Diving dates back from ancient times, when it was used for sea research and exploration, as well as for trade and military operations. However, the type of diving we know today only emerged in 1943, when oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau and engineer Emile Gagnham developed the aqualung, the autonomous breathing equipment with a high pressure valve that allows for the balance of high pressures in the bottom of the sea. It can be said that Cousteau was responsible for the activity’s increased popularity in Brazil, when a documentary about his amazing visit to the Amazon was exhibited in 1984. His fascination also extended to a little fishing village called Arraial do Cabo: its marine biodiversity, with an enormous amount of seahorses, corals, sea sponges and more than 60 species of fish, made him declare that he had never dived “in such perfect waters.” Located at 180 km from Rio de Janeiro, the city is one of the main scuba diving spots in the country, and its crystal clear waters are perfect for first timers and advanced divers alike.