As a Scuba diver, you come across a huge variety of marine life from fish, coral, sharks, whales and so on. Many a times you encounter marine creatures that just wow you, maybe by how they look or what they do that’s so fascinating, some look deceptively pretty but can pack a mean bite or sting when called for and lastly there’s the bizarre and plain ugly creatures that make you re-think entering the water again.  We’d like to call them – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of the Underwater World. One thing is for sure…it’s a whole other World down there!

The Good (Fish)

Parrotfish
These beautifully bright colored reef fish, have quite the outer appearance with their peculiar beak shaped mouth. They come in hues of green, shades of blue, reds and yellows. But more than just their pretty colors, is their contribution to this planet. Did you know that Parrotfish are largely responsible for the fine white sand of many tropical coral islands today? Yes, this seemingly ordinary fish breaks down chunks of coral and rocky substrates for algae and they grind up the coral rock, excreting the same as a fine sand. Over the thousands of years they’ve helped create the small islands and sandy beaches in the Bahamas and Caribbean among others. One parrot fish can produce upto 90kgs (approx. 198 pounds) of sand each year. (Read: The Most Beautiful Fish in the Reef)  

(*image source: wikipedia.org)

The Bad (Fish)

Lionfish
This seemingly attractive fish is hard to miss with it’s bright stripes and big showy fins. Among the fancy fins however are 13 sharp spines that scream stay away. Loaded with a neurotoxin, the lionfish is one of the most venomous fish on the ocean floor. The lionfish is also referred to as Turkey Fish, Dragon Fish, Scorpion or Fire Fish. This small fish is quite the big bully and most fish and not to mention divers will keep a safe distance from it. Their sting is are not deadly or fatal to humans, but the person is likely to experience extreme pain, possibly headaches, vomiting, and breathing difficulties.

(*photo by: richard ling on flickr)

The Ugly (Fish)

Blob Sculpin
This deep sea fish is one of the ugliest fish you could find in the ocean. The name Blob Sculpin comes from it’s obvious blob like appearance. The flabby spineless fish however isn’t reported to be harmful in any way. It feeds mainly on crustaceans, molluscs, and sea urchins.

The Good (Shark)

Whale Shark
Whale sharks known as the gentle giants of the sea are a rare filter feeding variety of the otherwise feared shark species. These colossal creatures grow to a length of 20m and weigh up to 12,000 Kg and feed off zooplankton, squid and small fish. With white spots much like stars on the back of this massive yet magnificent fish, whale sharks are gentle and people friendly creatures unlike its other shark relatives. An absolute joy to dive or snorkel with they are quite an attraction to divers. (Read: Diving with Gentle Giants-The Whale Shark)

(*photo by: Noodlefish on flickr)

The Bad (Shark)

Bull Shark
As notorious as the big daddy of sharks the Great White, Bull sharks to have a reputation that surpasses them. Known for its unpredictable, often aggressive behavior, the bull shark is more of a threat to human than other shark species because of it’s affinity to dwell in shallow waters. They can live in rivers, estuaries and some lakes. In fact, some have been found as far as 3000 km up the Amazon and Mississippi rivers making them responsible for the majority of shark attacks on humans and even those that take place near the shore. (Read: 10 Common Shark Sightings )

(*photo by: pterantula on flickr)

The Ugly (Shark)

Basking Shark
Another harmless but strange looking variety from the shark family is the Basking shark. This filter feeder is called the basking shark because it is most often observed when feeding at the surface and appears to be basking. They feed at or close to the surface with their mouths wide open and gill rakers erect and only the first 3 or 4 rows of the upper jaw and 6 or 7 rows of the lower jaw are functional. Scary looking as they maybe these sharks are pretty harmless to humans if left alone.

(*image source: wikipedia.org)

The Good (Whale)

Beluga Whale
This cute snowy white whale colloquially known as the Sea Canary on account of the high-pitched squeaks, squeals, clucks and whistles it makes, is very smart creature. This display of intelligence was clear in the recent incident where the Beluga Whale saved a free diver from drowning. Beluga’s are popular for their amusing facial expressions unlike other whales and they have an almost perpetual smile giving them a friendly face. An amazing fact about this whale is that it unlike most whales can swim backwards.

The Bad (Whale)

Orcas (Killer Whale)
Quite unlike it’s portrayal in ‘Free Willy’ the Hollywood blockbuster Orcas or Killer Whale as they are more commonly known are not the friendliest or nicest of whales. In fact they are quite the predators in the ocean and hunt sharks,marine mammals including sea lions, seals, walruses and even large whales. Although they aren’t a direct threat to humans, incidents of Orcas being a little aggressive towards their handlers in marine park and one such incident resulted in a fatality.

