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Google Maps takes Street View underwater

Google Maps takes Street View underwater
Google Maps now lets users virtually "walk" underwater in Street View to see panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world
Google Maps now lets users virtually "walk" underwater in Street View to see panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world
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Google Maps visitors can now virtually "walk" along certain reefs through Street View using the same interface for city streets and neighborhoods above sea level
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Google Maps visitors can now virtually "walk" along certain reefs through Street View using the same interface for city streets and neighborhoods above sea level
Users can move to different areas of the reef and pan around or zoom in on each one in 360 degrees to spot sea turtles, manta rays, living coral, and even some accompanying divers and snorkelers
2/21
Users can move to different areas of the reef and pan around or zoom in on each one in 360 degrees to spot sea turtles, manta rays, living coral, and even some accompanying divers and snorkelers
Google Maps now lets users virtually "walk" underwater in Street View to see panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world
3/21
Google Maps now lets users virtually "walk" underwater in Street View to see panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world
Users can move to different areas of the reef and pan around or zoom in on each one in 360 degrees to spot sea turtles, manta rays, living coral, and even some accompanying divers and snorkelers
4/21
Users can move to different areas of the reef and pan around or zoom in on each one in 360 degrees to spot sea turtles, manta rays, living coral, and even some accompanying divers and snorkelers
Google Maps now lets users virtually "walk" underwater in Street View to see panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world
5/21
Google Maps now lets users virtually "walk" underwater in Street View to see panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world
Google Maps visitors can now virtually "walk" along certain reefs through Street View using the same interface for city streets and neighborhoods above sea level
6/21
Google Maps visitors can now virtually "walk" along certain reefs through Street View using the same interface for city streets and neighborhoods above sea level
The SVII is also the world's first underwater, tablet-operated camera, which allows the scientists gathering the images to access various data they've already collected while in the middle of a dive
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The SVII is also the world's first underwater, tablet-operated camera, which allows the scientists gathering the images to access various data they've already collected while in the middle of a dive
Armed with an SVII camera attached to an undersea vehicle, the team was able to record continuous 360-degree images while drifting through the water
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Armed with an SVII camera attached to an undersea vehicle, the team was able to record continuous 360-degree images while drifting through the water
Armed with an SVII camera attached to an undersea vehicle, the team was able to record continuous 360-degree images while drifting through the water
9/21
Armed with an SVII camera attached to an undersea vehicle, the team was able to record continuous 360-degree images while drifting through the water
Future expeditions will also employ diving robots and special instruments for deep reef surveys, which could lead to the discovery of new species
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Future expeditions will also employ diving robots and special instruments for deep reef surveys, which could lead to the discovery of new species
To capture these stunning panoramic views, Google partnered with the Catlin Seaview Survey, a project devoted to documenting the ocean reefs using the latest technology
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To capture these stunning panoramic views, Google partnered with the Catlin Seaview Survey, a project devoted to documenting the ocean reefs using the latest technology
To capture these stunning panoramic views, Google partnered with the Catlin Seaview Survey, a project devoted to documenting the ocean reefs using the latest technology
12/21
To capture these stunning panoramic views, Google partnered with the Catlin Seaview Survey, a project devoted to documenting the ocean reefs using the latest technology
The process results in 50,000 images per area, which link together to form a full panoramic view that can be explored in Google Maps
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The process results in 50,000 images per area, which link together to form a full panoramic view that can be explored in Google Maps
The process results in 50,000 images per area, which link together to form a full panoramic view that can be explored in Google Maps
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The process results in 50,000 images per area, which link together to form a full panoramic view that can be explored in Google Maps
Researchers plan to revisit the same locations as well as others to not only record the state of the reefs for future generations, but also to see how the reefs are responding to changes in the environment over time
15/21
Researchers plan to revisit the same locations as well as others to not only record the state of the reefs for future generations, but also to see how the reefs are responding to changes in the environment over time
Armed with an SVII camera attached to an undersea vehicle, the team was able to record continuous 360-degree images while drifting through the water
16/21
Armed with an SVII camera attached to an undersea vehicle, the team was able to record continuous 360-degree images while drifting through the water
The crew visited six different reefs: two in Australia (Heron Island and Lady Elliot Island), two in Hawaii (Molokini Crater and Hanauma Bay), and two in the Philippines (the Apo Islands and Wilson Island)
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The crew visited six different reefs: two in Australia (Heron Island and Lady Elliot Island), two in Hawaii (Molokini Crater and Hanauma Bay), and two in the Philippines (the Apo Islands and Wilson Island)
The crew visited six different reefs: two in Australia (Heron Island and Lady Elliot Island), two in Hawaii (Molokini Crater and Hanauma Bay), and two in the Philippines (the Apo Islands and Wilson Island)
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The crew visited six different reefs: two in Australia (Heron Island and Lady Elliot Island), two in Hawaii (Molokini Crater and Hanauma Bay), and two in the Philippines (the Apo Islands and Wilson Island)
Users can move to different areas of the reef and pan around or zoom in on each one in 360 degrees to spot sea turtles, manta rays, living coral, and even some accompanying divers and snorkelers
19/21
Users can move to different areas of the reef and pan around or zoom in on each one in 360 degrees to spot sea turtles, manta rays, living coral, and even some accompanying divers and snorkelers
Google recently unveiled some new underwater locations for Google Maps, where users can explore panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world using Street View
20/21
Google recently unveiled some new underwater locations for Google Maps, where users can explore panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world using Street View
Google recently unveiled some new underwater locations for Google Maps, where users can explore panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world using Street View
21/21
Google recently unveiled some new underwater locations for Google Maps, where users can explore panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world using Street View
View gallery - 21 images

