Discover the wonders of the ocean through these immersive virtual video tours.
Diving in the ocean can be a calming and peaceful experience, a place where you can escape from the world of dry land. If you’ve never tried it, now you can with these immersive virtual reality videos.
See places such as New Zealand and Indonesia from uncharted depths and encounter the wonderful wildlife and ecosystems there. With 360-degree video technology, you will be mesmerised by these realistic video experiences.
EXPLORE SHIPWRECKS
Live out your fantasy of being an underwater explorer as you dive through old shipwrecks. As you swim through the dark, overgrown corridors, experience the wonder and excitement of discovering these wrecks for the first time. From an 1863 Civil War-era ship in Bermuda to a Royal New Zealand navy ship in the Bay of Islands, these virtual dives will reveal how nature turned these sunken wrecks into something beautiful.
HMNZS Canterbury in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI4-As5zQR8
MS Mikhail Lermontov in the Malborough Sounds, New Zealand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMkXD3KXOc0
Montana Shipwreck in Bermuda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly2lpRkBbC8&feature=youtu.be
DIVE WITH DOLPHINS
Get up close and personal with wild dolphins as you experience what it’s like to swim with a pod of them. As you observe their playful personalities, you may also find their clicking noises to be strangely calming; watching these videos can help you to relax and gain a deeper appreciation of these lovable creatures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_XPYtyiMWE
SWIM WITH SHARKS
If you don’t dare to dive with sharks in real life, you can do it vicariously through these virtual shark encounters. National Geographic brings you face to face with a Great Hammerhead shark in the waters off Miami, Florida. Another video by Discovery lets you feel what it’s like to be in a shark cage as a Great White shark circles around you. With the immersive 360-degree format, it feels a little too realistic at times!
Hammerhead Shark in Florida, USA
Great White Shark in the Isle of Jaws, South Australia
DRIFT AMONG JELLYFISH
Marvel at these enigmatic sea creatures in AirPano’s virtual dive videos. Follow a giant jellyfish as it floats through the waters off Cuba, or submerge yourself in a whole swarm of them in Raja Ampat’s famous Jellyfish Bay. You will feel as though you are entering a completely different world inhabited by these alien-looking organisms.
Giant jellyfish near Gardens of the Queen, Cuba
Jellyfish Bay, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
TRAVERSE CORAL REEFS
Tour the rainforests of the sea and uncover the rich biodiversity it contains. The Buck Island Reef in the Caribbean is one of America’s national monuments. As you explore the Caribbean Gem, look out for the thick elkhorn coral that branches out from the reef. A little closer to the equator, The Economist brings you to Palau’s majestic coral reefs. This virtual tour also provides a commentary on how climate change impacts coral, and what can be done to reverse these effects.