(*photo by: limowreck666 on flickr)

The Ugly (Whale)

Gray Whale
At 16 meters (52 ft), 36 tons and an average age of 50–60 years, Gray Whales are huge, ugly and old! This dark slate-gray Whale is covered by characteristic gray-white patterns and scars left by parasites which drop off in the cold feeding grounds.

(*image source: wikipedia.org)

Whale watching can be a thrilling experience. An encounter with one of the largest animals in the World often gives people a sense of the amazing creatures nature has on offer.

The highly unusual appearance of a whale in the River Thames in London a few years back, left people with their jaws dropped, as well as wanting to see more. But while you could wait a lifetime inn London to see it happen again there are a lot of other places in the World where it’s not uncommon to spot these giant beauties. In fact, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, about ten million people a year go whale watching, spending more than $1.25 billion. (*Photo by Richard.Fisher on flickr)

Here are the Top Whale watching destinations in the World today…something worth doing to add to a list of most amazing experiences of your lifetime.

Hermanus, South Africa
From August through to November, Hermanus a small town about a 100 kms (62 miles) from Cape Town in South Africa is the prime destination to spot whales. You don’t even have to get your toes wet to catch a glimpse of one of these blubbery giants as you catch their spouts going off or their tails making a splash from the shoreline.

Apart from Hermanus, there is a whopping miles of whale watching coastline called the Whale-route. It extends from the south of Cape Town right to Durban. At least 37 species of whales and dolphins can be found in these and the most famous of them the southern right whales, humpback whales, and several coastal dolphin species.

*Photo by cornstaruk on flickr

Kaikoura, New Zealand
On the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, the small seaside town of Kaikoura is the best place in the World to spot the giant sperm whale. Your chances to see not just one but several together are quite high almost all year round as these massive mammals reside in the 2km deep Kaikoura Canyon which is both deep and rich in nutrients. The longest and deepest diving of any cetacean, you see outlines of these whales, along with their especially powerful 15-foot “blows” before they dive back in to the depths. Humpback whales during June and July and orcas in the summer are also visitors of this region. Whale watching cruises are available here.

*Photo by Strange Ones on flickr

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
Cape Cod is quite a popular get away destination for big New York city resident sand other near by cities cos of it’s sand beaches. The second largest of the whale species, the finback whale is seen on a regular basis in the Atlantic waters off this coast. Because of currents pushing down the coast from Nova Scotia, the bank is home to a rich food chain that makes it a three star feeding ground for whales. Whale watching cruises leave from Provincetown, Plymouth, Barnstable, or even Boston.

*Photo by Rich Ellison on flickr

While it may sound quite like  a scene from the famous whale movie ‘Free Willy’, recent news reported a Beluga Whale that sensed the distress of a free diver and saved her from drowning by pushing her up to the surface.

Free diver Yang Yun owes her life to a Beluga whale named Mila at Polar Land in Harbin, north east China. News reported that the 26 year old free diver had been taking part in a free diving contest without any breathing apparatus.  Competitors had to swim to the bottom of a 20ft arctic pool and stay there for as long as possible. The large tank was home to beluga whales one of which spotted diver Yang Yun struggling as her legs paralyzed with crippling cramps due to the cold temperatures.

Lucky Yun  told a reporter : “I began to choke and sank even lower and I thought that was it for me – I was dead. Until I felt this incredible force under me driving me to the surface.”

The Beluga Mila was said to have helped Yun by grabbing on to her leg with it’s mouth before organizers even noticed the problem and they watched in amazement how using her sensitive dolphin like nose  the whale guided the helpless diver safely to the surface.

Beluga whales like dolphins, are known for their intelligence, sensitivity as well playfulness towards humans.  These social creatures can grow up t 15ft (5m) in length and are a striking white color with a humped head. Beluga’s are popular for their amusing facial expressions unlike other whales and they have an almost perpetual smile giving them a friendly face. An amazing fact about this whale is that it unlike most whales can swim backwards.

Unfortunately the dwindling numbers of this species has put it on the Endangered list. Found particularly in very cold waters around Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia, the biggest threat to the whale is human caused pollution from our rivers which flow out to the oceans where this whale resides. Hunting is another reason.

Let the remarkable story of Mila the hero Beluga whale, one of our world’s beautiful creatures be a reminder to us all of  the plight of our oceans today.