The 10 Coolest Places to Swim
1. Bioluminescent Bay
Located in Puerto Rico, on Vieques Island, there is a shallow body of water with a narrow inlet known as Mosquito Bay. In each gallon of the bay there are 720,000 phosphorescent single-celled organisms that glow when they are agitated. It is a defense mechanism — the glowing is designed to daze whatever predator is bothering the tiny dinoflagellates. All together the bay, on a moonless night, will produce more than enough light to read. Swimming in Mosquito Bay will cause your limbs to be bathed in blue-green light. If you stop moving the light will dim, and eventually disappear completely, but each time you twitch it begins anew. Every time your kayak moves it too will be illuminated. It’s also easy to spot larger creatures; when manta rays or large jellies enter the mangrove swamps gentle rings of light form around them. If you scoop up a handful of the water you can watch individual glowing plankton roll down your arms and hands. And the salinity of the water, like the Dead Sea below, is high enough you can float sitting upright. Photographing Biobay isn’t easy, so there aren’t many high quality pictures of it, but enjoy the ones we found below.
2. Jellyfish Lake
12,000 to 15,000 years ago one of the limestone rock islands in the nation of Palau sealed itself off from the ocean and became a marine lake. A few jellyfish were sealed inside, and with virtually no predators, they began multiplying and evolving. Today more than 10 million jellyfish inhabit Ongeim’l Tketau, known as Jellyfish Lake to tourists. Their sting became evolutionarily useless, and has been lost over time, to the point that the jellies are completely harmless to swim with. Swimming in Jellyfish lake, surrounded by a translucent sea of rhythmically pulsing creatures, is known to be unbelievably serene. The jellies, varying in size from basketballs to blackberries, slowly undulate as they follow the path of the sun across the surface of the lake.
3. Devil’s Swimming Pool
The Devil’s Swimming Pool, or Devil’s Armchair, is a naturally formed infinity pool at the very top of Victoria Falls in Zambia. 420 feet above the river below, it is perfectly safe (in the dry season) to relax at the edge of one of the world’s largest waterfalls. From above the water it appears as if there’s nothing to stop one from being carried over the lip of the falls, but beneath the surface there is a natural rocky ledge that generates a back-eddy and stops the current. Looks scary, especially to jumping into, but the thousands of still-alive visitors can attest to its perfect safety record.
4. Dean’s Blue Hole
In a bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas, is the deepest underwater sinkhole in the world. It plunges 663 feet to the ocean floor, making it vastly deeper than other blue holes (The Great Blue Hole in Ambergris Caye, Belize is 410 feet deep, and the Blue Hole in Sinai, Egypt is about 420 feet deep). Dean’s is known worldwide as the perfect spot for free-diving; it was the location over the last few years of numerous new world and national free-diving records. The blue hole is roughly circular at the surface, with a diameter ranging from 25 to 35 metres (82–110 ft). After descending 20 metres (66 ft), the hole widens considerably into a cavern with a diameter of 100 metres (330 ft). If you prefer marine life to extreme breath-holding, however, I might recommend The Great Blue Hole in Belize. I snorkeled and dove it in 2007, and was enthralled with the crystal clear water and huge number of large fish and sharks. It was the first place I encountered a wild Blacktip reef shark, a wonderfully beautiful place. Jacques-Yves Cousteau declared it one of the top 10 scuba diving sites in the world. See a gallery of pictures of the Great Blue Hole below.
5. Zacatón Cenote
Zacatón is one of a group of five interconnected sinkholes, or cenotes, located in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is the deepest water-filled sinkhole in the world with a total depth of 335 meters. DEPTHX, a NASA funded project using an autonomous robot has measured the underwater portion to be 319 meters deep (an air-filled 16 meter drop from the surface to the water accounts for the total depth). In a 1993 dive Dr. Ann Kristovich set the women’s world depth record of 554 feet, and on April 6, 1994, explorer diver Jim Bowden and cave diving pioneer Sheck Exley plunged into El Zacatón with the intent of reaching bottom. Bowden dove to a men’s world record depth of 925 feet, but Exley (who invented/standardized use of the “Octo” or octopus safety regulator) died, probably from high pressure nervous syndrome (HPNS) at around 879~906 feet. The name Zacatón comes from the free-floating islands of zacate grass which move about on the surface with the wind. They are visible in the pictures as the surprisingly-large circularly symmetric islands. Because they aren’t connected to the lake bed they float with the wind. Besides swimming and diving in the cenote you can swim to the islands and suntan and picnic as they slowly drift on the surface of the sinkhole.
