17 stunning underwater photos that will take you on a virtual diving tour this World Oceans Day

Zoë EttingerJun 9, 2020, 00:05 IST

Mandarin fish in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia.Dorothea Oldani/Unsplash

World Oceans Day is celebrated internationally on June 8.
It was created as a day for countries around the world to focus on preserving the world's oceans.
To mark World Oceans Day, vacation site My Late Deals compiled a series of photos to illustrate underwater beauty that needs protecting.

World Oceans Day was proposed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.

However, it wasn't until 16 years later, in 2008, that June 8 was recognized internationally as World Oceans Day.

This year, My Late Deals, a vacation comparison site, compiled a series of stunning underwater shots and shared them with Insider.

"These images give us the perfect opportunity to reflect upon the breathtaking wildlife and reefs that call them home, and remind us why we should be working so hard to protect them," said Chanelle McGarry, a spokesperson for the site.

Take a look at stunning underwater photos from around the world that will make you want to protect the blue planet this World Oceans Day.

The Philippines' Sumilon Island Marine Sanctuary, pictured below, is known for its many species of hard and soft coral.

Corals and reef fish at Sumilon Island, Cebu, Philippines. Hitoshi Namura/Getty Images

Whale sharks are the largest sharks, and they are currently listed as an endangered species.

A whale shark in the Maldives. Sebastian Pena Lambarri/Unsplash

Spinner dolphins can spin multiple times in one leap, reaching up to 10 feet above the surface, according to National Geographic.

A school of spinner dolphins near Molokini Island, Hawaii. Yale Cohen/Unsplash

Clownfish are mainly found around stinging anemones. They have developed a special immunity to the stings.

Orange and white clownfish hiding in sea anemone, Indonesia. Sebastian Pena Lambarri/Unsplash

Barracudas are one of the fastest fish in the sea and can swim up to an estimated 36 miles per hour.

A barracuda in Belize. Wouter Naert/Unsplash

Fish swim together in shoals to protect themselves from predators.

A shoal of fish near Amed Beach, Indonesia. Milos Prelevic/Unsplash

Six of the seven sea turtle species are deemed threatened, endangered, or critically endangered, according to National Geographic.

A turtle swimming in Roatán, Honduras. Erin Simmons/Unsplash

Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish on Earth. They grow to an average of 15 feet long.

A great white shark at Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Gerald Schömbs/Unsplash

Chuuk Lagoon in the central Pacific Ocean is surrounded by a huge barrier reef.

Chuuk Lagoon's coral reefs. Marek Okon/Unsplash

Lionfish are a carnivorous species of fish native to the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.

A lionfish in Dahab, Egypt. Nariman Mesharrafa/Unsplash

Lemon sharks are recognizable by a distinct yellow tint to their skin.

A lemon shark in the Bahamas. Gerald Schömbs/Unsplash

Many species of stingrays are endangered.

A stingray in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Francisco Jesús Navarro Hernández/Unsplash

Sea stars can live up to 35 years.

A sea star in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Francisco Jesús Navarro Hernández/Unsplash

Mandarin fish are beautiful, but don't be fooled: Their poison and smell keeps predators away.

Mandarin fish in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. Dorothea Oldani/Unsplash

Octopuses have a range of tricks to thwart attackers.

An octopus in Bonaire, in the Caribbean Sea. Vlad Tchompalov/Unsplash

The coral reefs found in the Red Sea are known for their extraordinary heat tolerance and resistance to rising sea temperatures.

School of fish in the Red Sea, Egypt. Francesco Ungaro/Unsplash

Tiger sharks are hunted for their fins, flesh, skin and livers, and they have low repopulation rates, according to National Geographic.

Two tiger sharks in the Bahamas. Gerald Schömbs/Unsplash

Stunning photos of redheads from around the world

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