Ahoy, ye landlubbers! Google is bringing Street View underwater, for the ones who want to go on an adventure in the Great Barrier Reef, swim with turtles and fish, without leaving your desk.

You can start the application here, on Heron island a coral cay located near the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern Great Barrier Reef, some 70 kilometers away from Queensland, in the Great Coral Reef. The goal of the program is to allow people to explore the ocean from the comfort of their homes, and also conduct a detailed study of the composition and health of coral reefs – another great initiative by Google.

“With these vibrant and stunning photos you don’t have to be a scuba diver — or even know how to swim — to explore and experience six of the ocean’s most incredible living coral reefs,” Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Earth, said in a blog post announcing the feature. “Now, anyone can become the next virtual Jacques Cousteau and dive with sea turtles, fish and manta rays in Australia, the Philippines, and Hawaii.”

If you toy around with the expansion, you’ll probably see you have a few experiences available, including swimming with a small turtle, following a manta ray or witnessing a sunset at the reef.

Credits: National Geographic

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