Three underwater wonders you must experience

It is an oft quoted fact that we know far more about Space than what goes on under the sea. And that makes it all the more delightful to explore. Here are three ways to combine your next holiday with an underwater adventure...

Marine life

Manta rays in the Maldives 

Andrew Purvis

In my logbook, documenting every dive I have done since the age of 15, four dog-eared pages stand out. The entry for Dive No 183, at a site called Bobana Thila in the Maldives, describes how I clung to the reef edge in a ferocious current and watched “a procession of 10 whitetip reef sharks, torpedo-like tuna and so many turtles I didn’t know where to look, one of them 1ft from my mask”.

But this was only the beginning of the carnival of animals that is almost guaranteed in these Indian Ocean atolls, a fecund planktonic feeding ground for everything from sleek spinner dolphins to harmless 30ft whale sharks. If you want to feel like an over-adrenalinised extra in Blue Planet II, this is where to head.

Next day, at Huru Ali Kandu (time down: 8.50am, dive time: 55 mins, max depth: 78ft, weather: clear after light rain), dozens of whitetip reef sharks dozed on the sand and I encountered “many, many rays – first a small mobular ray, then an electric ray, plus a large, pale grey stingray and a squadron of three beautiful eagle rays soaring in from the blue to inspect us.”

At Huru Dhoofaru (Dive No 185) I noted “moray eels, three lobsters crammed in a single crevice, the water thick with squirrelfish, tuna and trevally jack overhead and a turtle chomping on coral next to a pufferfish.”

The grand finale came on Dec 4 2016, again at Huru Ali. For 36 minutes, Dive No 186 was remarkable because absolutely nothing happened. Then, over my shoulder, a female manta ray appeared, the first of four balletic, graceful creatures with bat-like wings 13ft across, swooping inches above my head. They stayed for 40 minutes, then vanished as enigmatically as they had arrived.

Mirihi Island Resort (telegraph.co.uk/tt-mirihi-maldives) has villas from ￡709 per night; flights cost extra. A package of five dives with Ocean Pro Diving, the resort dive centre, cost $280 (about ￡215) including equipment rental.

Wreck dive

The Zero fighter in Papua New Guinea

Simon Rogerson

We swam carefully over the dark sand, keeping our fins clear of the silty seabed. Every now and then, a small explosion would register in front of us as a lizardfish or some other sand-dweller fled across the bottom. Then the outline of the wreck materialised from the blue – a perfectly intact Mitsubishi Zero aircraft that had lain undisturbed at the bottom of Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, since being ditched there at the height of the Second World War.

The waters of Kimbe Bay on the island of New Britain are famed for their pristine coral ecosystems. In the days leading up to my wreck dive I had marvelled as great schools of barracuda and jackfish swept across the coral seamounts; still nothing had quite prepared me for the unique atmosphere of the Zero.

In contrast to the local reefs, the Zero sits in an area close to shore where visibility is usually poor, but the murky water only serves to emphasize its eerie presence, of history frozen in time. The plane’s propeller was still in place, covered in corals and encrusting sponges. The cockpit was occupied by a beautiful sea anemone, its symbiotic clownfish flitting around in their customary proprietorial manner. 

The Zero had first been discovered by a fisherman, who reported his find to Max Benjamin, owner of the nearby Walindi Plantation Resort. Fascinated by the find, Max and his wife Cecilie located the aircraft’s serial number, which helped them to establish that the Zero had gone missing during the battle of Cape Gloucester on West New Britain on Dec 26 1944. 

The pilot on that day was one Tomiharu Honda. The absence of bullet holes or human remains suggests he ran out of fuel and ditched the Zero before swimming to land. Whatever his fate, his final touchdown must have been a skilful manoeuvre; he left behind a living museum, a dark treasure for future generations to discover.

Original Diving (020 3582 4990; originaldiving.com) offers an 11-day trip to Papua New Guinea, staying at Walindi Plantation Resort, from ￡4,220pp full-board. The price includes 10 dives per person, Bungalow accommodation, plus all flights and transfers. 

Sunken city

Pavlopetri in Greece  

Andy Torbet

As soon as I walked into the warm, azure waters of the Aegean Sea and disappeared beneath the waves, I could easily discern the outline of buildings. There was little life on the sandy bottom save the odd sea urchin, so nothing obscured my view of the remains of Pavlopetri.

This little port sank beneath the waves around 1,000BC due to volcanic action which caused the land to drop. The settlement had been in use since 2,800BC and was thriving during the Bronze Age of Ancient Greece, Homer’s “Time of Heroes”.

The foundations of the rectangular buildings, rooms and courtyards were obvious because they protruded above the sand. As I swam down the distinctive main road I could make out the breaks in walls that marked the doorways into these ancient shops and houses. I couldn’t help but enter the buildings by finning “through the door”.

I first discovered Pavlopetri in 2009 on an archaeological expedition looking at submerged landscapes and settlements. The shallow waters and well preserved remains made the site perfect for study.

But there is also something about a sunken city that fires the imagination. I could picture the daily life of these ancient people as traded goods, fish stocks and people moved in and out of this busy harbour. It’s tantalising to think some of the 1,000 ships launched by Agamemnon may have left here, sailing towards the fabled war in Troy.

As I explored further I saw tombs cut from the bedrock and collections of stone graves outside the main town. But it was one individual grave that was the most distinct feature of Pavlopetri itself. Built into the thick walls of one of the best-preserved homes was the small coffin of a child, its dark stone distinct against the yellow of the local masonry. It may perhaps have been a tradition to bury infants in the home to keep them close – and it will always be my most vivid memory of this lost civilisation.

Sunvil (020 8758 4758; sunvil.co.uk) offers a seven-night trip based near Pavlopetri from ￡1,437pp including flights, car hire and B&B accommodation at the five-star Kinsterna Hotel near Monemvasia.