Diving with Other Mammals
Curious, Playful, and Cute
When most people think of mammals while diving, whales and dolphins come to mind. These fast-swimming cetaceans may enjoy iconic status, but the world of mammals seen while diving is far more diverse and fascinating than many realize. In addition to whales and dolphins, this group also includes pinnipeds such as seals and sea lions, the gentle manatees, and the ever-charismatic sea otters. These animals can be found in a wide variety of habitats—from the sun-drenched tropics to the icy expanses of the polar seas. While most marine mammals live in saltwater, there are exceptions that bring their charm to freshwater ecosystems. Playful freshwater otters and seals can be found in rivers and lakes in many parts of the world. Whether diving in the ocean or exploring freshwater habitats, encountering these animals in the wild is an exciting and unforgettable experience.
Manatees can be encountered by divers and snorkelers alike in both salt and freshwater and are extremely abundant in the rivers and bays of Florida in the United States. Diving with sea lions and seals is always an exciting adventure as they are extremely curious and hardly shy. There is nothing like being buzzed right overhead by a fast swimming sea lion or getting your snorkel chewed on by a friendly seal. If you are looking for a stimulating dive with one of these cute and curious mammals then check out our list which includes the elephant seal, fur seal, sea lion, dugong,manatees and otters to learn more and to explore the best dive sites around the world where you can dive with each one.
Animals in this category
Diving with Elephant Seals
Elephant seals are classified within the seal family of pinnipeds, clearly identifiable by their lack of external ears, reduced limbs, and inflatable trunk-like snout, from which they derive their name. There are two distinct species of elephant seal, the northern and southern. Northern elephant seals are found up and down the coast of California, in the United States, and Baja California, in Mexico, preferring to congregate on offshore islands rather than the mainland. The southern species lives in the nutrient rich sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters of the chilly Southern Ocean and are the largest of all seal species.
Diving with Sea Lions
Sea lions are pinnipeds that are easily recognizable by their external ear flaps, cute, pointy nose, long, puffed up chest, and their ability to walk on all fours. Some of the more popular sea lion species are the California sea lion and the Steller sea lion. These fast, agile swimmers can reach up to 30 knots underwater and are very curious about the world around them. In fact, sea lions are not afraid of scuba divers in the least and have been known to buzz right around a group of divers, blow bubbles at them, and even chewing on their snorkels and fins.
Diving with Fur Seals
Fur seal is the common name given to nine distinct species of pinnipeds belonging to the Arctocephalinae subfamily of eared seals. The northern fur seal, the only species found in the northern hemisphere, occurs in the North Pacific, is the largest of the fur seals, and was nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th century. They have now greatly rebounded to 1.3 million individuals. The rest of the fur seals are found in the southern hemisphere, all much smaller than their northern cousins, and live in small colonies in Mexico, South America, Africa, and Australia.
Diving with Seals
The round, sweet eyes of a seal don’t only make these acrobatic mammals one of the cutest creatures in the sea but have a highly functional purpose as well. Seals have excellent underwater vision, especially in dark and murky waters. Being deep divers, sometimes reaching depths of up to 100 meters, having this increased ability to see in low light conditions is not only beneficial, but necessary to survive. Their bodies have also adapted to allow for these deeper, longer dives better than other marine mammals. Seal’s blood contains special properties allowing them to absorb more oxygen than other marine mammals, therefore allowing them to do these deep, long dives with ease.
Diving with Dugongs
A close relative to the manatee, dugongs are thought by some to be the motivation of seafaring tales of mermaids with their shapely bodies and fluked tails. In fact, they belong to the classification order Sirenia. Dugongs are the only strictly herbivorous marine mammals in the world and can be found all throughout the southern hemisphere, encompassing 40 countries and territories within the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Diving with Manatees
Together with Dugongs, Manatees form the order of sea cows. These two species differ mainly in their caudal fin; Manatees have a single round paddle-shaped tail while Dugongs have a forked fluke more like that of a whale. With a length of up to 5 meters, a manatee can weigh up to 500 kilograms. Diving with manatees is indescribable. These wonderful animals are very peaceful, calm, and slow, moving at a speed of only 3 to 7 km/h, perfect for observing and studying these majestic marine creatures.
Dive Sites with this Animal
★★★★★ Pino Huacho
Minimum depth 5 meters up to approximately 18 meters, ideal for Open Water Diver level 1 courses, rocky and sandy bottom, protected from wind and currents.
★★★★☆ South Point - San Pedro
Exposed dive site on the south tip of San Pedro de Nolasco. Can have strong currents, better for advanced and expert divers. Deep drop off and outside pinnacle with large pelagics at times.
★★★★☆ Aquarium - Neil
A festive theme park composed of patch reefs, hard corals, and shallow waters is a relaxing site for divers to chill and observe beautiful aquatic organisms. The exciting array of rocky patches at the bottom holds a network of colorful corals and reef fish complementing each other in perfect sync.
★★★★☆ The Gazzle
The Gazzle lies within the Newquay Bay & Gannel Marine Conservation Zone. It is shallow shore dive, max depth - 10m on a high tide. Gradually deepening sandy slope with kelpy reef and an abundance of marine life. Gazzle (North) - Kelp/rocky reef, caverns. Gazzle (South) - Kelp/rocky reef, caverns, old slipway.
★★★★☆ Lundy Island
The main diving area of Lundy Island is a protected marine nature reserve. The island lies at the mouth of the Bristol Channel and is washed by the Gulf Stream, providing a haven for some of the richest marine life to be found outside the tropics.
★★★★★ Scorpio House Reef
Perfect dive site for beginners, diving and snorkeling. The dive site in front of the center has an easy entrance accessible to all starting from 2m to 12-14m with a small wreck on the right side of the tip.