9.
Port Royal, Jamaica
Port Royal may have had a grand name, but the behavior of the locals and city’s reputation
were anything but.
Once known as the “Wickedest City in the World,” this pirate playground now lies
underwater.
The island city, which was notorious during the 17th century, became an English stronghold
between 1655 and 1692.
In addition to pirates and their booty there were slaves, sex workers and all manner of
exploitative practices taking place in pursuit of money.
So how did Port Royal end up it’s own version of Atlantis?
Well, in 1692 an earthquake measuring 7.5 magnitude struck.
Because the city was built on sand, it was shaken to its foundations fairly easily.
Port Royal collapsed and was then hit by a tsunami.
2,000 souls were reportedly lost.
What was left continued to function as best it could till the 1950s.
At that point Hurricane Charlie arrived and the water submerged it gradually.
Divers can now visit the site, which is under approx 40 ft (12 m) of water.
It’s a rich source of archaeology, and people naturally want to take a peek at the former
city’s colourful history.
Port Royal did once have legendary pirate Henry Morgan - yes, him on the rum bottle!
- as its Lt Governor.
The place even had its own drink by the sounds of it.
A little beverage known as Kill Devil Rum.
We’re guessing it was pretty strong stuff!
8.
Neptune Memorial Reef, Miami
The inhabitants of Port Royal ended their days underwater.
They didn’t expect this of course, though there were people buried there at the time
in a cemetery.
Our next incredible underwater place takes the idea of a sea burial and puts it on a
whole other level.
If you’re into the idea of being environmentally friendly then you’re going to want to see
this.
It’s the Neptune Memorial Reef near Key Biscayne in Florida.
What’s a Memorial Reef?
Well, it’s a lot like a regular reef, made up of coral and supported by a marine ecosystem.
Many ocean enthusiasts consider this locale the ideal final resting place -and in this
beautiful, scenic location, the deceased become an actual part of the reef.
How does that work?
In order to become a part of the reef, after being cremated, your ashes are blended with
concrete and then you’re made into an attractive piece such as a seashell.
Beats a regular tombstone, right?
With your name displayed on the concrete and ash tribute, you’re then deposited some
45 ft (14 m) below the surface.
Mourners then pay their respects by diving down to visit the reef.
Probably the coolest thing about this idea, aside from its green credentials, are the
aesthetics involved.
The Memorial Reef is apparently modelled on Atlantis… yep, the famous lost city!
According to the Neptune Society website, the goal is to have a 16 acre site down there.
You’d need a bouquet of seaweed rather than a bunch of flowers perhaps, but this is a
great way to rest in peace without disturbing Mother Earth.
7.
Shicheng, China Ah, the march of progress.
It can do so many things, but one thing that does suffer is history.
Take the ancient city of Shicheng in Su’ian County, part of the province of Zhejiang,
China.
Constructed approximately 1,300 years ago in the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it
was an impressive destination, featuring ornate stone carvings and no less than 5 gates to
enter the awesome location.
Shicheng is still in the same place it was, all those centuries ago, with one big difference.
Yes you’ve guessed it… the place is underwater.
You can visit to see the area for yourself but bring your diving equipment because it’s
under as much as 131 ft (40 m) of the wet stuff.
Why is it submerged?
Progress!
It was decided to flood the city with what became Qiandao Lake, serving the Xin’an
River Dam Project back in 1959.
The interesting thing is that the water appears to have preserved the city in great condition.
Maybe better than it would have been had the flood not taken place!
By the way, in case you’re wondering what Shicheng means, it translates as “Lion City”.
It comes from the nearby mountain Wu Shi, or “Five Lion”.
You’ll need fins and and SCUBA gear to visit the underwater city, however.
6.
Lake Michigan’s “Stonehenge”, USA
An exciting underwater archaeological story was discovered this year, involving ancient
stone circles found in a perhaps unlikely location…
Lake Michigan!
Why unlikely?
Well, the find has been compared to the legendary Stonehenge, but that’s associated with the
druids over in England, right?
American stone circles are less known about for sure, never mind ones that are spotted
at the bottom of one of the Great Lakes!
They’re thought to be in the region of 10,000 years old, and are possibly connected to the
indigenous Anishinaabeg people.
They’re Native Americans, who it’s reckoned were populating the area back then.
The circles were probably put there for spiritual reasons.
But did the tribe swim down there to drop stones?
No they most certainly didn’t.
Instead the location may have been dry, thanks to a dramatic drop in the water level.
This is believed to have taken place approx 10,000 years ago and lasted a few thousand
years.
Then, for whatever reason, the water rose again.
What do the circles represent?
Now you’re asking!
The historic site of Stonehenge, that this area is compared to, remains very mysterious.
No-one quite knows what the purpose was, and this Michigan mystery is no different.
The presence of animal carvings, believed to depict a mastodon, might give some clue.
These ancient relatives of elephants and mammoths were hunted, so the stones could be what’s
known as a “drive lane”, according to experts.
In other words, a place where prey could be herded to and taken down a certain route so
they could be attacked and killed by hunters.
If true, this gruesome history was washed away by the lake water.
However, those heavy stones stayed in position, and now they give us a fascinating look at
how life was lived in America thousands of years ago.
5.
Underwater Post Office, Vanuatu
At this post office, you probably don’t need to lick the stamps!
Vanuatu is on the map, partly for being an island nation in the South Pacific, but also
for having an underwater post office.
How does that even work?
Keep watching to find out.
It was opened in 2003 and is a fun way for tourists to mail postcards back home.
Of course the cards are made of plastic and you won’t get the traditional stamp using
ink.
That would be crazy!
Gotta use the underwater post office service properly, right?
Do they do much business?
Indeed they do.
