When people talk about their dives, it’s often about encounters.
Sharks. Large schools of fish. Wrecks. And yes—I feel the same excitement when I see the curious eyes of a large grouper watching me from a distance.
But for me, it’s not only animals or sunken ships that make a dive special.
Sometimes, it’s simply the underwater landscape itself.
Underwater landscapes from another planet
There are dives where I feel as if I’m no longer on Earth. The shapes, the colors, the structures—all of it feels unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. Over thousands, sometimes millions of years, water has shaped rock into forms that seem almost unreal.
Massive stone arches.
Freestanding rock formations that appear to float effortlessly in the water.
Structures that resemble ruins—as if you were swimming through a long-lost underwater city.
These are the moments where you don’t just look—you marvel.
When shapes tell stories
What fascinates me most about these dive sites is the sense of time they carry. These formations didn’t appear by chance. Every edge, every opening, every passage is the result of countless years of movement, pressure and change.
Dive-throughs that feel like natural tunnels.
Caves and caverns that can be safely explored by recreational divers.
Wide chambers and narrow passages, illuminated by beams of light filtering through openings above.
You’re not just moving through water—you’re moving through history.
Fascination beyond animal encounters
Of course, encounters with marine life are special and memorable. But impressive underwater terrain is just as captivating to me. Perhaps even more so, because these landscapes are always there. They don’t vanish in an instant—yet they still feel different on every dive.
Light, visibility, current and your own perception constantly reshape the experience. A site that seems ordinary on one dive can feel monumental on the next.
Diving with open eyes—and an open mind
These dives don’t require a checklist. No “must-see” moments. They invite you to slow down. To drift. To observe. To notice shapes and details you would miss if you were rushing from one highlight to the next.
You’re not diving from attraction to attraction—you’re experiencing space.
My recommendation when choosing dive sites
That’s why my recommendation is simple:
Don’t choose your dive sites only based on which shark, which fish or which wreck you might see. Also consider how a site feels. The landscapes it offers. The moods it can create.
Some of the most impressive dives don’t rely on spectacular encounters—and yet they stay with you for a long time.
Or perhaps precisely because of that.