With over two-thirds of our planet underwater, it is now fairly easy for people to get to know the underwater world. It is no surprise that there is a huge niche in the tourism industry dedicated to exploring the surrounding aquatic ecosystems, which includes popular activities such as cruising, snorkeling, and diving.
Ecotourists can also find a variety of water-related activities to enjoy nature. So, let's take a look at the most exciting and eco-friendly water exploration activities in the modern tourism niche.
Scuba diving and diving
Perhaps the most impressive way to get acquainted with aquatic ecosystems is to dive into the underwater kingdom and see everything with your own eyes. Snorkeling is available almost anywhere you can swim. For example, sea scuba diving is considered a safe and easy way to see colorful fish, intricate coral gardens and many other unique forms of underwater life.
There are a number of great places to swim when traveling through Southeast Asia. The tropics are famous for the huge variety of colorful fish that gather in countless numbers around the coral reefs. Some of the best diving or snorkeling is in Thailand.
One drawback of snorkeling is that you have to stay close to the surface. This limitation does not exist in diving, because it allows you to spend an hour underwater. This, of course, is of great importance for ecotourists. For example, scuba diving allows you to develop knowledge about unique animals such as nudibranchs and trumpetfish.
river cruises
There are many types of river cruises. For example, most major cities offer dinner cruises on rivers. Other river cruises are organized to take visitors to the unique and beautiful ecosystems of the area. One particular river cruise that falls into this category goes through the mangrove forests of Langkawi Island, Malaysia. During the trip, one can see impressive natural sights such as eagles hunting fish or small colonies of monkeys playing on the shore. River cruises deep into the forest take tourists to places that cannot be reached by foot or by road. This way, the traveler gets to experience a new part of the ecosystem. One of the best river cruises is exploring the Amazon for almost a week to reach an extremely remote part of the rainforest. Deep in the jungle, one can observe snakes, birds, sloths, piranhas and a huge number of other species of exotic animals in their natural habitat. Without a doubt, the most fascinating animal is the pink dolphin. This is a rare species of dolphin that is colored pink due to its diet, just like flamingos.
Spectator Cruises
Spotting cruises are similar to river cruises, but typically take place in the ocean or lake. These cruises often look for specific aquatic animals, such as dolphins or whales. Water trips are a great way to see a specific animal that would otherwise be difficult to see in the wild.
Sightseeing cruises are quite common in Southeast Asia. For example, in Indonesia, on the island of Bali, people go on a trip across the water with the intention of seeing dolphins. In addition, these trips are a good chance to meet expert biologists who work to help track and identify the animal.
Obviously, there are a number of other ways to ecotourism around water systems. If you want, then during your trip to an exotic country you should definitely take advantage of snorkeling, diving, cruises, to at least catch a glimpse of this amazing world under water.
