The world is a swimming pool for the US Navy, captured here enjoying some well-deserved down time in a series of incredible photographs. The spectacular snaps show sailors and marines partaking in an activity known as a ?swim call? in a number of different oceans and seas around the world.

The most recent images show the US Navy cooling off while jumping into the Indian Ocean from guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam. Another shot shows sailors returning to the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Essex after having a swim in the Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean.While a third captures men and woman diving into the Mediterranean Sea from the stern gate of assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5).

With the ship anchored, ?swim calls? are seen as a refreshing break from the job of keeping the high-tech battleships running.The activity is usually enjoyed in warm foreign waters, such as the Mediterranean, Arabian and South China seas and the Indian and Pacific oceans.

Those not taking part are required to keep watch from the ship and from rigid-hulled inflatable boats to make sure no sharks become intrigued by the people in the water.And when it?s time to get back to work, the sailors and marines clamber back onto the ship via landing docks or by climbing cargo nets.