Reportedly the post office - which includes a mailbox and fibreglass water tank - takes
in hundreds of the special cards, from divers and passing cruise ships at Mele Bay.
It even has staff on hand, with post people strapping on scuba gear and helping people
with their deliveries.
This location is only 10 ft (3 m) under the water, so it doesn’t take a whole lot of
swimming to get there.
Just make sure you don’t get stuck in a queue.
We imagine queueing underwater is worse than queueing on land!
Would you want to send out waterproof postcards at the underwater post office in Vanuatu?
Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to like the video now as well!
4.
Rummu Prison, Estonia Not all underwater places are beautiful, though
they can be incredible in different ways.
A great example of this is an abandoned Soviet prison camp, situated in a flooded limestone
quarry and found by the town of Rummu in Estonia.
It used to be a place where back-breaking labour took place.
Prisoners would take a short walk from their place of incarceration to the quarry.
This gruelling destination had been run by the Soviets since the 1940s.
But nothing lasts forever, and when Estonia left the Russian empire and became independent
in 1991, the prison was ditched.
Nature reclaimed the area, when groundwater rose without anyone to manage its flow.
What used to be a tough institution for those deemed criminals is now, of all things, an
adventure centre where various water based activities take place.
If you’re qualified, you can dive down to see the parts of the prison which have been
submerged.
Sounds a little creepy to us but hey, at least it’s being used for a fun purpose rather
than a horrible one.
3.
Silfra Fissure, Iceland Our next underwater place is truly incredible,
and has a unique edge over everything else on our list.
It isn’t just somewhere at the bottom of a body of water.
The Silfra fissure is a piece of the planet’s ancient history.
What is it?
Well, if you like something more adventurous when you go diving, then the fissure is just
what you need.
This is the gap between continental plates, specifically Eurasia and North America.
You can access this awesome sight via Thingvallavatn Lake at the prestigious Thingvellir National
Park near the capital of Reykjavík in Iceland.
Once under the surface, you can explore the epic fissure known as “The Cathedral”,
which runs for 330 ft (100 m).
There is also a cave system you can check out down there, in an area called Silfra Hall.
Then you swim out through Silfra Lagoon.
It’s a magical experience but also a cold one.
They don’t call it Iceland for nothing, right?
The water isn’t sub zero but temperatures range from 2°C (35°F) to 4°C (39°F).
So it pays to put your thermals on beneath your wetsuit!
The fissure reportedly gets wider at a rate of approx 2 cm, or 3/4 inch, annually.
And you can monitor any changes to the underwater geography with no problem, thanks to exceptional
water quality.
What makes the water here so good and clear?
Firstly, it’s spent decades being filtered, travelling from the enormous - and ever so
slightly melting - Langjökull glacier and passing through lava before winding up at
the lake.
If you’re feeling thirsty, you may as well bring a bottle.
The water is supposed to be so pure that it’s perfectly drinkable.
2.
MV Karwela, Malta This wreck off the coast of the Mediterranean
island of Gozo, in the Maltese archipelago, isn’t a pirate galleon or historic craft.
The Karwela actually dates all the way back to…
2006!
In its former life it was a passenger ferry that had been on the water since 1957 and
came from West Germany.
It was scuttled in the 21st century - in other words deliberately sunk - after being put
out of service.
At a length of 50 m (164 ft) and weight of 497 tons (497000 kg), there surely wasn’t
any trouble getting it to the bottom.
In fact it’s perfectly upright, thanks to the use of buoyancy tanks during the process,
and often visited by divers wanting to explore the vessel’s surprisingly impressive features
such as its grand central staircase.
The wreck has 3 decks, so plenty for qualified marine types to have a look at.
A strange detail about the Karwela is that an old VW Beetle was placed on its deck at
one point.
Why?
We’re not entirely sure.
Maybe they just thought it looked cool -Herbie goes to the bottom of the ocean or something?
Meanwhile, Danish free driver Jesper Stechmann ventured to the Karwela without a tank to
check out the environment for himself.
He needed to hold his breath for a wince-inducing 2 mins 40 seconds.
The dive involved Stechmann swimming down approx 40 m (131 ft).
From the looks of things, all that effort was worth it.
The detail down there really is spectacular, right?
1.
Atlantis, Dubai The underwater entries we’ve had on our
list so far have all been largely abandoned.
Our final entry however is on the cutting edge of the modern age rather than anything
historical.
We’re talking about Dubai’s Atlantis The Palm resort where, if the mood takes you,
you can enjoy your stay… below the surface!
Where is this stunning and very different location?
The surprising answer is out in the desert… well, Dubai to be precise.
Situated at the Palm, which is a man-made island, this place is a five star resort as
you can imagine.
It’s also a total dream for anyone who’s imagined living under the sea.
The Underwater Suite is billed as a great place to spend your honeymoon, or just as
a unique spot to get away from it all without any pressure.
Well, there’s the water pressure of course, but you don’t need to worry about that we’d
say.
Beautiful and colourful sea creatures are there at your window.
The glass is the size of a wall, so there’s a strong feeling that you’re living in an
aquarium.
This view is of the Ambassador Lagoon.
Though those of a nervous disposition might want to take a step back, because sharks have
been known to cruise by!
There are apparently 65,000 creatures in this purpose-built space… and a few more if you
include the guests.
Not only does the suite come with a butler, but you can also get from the upper to the
lower level by elevator.
As luxurious locations go, it’s far from a damp squib.
Though we imagine you’d have to have pockets as deep as the aquarium to afford a stay there.
Hopefully if you do decide to spend your honeymoon at Atlantis The Palm, you’ll have a great
time.
Otherwise the next sharks you may be seeing are divorce lawyers!
Thanks for watching!
Are there any other incredible underwater places you think we left off the list?
Let us know in the comments.
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