Places That Take You Below the Waterline (8 Photos)

Walk, Ride or Dine Below the Waterline

Most of us only see the water from above. At these places you go down into it and stay dry. From a sunken bridge through a Dutch moat to a bell-shaped gondola in the Baltic Sea, here are eight places where you end up below the water’s surface.

More: Just Add Water

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🔔 Diving Gondola — Zingst, Germany 🇩🇪

At the end of the pier in Zingst, a bell-shaped cabin carries visitors down into the Baltic Sea.

💡 Fact: The Zingst diving gondola has been running since June 18, 2013, at the end of an 886-ft (270 m) pier from 1993. It was the fourth gondola of its kind in Germany, after Zinnowitz, Sellin and Grömitz (source in German).

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsTauchgondel Zingst2013 · Seebrücke, Zingst, GermanyUp to 30 peopleDeck about 4 m down270 m pier1A closed, pressure-resistant cabin is lowered from a lift tower into the Baltic Sea and raised again.Tauchgondel2The cabin holds up to 30 people at the head of Zingst’s 270-metre pier.Tauchgondel2013JunIn service · Tauchgondel20142 MarPhotographed at the pier · Wikimedia Commons202019 JanClose view in winter · Wikimedia Commons20233 MaySeen along the pier · Wikimedia CommonsMore photos2020 Close view in winter, January 2020Photo: Matti Blume / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)2023 Seen along the pier, May 2023Photo: Unukorno / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)Read the full file →

📷 Photo: “Tauchgondel Zingst” by Gerd Fahrenhorst / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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🌊 Moses Bridge — Halsteren, Netherlands 🇳🇱

At Fort de Roovere, the path to the old fort runs through the moat instead of over it, with the water right beside you on both sides.

💡 Fact: When Fort de Roovere was restored from 2010, the moat was dug out again. The architects RO&AD felt a bridge over the moat would be disrespectful to the fort’s design, so they made a partially submerged one. People named it the Moses Bridge because it seems to part the water.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsMoses BridgeRO&AD Architecten · 2011 · Fort de Roovere, HalsterenSunk into the moatAccoya woodFort from 16271RO&AD Architecten set this wooden pedestrian crossing inside the fort’s moat instead of over it.RO&AD Architecten2Ground and water rise to its edges, so the crossing cannot be seen from a distance.RO&AD Architecten20115 OctProject date · RO&AD Architecten20129 OctPhotographed across the moat · Wikimedia Commons20156 SepPhotographed from the rampart · Wikimedia Commons20209 AugProject published · ArchDailyMore photos2012 Across the moat, October 2012Photo: Nokah / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 NL)Read the full file →

📷 Photo: Digital Eye / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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🍽️ Under — Lindesnes, Norway 🇳🇴

Off the rocky coast at Lindesnes, a concrete restaurant slides into the sea like a sinking box.

💡 Fact: Under was designed by Snøhetta and opened on March 20, 2019. Its dining room is 18 ft (5.5 m) below sea level, and it earned a Michelin star in less than a year. In Norwegian, “under” means both “below” and “wonder.”

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsUnderSnøhetta · 2019 · Lindesnes, NorwaySeabed 5 m below11 m wide windowArtificial reef1Snøhetta’s 34-metre concrete form rests directly on the seabed five metres below the surface.Snøhetta2Its rough outer shell is designed to become habitat for limpets and kelp.Snøhetta2016Design period begins · Snøhetta201920 MarOpened to the public · ArchDaily20196 JunPhotographed from the shore · Wikimedia Commons201915 AugPhotographed on a grey day · Wikimedia Commons201915 AugThe dining room window · Wikimedia CommonsMore photos2019 On a grey day, August 2019Photo: City Foodsters / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)2019 The dining room window, August 2019Photo: City Foodsters / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)Read the full file →

📷 Photo: Eldart / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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🐠 Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory — Busselton, Australia 🇦🇺

Near the end of the long Busselton Jetty, visitors walk down into a room surrounded by the sea.

💡 Fact: Busselton Jetty is 6,040 ft (1,841 m) long, the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. About 1.1 miles (1.8 km) from shore, the observatory takes visitors 26 ft (8 m) below the surface, where 11 windows look out on more than 300 species of marine life.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsBusselton Jetty Underwater ObservatoryBusselton Jetty · 2003 · Geographe Bay, Western Australia8 m below the surface12 m concrete chamberFloated in from Cockburn Sound1The chamber rests on the seabed eight metres below the surface, near the end of the jetty.Government of Western Australia2It looks out on a habitat with more than 300 recorded underwater species.Government of Western Australia200313 DecOfficially opened · Government of Western Australia202412 FebVisitors at the windows · Wikimedia CommonsRead the full file →

📷 Photo: Dr-ziego / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

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🐡 Underwater Observatory — Eilat, Israel 🇮🇱

At the end of a footbridge off the Red Sea coast of Eilat, visitors in the observatory stand at the glass with the reef right outside.

