In order to study the scintillation characteristics of vortex beam and Gaussian beam in underwater turbulence, an experimental system consisting of water turbulence have been set up. In the water tank, the intensity of turbulence is controlled by using a circulating pump, and the scintillation index of the beam is measured by using a scintilloscope. Using this experimental system, the scintillation index of vortex beams and Gaussian beams propagating in underwater turbulence are investigated in detail. It is found that the scintillation indices of vortex beams and Gaussian beams are getting bigger with the increasing of the transmission distance, as well as with the increase of the intensity of underwater turbulence. Within the propagation distance 12.6 meters, the scintillation index of vortex beam with topological charge m=2 is much bigger than that of Gaussian beam. At 5.4 meters, the radial scintillation index of vortex beam with m=6 decreases firstly and then increases in underwater turbulence. In addition, the scintillation index of a topological vortex beam with topological charge m=6 is lower than that of a topological vortex beam with topological charge m=4 after a certain distance of propagation. The research results obtained by our experiments have important value in exploring the application of vortex beam in oceanic turbulence.