of Hudson Bay, remarkably social beluga whales gather in large numbers.
Say hello while you sail the legendary Northwest Passage with Silversea— traversed successfully and very unsuccessfully by European explorers searching for a shortcut to Asia.
You'll also pass captivating islands, home to Inuit hamlets and rare species, and get the opportunity to marvel at spectacular sounds, massive cliffs and dramatic ice fields.
What? Meet Free Willy face to face
Where? Norway
Natural World Safaris’ Swim with Killer Whales expedition in northern Norway offers a rare opportunity to enter the water with orcas as they hunt herring in the Arctic fjords.
Based aboard a small expedition vessel, guests search for pods of killer whales before slipping quietly into the sea alongside expert guides and marine naturalists.
Encounters are carefully managed to minimise disturbance, allowing swimmers to observe the whales’ extraordinary intelligence, social behaviour and effortless movement at close range.
Humpback whales are often seen feeding nearby.
What? Swim with the world's-largest fish
Where? Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
At Sal Salis on Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef, off-grid-style accommodation meets one of the world’s great marine encounters. Guests stay in eco-luxury safari tents tucked among the dunes, just metres from the reef, with private decks, hammocks and uninterrupted ocean views.
From mid-March to August, optional guided whale-shark swims take visitors into Ningaloo’s clear waters to snorkel alongside the world’s largest fish in their natural habitat.
Book with Lightfoot Travel.
What? Get up close and personal with the Big Five
Where? Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique
The northern Mozambique Channel is widely cited by scientists as the second-most diverse coral reef in the world so, unsurprisingly, boasts the Western Indian Ocean's Big Five. Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises); elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, skates, and sawfish); bony fish; reptiles (sea turtles and sea snakes); sirenians (fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals such as dugongs).
The wildlife-spotting opportunities are so great that ultra-luxury Kisawa Sanctuary, on the southern tip of Benguerra Island, within the Bazaruto Archipelago, have developed a 'Dive Menu' comprised of 13 individual dive sites, for beginning and advance divers and everyone in between.
Book with Red Savannah.