💡 Fact: The Underwater Observatory Marine Park was founded in 1975. It has two connected towers, the first built in 1974 and a larger one in 1991. There are no nets around them, so the fish stay by the reef on their own. Corals raised by Eilat schoolchildren have been planted around the tower.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsCoral World Underwater ObservatoryCoral World · 1974 and 1991 · Eilat, IsraelTwo adjoining towersNo netsRed Sea reef1Two adjoining towers, built in 1974 and 1991, place visitors inside Eilat’s Red Sea reef.Coral World Eilat2No nets enclose the towers; the fish and other animals come to the reef freely.Coral World Eilat1974First tower erected · Coral World1975Park established · Coral World1991Second, larger tower · Coral World200818 AprThe tower from the pier · Wikimedia Commons202325 FebVisitors at the windows · Wikimedia CommonsMore photos2008 The tower from the pier, April 2008Photo: Abraham / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Read the full file →

📷 Photo: “94348 visitors at the underwater observatory eilat PikiWiki Israel” by Lizzy Shaanan / PikiWiki Israel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)

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🏝️ Coral World Undersea Observatory Tower — St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 🇻🇮

Off the shore of Coral World Ocean Park, a white dome marks a tower that drops into the sea.

💡 Fact: The observatory tower takes visitors 15 ft (4.6 m) below the waves. Coral World opened in 1978 as the second Coral World park after Eilat.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsCoral World Undersea ObservatoryCoral World Ocean Park · late 1970s · Coki Point, St. Thomas15 ft below the wavesOffshore walkwayOpen-water windows1Its viewing level sits 15 feet below the waves off Coki Point.Coral World Ocean Park2The windows face the wild, unconfined marine life of Coki Bay and Drake’s Passage.Coral World Ocean Park1995Hurricane Marilyn damage · Harvard Magazine1998AugPark reopened · Harvard Magazine2001JanReport on the rebuilt park · Harvard Magazine200929 MarThe dome and its walkway · Wikimedia Commons201631 DecPhotographed from the water · Wikimedia CommonsMore photos2009 The dome and its walkway, March 2009Photo: Derek Hatfield from Peterborough, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)Read the full file →

📷 Photo: Gruepig / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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🚲 Cycling Through Water — Genk, Belgium 🇧🇪

At Bokrijk, in the De Wijers pond country, cyclists ride down a path cut right through a pond.

💡 Fact: Fietsen door het Water (Cycling Through Water) opened in April 2016. The path runs for more than 650 ft (200 m) straight across a pond, and in the middle the water is at eye level on both sides.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsFietsen door het WaterVisit Limburg · 2016 · Bokrijk, GenkWater at eye levelOver 200 m longCycle node 911The sunken path carries cyclists and walkers more than 200 metres through a pond.Bokrijk2At the midpoint, the pond water stands at eye level on both sides.Visit Limburg2016AprPath opened · Visit Limburg201725 SepAt dawn · Wikimedia Commons20189 SepCyclists and walkers · Wikimedia Commons20196 AprFrom the bank · Wikimedia CommonsMore photos2017 At dawn, September 2017Photo: Visitlimburg.be / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)2019 From the bank, April 2019Photo: Paul Hermans / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Read the full file →

📷 Photo: Willy Leenders / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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🪸 Kushimoto Marine Park Undersea Tower — Kushimoto, Japan 🇯🇵

Down in the undersea tower at Kushimoto Marine Park, the windows look out on soft corals and darting blue fish.

💡 Fact: The tower opened in January 1971, about 460 ft (140 m) offshore. Like a traditional Sazae-dō spiral hall, it has a double spiral staircase, one for going down and one for coming up (source in Japanese). The waters around Kushimoto hold some of the world’s northernmost table coral communities.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsKushimoto Undersea Observation TowerKushimoto Marine Park · 1971 · Kushimoto, WakayamaJapan’s first marine parkAbout 140 m offshoreDouble spiral stairs1The observation tower belongs to Kushimoto Marine Park, the first marine park established in Japan.Kushimoto Marine Park2Warm currents let tropical fish and some of the world’s northernmost table corals live here.Japan Tourism Agency1970JulMarine park established · Kushimoto Marine Park1971JanTower opened · Kushimoto Marine Park20104 MayView through a window · Wikimedia Commons20104 MayThe tower and its footbridge · Wikimedia Commons20241 JanOperator: open every day · iko-yoMore photos2010 The tower and its footbridge, May 2010Photo: Motokoka / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Read the full file →

📷 Photo: Motokoka / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)