Since its creation, Google Maps has proven again and again how devoted it is to digitizing as much of the world's surface as possible. But while the company may have covered a huge chunk of the Earth from hiking trails to snow covered slopes, it has yet to tackle the 71 percent of the planet that is covered by oceans ... until now. Google recently unveiled some new underwater locations for Google Maps, where users can explore panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world using Street View.

Google Maps visitors can now virtually "walk" along certain reefs through Street View using the same interface for city streets and neighborhoods above sea level. Users can move to different areas of the reef and pan around or zoom in on each one in 360 degrees to spot sea turtles, manta rays, living coral, and even some accompanying divers and snorkelers. The effect is like retracing a scuba dive that has been frozen in time.

To capture these stunning panoramic views, Google partnered with the Catlin Seaview Survey, a project devoted to documenting the ocean reefs using the latest technology. Armed with an SVII camera attached to an undersea vehicle, the team was able to record continuous 360-degree images while drifting through the water. The process results in 50,000 images per area, which link together to form a full panoramic view that can be explored in Google Maps. The SVII is also the world's first underwater, tablet-operated camera, which allows the scientists gathering the images to access various data they've already collected while in the middle of a dive.

To capture these stunning panoramic views, Google partnered with the Catlin Seaview Survey, a project devoted to documenting the ocean reefs using the latest technology
To capture these stunning panoramic views, Google partnered with the Catlin Seaview Survey, a project devoted to documenting the ocean reefs using the latest technology

The crew visited six different reefs: two in Australia (Heron Island and Lady Elliot Island), two in Hawaii (Molokini Crater and Hanauma Bay), and two in the Philippines (the Apo Islands and Wilson Island). Researchers plan to revisit the same locations as well as others to not only record the state of the reefs for future generations, but also to see how the reefs are responding to changes in the environment over time (sadly, some areas of the reefs are already showing signs of damage).

Users can move to different areas of the reef and pan around or zoom in on each one in 360 degrees to spot sea turtles, manta rays, living coral, and even some accompanying divers and snorkelers
Users can move to different areas of the reef and pan around or zoom in on each one in 360 degrees to spot sea turtles, manta rays, living coral, and even some accompanying divers and snorkelers

By the end of December the expedition plans to survey 20 different areas of the Great Barrier Reef before moving on to other locations in Hawaii, the Philippines, and Bermuda. Future expeditions will also employ diving robots and special instruments for deep reef surveys, which could lead to the discovery of new species.

Google Maps' new ocean sections are definitely worth a look if you want to get an up-close view of some of the most gorgeous reefs in the world without the need for training or the risk of getting the bends. Google Maps currently has all the locations available for access on the Street View section of its website.

Check out the video below to see how Google and the Catlin Seaview Survey captured their amazing panoramic shots of the ocean depths.

Source: Google Maps, Catlin Seaview Survey

Explore the ocean with Google Maps

View gallery - 21 images
2 comments
2 comments
Max Fdez
Sure they are both multi-million firms, can they join in the effort and do a much better and faster ocean trick at half the cost? Google and Apple need to talk for the sake of all of us enjoying the marvels of this map/view technology.
Marsh SJ
I have dived the reefs of Lady Elliot and recognise many of the images and locations, and look forward to seeing the results of the Caitlin seaview survey.