6. The Dead Sea
The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest land point on the surface of the Earth. Resting 1385 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is also a hypersaline lake, one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. It resides in the Middle East, between Israel and Jordan, and even appears in the Bible. What interests STS, however, is the level of salinity. Besides tasting awful, it also provides exceptional levels of buoyancy. The tourist in the photo is sitting in a reclined position, and the water is dense enough to support his weight. If you tried that in your local swimming pool you’d immediately sink. Apparently it’s an unbelievable sensation.
7. Chuuk or Truk lagoon
Truk Lagoon, also known as Chuuk, is a sheltered body of water almost fifty miles long by thirty miles wide surrounded by a protective reef. It is composed of 11 major islands, along with 46 smaller ones inside the lagoon plus 41 on the fringing coral reef — today part of the Federated States of Micronesia. Its interest to STS stems from its use in World War II as the forward anchorage for the Japanese Imperial Fleet. It was considered the most formidable of all Japanese strongholds. When the US Naval forces captured the Marshall Islands they launched an early morning attack on February 17, 1944 against Truk Lagoon. This was Operation Hailstone, a bombardment lasting three days that sent virtually everything of value – 60 ships and 275 aircraft – to the bottom of the ocean. Today it has turned into a divers paradise after being explored by Jacques Cousteau. It is full of ghostly remains; the waters are almost devoid of normal ocean currents so they are almost perfectly preserved. The waters are crystal clear, and some ships lie less than 15 meters below the surface. Divers can easily swim across decks littered with gas masks and depth charges and below deck can be found numerous human remains. In the massive ships’ holds are row upon row of fighter aircraft, tanks, bulldozers, railroad cars, motorcycles, torpedoes, mines, bombs, boxes of munitions, radios, plus thousands of other weapons, spare parts, and other artifacts. Of special interest is the wreck of the submarine I-169 Shinohara which was lost when diving to avoid the bombing. The sub had been part of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The coral encrusted wrecks attract a diverse array of marine life, including manta-rays, turtles, sharks and corals.
8. Yangbajain hot springs
The Yangbajing hot springs, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, (known to people who appreciate freedom as Tibet) provides much of the electricity for Lhasa, the capital. A thermoelectric power plant on the edge of the Yangbajain hot spring fields, which cover 20-30 square kilometers. These particular springs are so interesting because they are at an elevation of approximately 14,000 feet (about the same as the peak of Mt. Rainier in Washington State). The water emerges from the crust of the earth at 84 degrees F, which is higher than the boiling point at that altitude. The springs themselves aren’t as beautiful as some of the other locations on this list, but they have a misty charm of their own.
9. The Seagaia Ocean Dome
The Seagaia Ocean Dome was the world’s largest indoor waterpark, located in Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan. The Ocean Dome measures 300 metres in length and 100 metres in width, and is included in the Guinness World Records. It opened in 1993, and visitor numbers peaked in 1995 at 1.25 million a year. The Ocean Dome was officially closed on October 1, 2007. The Ocean Dome sported a fake flame-spitting volcano, artificial sand and the world’s largest retractable roof, which provided a permanently blue sky even on a rainy day. The air temperature was always held at around 30 degrees celsius and the water at around 28. The sand was made from crushed marble, which doesn’t stick to skin as much as regular does — meaning when you lay down you don’t get sandy. Check out the pictures below — what an engineering project!
