Creature Features
We at Travel The World all have our own favourite marine creatures and we know you have too! For some, diving with sharks and huge schools of fish is the ultimate; others long to dive with manta rays; underwater photographers go on macro diving trips to seek out seahorses, flamboyant cuttlefish and other incredible macro wonders.
Whatever your dream underwater encounter, one thing is certain: a little prior knowledge can improve your enjoyment of a scuba diving trip immensely. Travel The World is the best online resource for fascinating information on your favourite marine creatures and where you can dive with them.
Why do hammerheads swim the way they do? Why do the chromatophores on a cuttlefish pulsate? What is the result of parrotfish crunching through coral? Which marine creature’s mouth inspired the movie character ‘Alien’? Which is the heaviest bony fish in the ocean? Which is the smallest ‘great whale’ in the ocean? Which fish has the fastest ‘gape and suck’ action to swallow prey? Find out this and more. Knowledge is power!
So browse our selection of creature features below. From whale sharks to wobbegongs, manta rays to mandarinfish, sea lions to seahorses, read all about the stars of our underwater world.
Komodo Dragons – The Myth, the Legend
The largest monitor lizard in the world, the Komodo dragon was unknown in the West until 1910, when local stories reached the ears of the Dutch colonialists about a "land crocodile". A couple of years later, a paper was published that identified it as a monitor lizard...
The Gentle Giant Tortoises of Galapagos
No other creature represents the Galapagos Islands more than the giant tortoise. There is a fascination with seeing such huge versions of a creature many of us are familiar with. Galapagos giant tortoises crossing a field Galapagos tortoises display 'gigantism', a...
Orangutans – The Wild Man of Borneo
Playful, intelligent, and sociable, the orang utan is one of the most loved and most threatened of all the large apes. Found only in their natural wild habitat in South East Asia (on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra), they live mostly in the treetops where they build...
Diving with Marine Iguanas – Dinosaurs on the Shore
Endemic to the Galápagos Islands and found throughout the archipelago, marine iguanas are the only true marine lizard in the world. It is thought that they evolved from land iguanas that drifted to the islands from South America, adapting to a marine environment with...
Diving with Trevallies – Apex Predators of the Reef
Trevally are among the more common fish encountered by divers, in a variety of species. These powerful silvery predators patrol the reefs and are often seen preying on smaller fish, making exciting, sudden dashes around the reef and thrilling any on-looking scuba...
Diving with Turtles – Underwater Ninjas
Turtles are among the best loved of sea-dwelling creatures. This is due both to their cute appearance and personality, as well as their declining numbers and their need for human protection, turtles are among the best loved of sea-dwelling creatures. Everyone loves an...
Diving with Sea Lions – Playful Puppies of the Sea
sharpening its teeth on hard corals in the Sea of Cortez. Photo Courtesy: Nautilus Few marine creatures seem to delight so much in the joy of life as a sea lion. Watching them play with each other, with divers and with other marine creatures, it is hard not to imagine...
Diving with Tawny Nurse Sharks – Oooh Matron!
Dive with tawny nurse sharks. Photo courtesy: Macana Tawny nurse sharks are quite commonly encountered by divers. You may see them lying on a sandy floor or huddled together in their favourite cave or crevice during the day, or witness them hunting on a night dive....
Diving with scorpionfish: Motionless and Venomous
Scorpionfish are among the ocean’s most fascinating and enigmatic creatures, captivating divers with their extraordinary camouflage and formidable venomous spines. Belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, these ambush predators are found in tropical and temperate waters...