Almost anywhere there is water you can dive. It’s not required to travel far to enjoy scuba diving. However, looking for the best dive sites in the globe allows you to mix the thrill of travel with the joy of diving, giving you two incredible experiences at once.
Where in the world are the best scuba diving sites? Discover our top five travel spots by reading on.
WORLD’S BEST DIVING SPOTS FOR NEW DIVERS
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Queensland | Australia
The Great Barrier Reef, one of the biggest and most intricate natural ecosystems on earth, is a scuba diver’s paradise for discovering rare marine species. This crowned highlight of Australia, which is also recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage Center, is ideal for learning a variety of underwater secrets that are difficult to locate elsewhere. Due to their shy nature and lack of threat to people, this area is an excellent place to see reef sharks.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects the world’s largest coral reef. The park protects the coral and wildlife species living amongst the reef which accounts for 10% of the world’s coral reefs. The protected area covers 1,500 species of fish, 5,000 species of mollusks, and abundant other marine life.
Best Time for Scuba Diving in Great Barrier Reef: June to October
BAY ISLANDS | HONDURAS
The three main islands that makeup Honduras’ Bay Islands are located in the Caribbean to the north of the mainland. These locations are well-known for their snorkeling and scuba diving since they are close to the 1,000 km Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Diving in Honduras is one of the best in the Americas with famous diving spots in the Bay Islands such as Roatan and Utila in the Caribbean Sea. The most famous dive sites of this small country of Central America might be Mary’s Place in Roatan and the Black Hills in Utila.
Best Time for Scuba Diving in Bay Islands: April and May
Amed Beach, Bali | Indonesia
On Bali’s far eastern coast is a great place to visit called Amed. It’s a peaceful little corner of paradise and a fantastic location to go if you love Bali’s beauty but want to get away from the tourist crowds for a while. It is well known that the waters near Amed feature tranquil currents. This makes it appropriate for divers of all experience levels, from novices to experts. Overall, the diving conditions are great.
Best Time for Scuba Diving in Amed Beach: May to September
Anilao | Philippines
The pristine waters surrounding Anilao are home to a diverse variety of fish, rich coral reefs, and plenty of underwater creatures. Anilao Batangas is also popular for its many rare critters that you will encounter at the dive spots, particularly the small nudibranchs. Anilao is on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines.
There are about 40 dive sites around Anilao with the most famous being Sombrero Island, Maricaban Island, Cathedral and Mapating. They are all reachable by a short boat ride. You can also explore this underwater world on a Liveaboard trip that generally combines the Coron Wrecks, Apo Reef and Anilao.
Best Time for Scuba Diving in Anilao: October to early June
Key Largo, Florida | USA
Key Largo, Florida is known as the scuba diving capital of the world. This is because there is a very large amount of dive sites easily accessible to divers. It is home to the world’s largest artificial reef, the 510-foot USS Spiegel Grove, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and the African Queen. Everglades National Park is just a short trip away from Key Largo.
When it comes to snorkeling and diving, Key West has some great diving, but the snorkeling and diving around Key Largo surpass the opportunities around the southernmost Key by far. The reefs around both islands are incredibly healthy, beautiful, and mostly easy to access.
Best Time for Scuba Diving in Key Largo: All year round
If you live in the United States, you have many opportunities to go on beautiful dives without having to bring a passport. Read this article to learn more!
Updated on: December 05, 2023