10. Sistema Sac Actun
The Yucatan Peninsula is home to the longest underwater cave system in the world. Sistema Sac Actun was found to be connected to Sistema Nohoch Nah Chich, creating a system 154,783 meters long, the longest underwater cave in the world. By comparison the previous record holder Ox Bel Ha measured a puny 146,761 m. I mean that’s only 91 miles long, sheesh. The two have been exchanging the record for years as new, previously unexplored, sections are discovered. The whole system has been named Sistema Sac Actun, and is home to some of the most decorated and beautiful cave diving sites in the world. The most well known entrance is Grande Cenote, pictures of it are above and below. There is surprisingly little information about this incredible cave system, but we’ve shared what we could find. Once you get in to the system the water temperature is relatively constant, and some parts are very fragile and require perfect buoyancy. As you get deeper in the system there are incredible stalactites and stalagmites, and other geologic features.
May 28th, 2009 at 10:47 am
[...] Source [...]
May 30th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
[...] with my feet makes me queesy even as i write this at my desk. So when i came across this list at SuperTightStuff.com I thought it would fit perfectly amongst all the random wtf stuff i post on here on a daily [...]
May 30th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
nicely done, nicely done!
May 30th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
You gotta check out the toilet bowl if you’re ever in Hawaii and at Hanauma Bay. It’s a really cool pit in the lava rock, and when the waves come in and out the water goes up and down, like it’s flushing.
May 31st, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Iceland’s Blue Lagoon could be in this list!
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:51 am
[...] [...]
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:10 am
[...] And finally, the 10 coolest places to swim. [...]
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:41 am
Where is Bonito in Brazil?
June 4th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Dead Sea swimming is an interesting feeling, but pretty quickly the joyful feeling of buoyancy gets overwhelmed by a nasty feeling of stickiness…
June 5th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
[...] Cool Places to Swim VN:F [1.1.6_502]please wait…Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast) Submit This Post to Your Favorite Social Media Site Hide Sites $$(‘div.d1217′).each( function(e) { e.visualEffect(‘slide_up’,{duration:0.5}) }); [...]
June 6th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Hi, As you point out in the Tibet entry the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, is ‘known to people who appreciate freedom as Tibet’. So I am sure you will will welcome the knowledge that the Dead Sea is between the occupied Palestinian Territories, Israel and Jordan, as defined by the UN, the US state department and all international agencies.
PS I love your site!
Yael
June 6th, 2009 at 4:47 am
I would also add the basin of Jim Jim Falls in Northern Australia’s Kakadu National Park. During the dry season, you’re swimming in a perfectly circular pool that is mostly surrounded by a 200-meter-tall cliff. The water is stunningly clear, and the acoustics are incredible. Truly a must-swim.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Ya hepsi yaLan a.q yüzmek için 10 kolpa yer…..
June 7th, 2009 at 9:27 am
[...] SupertightStuff [...]
June 7th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Red & Blue lakes in Imotski, Croatia should be definitely added to the list: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug5iFajQJSA
June 7th, 2009 at 10:37 am
[...] en Supertightstuff (Los 10 mejores lugares del mundo para [...]
June 7th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Really nice places to swim. It would be good to visit some of these places.
June 7th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
good article, but water boils at 186.4ºF at 14,000f, which is about 86ºC. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterproperties.html
June 8th, 2009 at 4:43 am
Sorry but, You had forgot the top tree, copy those names, to google images and try a search, YOU WILL CHANGE YOUR OPINION……
1) The Dead Sea, in Fethiye – TURKEY
2) SMYRNA , Antic Sunken City in Kaş – Antalya, TURKEY
3) Pamukkale , MAGIC is this, snow white travertens, and sunken ancient castle together, in Denizli -TURKEY
June 8th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Very cool, but you missed one of the coolest and neat places in the world! The sacred pool in Pamukkale, Turkey is the only place in the world that you can swim in ancient ruins! It is the same healing water that Cleopatra swam in and the area is a UNESCO world heritage site.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
[...] for a bit of a swim? Behold, the ten best swimming places in the world. I particularly like the place with the tiny free floating islands. The name Zacatón [...]
June 8th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
[...] The 10 Coolest Places to Swim – a great list with pictures and videos of some places that would be amazing to explore, and most of them are in places that would be fantastic to explore beyond the cool swimming holes. [...]
June 9th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Sometimes we don’t have to go so far in order to see real beauty. Homegrown Ginnie Springs, just outside High Springs in Northern Florida is a surreally beautiful place to swim.
