Marine life profile
Sea urchin
Recorded at 8 dive sitesWhere divers encounter it
Explore Sea urchin around the world
Sea urchins or urchins () are the class Echinoidea within the echinoderms. Its movements may be subtle, but feeding, filtering and defensive responses are constantly reshaping the reef at close range.
Meet the species
What to look for
How to Recognize It
Slow down and look for distinctive texture, symmetry and color rather than a familiar fish-like silhouette.
How It Behaves
Its movements may be subtle, but feeding, filtering and defensive responses are constantly reshaping the reef at close range.
Special Ability
Specialized tissues, stinging cells, regeneration or chemical defenses solve survival without speed or heavy armor.
Dive responsibly
Share the water well
How to Approach
Perfect your buoyancy and observe from above without touching the animal or the surface supporting it.
Safety
Many invertebrates are fragile, venomous or irritating to skin. Keep hands, fins and equipment clear.
Worth knowing
The detail you remember
Interesting Facts
Approximately 950 species live on the seabed, inhabiting all oceans and depths from the intertidal zone to the deep sea.
Where to Find
Look closely on reef walls, coral heads, sand, seagrass, jetties and shaded overhangs.
Known countries
Sightings map
Sea urchin locations
Plan a dive
Dive sites with reported encounters
The Zenobia Wreck
Cyprus
The Zenobia Wreck is one of the top ten wreck dives in The World, as voted by divers each year. She sank on 7th June 1980, and rests on her port side between 19m and 42m. MS Zenobia was a Swedish built Challenger-class RO-RO ferry 172m long, and sank with over 100 vehicles and lorries. Engineers discovered that the computerized pumping system was pumping excess water into the side ballast tanks due to a software error. It has become a haven for a range of fantastic marine life. The outside of the wreck has much to see with the 2 massive props, roro doors, the lorries on the outside, funnels, bridge, cafeteria, the bow area and the accommodation. The Zenobia is the perfect location to complete your Advanced Open Water course. Additionally the Zenobia has amazing technical diving routes where you can hone your technical skills and complete some of your technical diving courses there.
Gordon's Bay
Australia
Gordon's Bay is renowned for its accessibility and year-round appeal for divers and snorkelers. The calm conditions and a maximum depth of 14 meters make it a popular spot for all levels of divers. Gordon's Bay is famous for the underwater nature trail, a 600-meter path marked by a chain that guides you through the site. The trail leads to "The Wall," which is home to many Port Jackson sharks and Wobbegong sharks. Along the nature trail, divers also commonly encounter the famous Blue Groper, a local legend and a favorite among divers. Photos by Aquatic Imaging Australia.
Mike's Maze
Sint Maarten
Part of the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area. It starts at approximately 40 feet (12 m) and boasts healthy coral formations and numerous maze-like swim throughs, passageways wind around coral heads, through arches and over bridges. This location is where the Nature Foundation conducted one of its coral reef restoration projects. Common critters: Many of the 60 TWA fish species! French Angelfish, schooling Chubs, Spiny Lobster, & Foureye Butterflyfish, Elkhorn Coral formations, Special guests: Spotted Eagle Rays, Squid, Caribbean Reef Sharks, Nurse Sharks, Sexy Shrimp in anemones, staghorn coral formations
Nemo Reef
India
Nice and clear water with an abundance of marine life as well as corals. It has a flat sandy bottom with a gradual slope starting right from the shore.
Cathedral
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Cathedral (max 30m/100ft) - This site can be dived either way depending on the prevailing currents. This is a steeply sloping reef starting at 5m/15ft and descending down to the sandy sea floor.
Grevelingen
Netherlands
The Grevelingenmeer is one of the most popular diving locations in the Netherlands. There are many dive sites to visit, from shallow to deep wrecks! Come, dive and enjoy.
La Jaca Pool
Spain
At this part of the Town La Jaca, we will find an artificial pool which gives the entrance of the dive site. The water is getting rougher and deeper, however you can still enjoy your dive. Entrance can be slippery
Stetson Bank NMS
United States of America (USA)
Stetson Bank is located 48 km northwest of the Flower Gardens. It was added to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) in October 1996. The sanctuary serves as a biological reservoir of Caribbean species in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Temperatures at Stetson Bank are a few degrees cooler in winter than in the Flower Gardens. The bank supports an extraordinary fish community. Community Structure: The cooler winter temperature at Stetson Bank relative to the Flower Gardens prevents coral reefs to thrive. Instead, scattered coral colonies with a dominant sponge community occur. Geological Characterization: Stetson Bank is a surface expression of salt diapirs capped by uplifted layers of claystone and sandstone, which have eroded at unequal rates to create a strange "moonscape" appearance. It is among the smallest of the mid-shelf banks in the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is a pelagic zone feature with clay/siltstone bedrock.