We all remember how strange and exciting it felt the first time we explored underwater. While we can never experience that again, there is something special about being there for someone else's first.

We all love that feeling when a big showstopper of an animal makes an appearance. But there's something special about the humdrum, everyday dive, the ones where you take a moment to appreciate even the smallest of things.

It's one thing to see humpback whales in person, but hearing them is an entirely different—and completely transformative—experience.

Those who can brave these chilly water temps are rewarded with some of the best visibility that can be found anywhere on Earth. It's so clear, it's almost disorienting.

Follow along as a diver slips into the water alongside sharks in Guadalupe Island, Mexico, for the first time, shedding years of Hollywood-fueled fear.

After suffering a traumatic injury, one diver rebuilds their confidence on a far-flung dive trip.

Divers often feel a connection with the animals encountered underwater. Sometimes it can even feel like we're being given a message—like this diver's dolphin encounter.

On a liveaboard trip, you're bound to run into a whole cast of characters. Take enough of these trips, and some of their behaviors start to look a little... familiar.

On a dive trip in Mexico's Baja California Sur, one diver fondly recalls a trip that put her (almost) face to face with one of the ocean's gentlest giants.