June 9th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
what about bacalar??? its in mexico near chetumal (close to the border with belize)
really amazing crystal clear water thanks to the blue cenote
June 9th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
There are some great ‘swimming holes’ in Florida, and Ginnie Springs is one of them. There’s quite a number of great springs. Too bad they commercialized Silver Springs. You can’t swim there anymore, but you can swim in the chlorinated Water Theme Park on the property.
Hanauma Bay itself is a beautiful place to swim and snorkel, and maybe toss some frozen peas, but if you get that far you definitely should hike around the corner to the Toilet Bowl. On a strong tide day with a swell the water will explode out of the bowl, launching swimmers high into the sky and then suck them back in kicking and screaming, clawing at the well worn, slippery sides. It is insane, and incredibly fun. I think they control the swimming on the larger tides now, but back then it was a free for all.
June 10th, 2009 at 1:00 am
What about the beautiful “Lagoon of Maneating Sharks” in Bora Bora? Don’t forget to bring a towel!
June 12th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
[...] The 10 Coolest Places to Swim in the World 2009 June 12 by egelwan via Super Tight Stuff. [...]
June 13th, 2009 at 3:42 am
wow those sinkholes are interesting. never heard of them before, n victoria falls is so cool
June 14th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Deans blue hole is wicked awesome!!… Going back(for a much need trip to the bahamas) this august…. Stoked!!!!
November 16th, 2009 at 1:15 am
Awesome list. I have also always wanted to swim in the crystal blue waters of the Havasupai reservation in Grand Canyon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havasupai
January 24th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 15th, 2010 at 6:34 am
awesome!!!!
July 26th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
[...] Check it out! http://www.supertightstuff.com/05/26/pictures/tight-pictures/the-10-coolest-places-to-swim/ [...]
September 2nd, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Oferte turism Grecia in Chaidari cele mai atractive oferte de turism pe litoralul grecesc all inclusiv, o distractie sau concediu in Grecia antica. Incearca ofertele de turism si descopera vacanta din Grecia.
September 20th, 2010 at 9:45 am
We are lucky enough to own property at Dean’s Blue Hole for the past 16 years and there is something to be said for snorkeling over water that goes down 663 feet. My husband enjoys jumping off the cliffs – me, not so much… But stay away! We want to keep this place secret!
November 26th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
I think every place in the planet have something especial. In Argentina we have a few of land hyde. In the valley of Las Leñas, there’s a place to swim called the valley of Las Lagrimas. A very cool place.
July 21st, 2011 at 3:33 am
[...] 10. Sistema Sac Actun The Yucatan Peninsula is home to the longest underwater cave system in the world. Sistema Sac Actun was found to be connected to Sistema Nohoch Nah Chich, creating a system 154,783 meters long, the longest underwater cave in the world. By comparison the previous record holder Ox Bel Ha measured a puny 146,761 m. I mean that’s only 91 miles long, sheesh. The two have been exchanging the record for years as new, previously unexplored, sections are discovered. The whole system has been named Sistema Sac Actun, and is home to some of the most decorated and beautiful cave diving sites in the world. The most well known entrance is Grande Cenote, pictures of it are above and below. There is surprisingly little information about this incredible cave system, but we’ve shared what we could find. Once you get in to the system the water temperature is relatively constant, and some parts are very fragile and require perfect buoyancy. As you get deeper in the system there are incredible stalactites and stalagmites, and other geologic features. via|supertightstuff.com [...]
August 14th, 2011 at 8:00 am
Why Are You Lying ?
December 9th, 2011 at 3:35 am
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February 26th, 2012 at 11:43 am
This is an amazing post! Thank you do much for sharing!
February 26th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
Amazing places to see…my travel bucket list keeps getting longer and longer.
April 1st, 2012 at 5:03 am
Let look at the Devil’s swimming pool, it’s really scared, I don’t know how these man can swim at that place??? (in the video)
April 26th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
I have been snorkeling the underground river at XCaret, It’s over an hour drive S. of Cancun but well worth it. Take a tour by all means. Also been to Trunk Bay, Sapphire Beach in Virgin Islands, Cozumel, etc. I have always thought of going to Puerto Rico. These photos are VERY nice. Looks like lots of fun.