Where to go diving. Papua New Guinea, Bismarck Sea. Tiputa Strait, Rangiroa Island, Polynesia

For most Russians, the word “diving” is associated primarily with holidays on the Red Sea. However, fans underwater diving They probably know that there are many places on the planet famous for their marine flora and fauna.

Today's top ten contains best places for diving. Some are famous for their coral reefs, others for the opportunity to explore sunken ships. But in any case, crystal clear water and many hours of unforgettable impressions await the diver.

The length of this famous dive site is about 3000 kilometers. This is a whole system of coral reefs that can be seen even from space. Here you can find green sea turtles, clown fish, humpback whales and, of course, dolphins.

9. Red Sea Reefs

The waters of the Red Sea are famous for their clarity, making it one of the best places for diving. Here professionals and amateurs can fully enjoy the unforgettable underwater landscapes. The reefs of the Red Sea are inhabited by many exotic sea ​​creatures.

8. Galapagos

Galapagos Islands are the largest marine reserve. The territory of the archipelago is about 70,000 square kilometers. The reefs here are not the main goal of divers. The main attraction of these places is the incredible diversity of marine life.

7. Chuuk Lagoon in Micronesia

This place is a godsend for adventure seekers. In the depths of the lagoon there are a countless number of sunken ships from the Second World War, as well as planes shot down during the war. There are also coral colonies familiar to divers, as well as small colored fish.

6. Gansbaai in South Africa

This place is popular among fans of extreme diving. Indeed, in these waters at certain times of the year there is The world's largest concentration of white sharks. Among thrill-seekers, a very popular attraction is the steel cage dive, where sharks swim past at arm's length.

5. Maldives reefs

For those who want to combine a luxurious holiday with studying underwater flora and fauna, the Maldives is the best option. Here you can admire schools of beautiful tropical fish, and after an exciting dive, relax in a luxurious villa to the sound of the surf.

4. Great Blue Hole

An underwater cave extending vertically into the depths of the planet is one of the main attractions of Belize. The diameter of the hole is 3 hundred meters, and the depth reaches 120 meters. During the dive you can see such rare marine life as the Caribbean reef shark, angelfish and nurse shark. The sea stalactites up to 15 meters high are also impressive.

3. Australian underwater cave Cocklebiddy

This cave, which is almost 7 kilometers long, was discovered in 1983 by French speleologists. Only professionals can dive here, but for the views it offers, it’s worth working hard and improving your diving skills.

2. Cocos Islands

This archipelago is located 300 miles from Costa Rica. The islands are uninhabited, people come here exclusively to dive. In coastal waters you can observe whale and white sharks, hammerhead fish and tuna. The lack of civilization has a positive effect on the abundance of marine life.

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A fact that many thousands of scuba diving fanatics are ready to confirm: diving is the most “addicting” activity active rest. The number of people who have made their first few dives and not even thought about buying a mask, fins and wetsuit can be counted on one hand. Still would! Vivid, incomparable and always a little adrenaline-filled sensations from underwater walks will not leave anyone indifferent.

The beauty of diving

Dangers - real and imaginary

Fear before the first dive often becomes the main inhibitory moment that prevents tourists from joining a new type of active recreation. However, to call diving, especially recreational, extreme view sports is possible only for advertising purposes. In scuba diving, as in alpine skiing, there are their own levels of difficulty, and there are practically no serious dangers for beginners - after all, no one puts neophyte skiers who confuse the rope with telemark straight onto the “black” track. Of course, a person who has been put on a wetsuit for the first time in his life will experience excitement - and how much more! But if you dive with modern equipment and pay close attention to the instructions, then this excitement will remain just a pleasant surge of hormones before diving into the unknown. Real “extreme” - great depths, tangible currents, night dives, ice and speleo diving - is the lot of experienced divers.

For beginners - shallow water, water at a comfortable temperature and lack of strong currents. The only thing they should be wary of is close contact with poisonous creatures or plants. The pre-dive briefing certainly includes a separate point stating that you cannot grab anything with your hands underwater: not only for reasons of safety for the diver himself, but also in order not to cause any harm to the underwater flora and fauna. In fact, if every diver in the Red Sea touches one coral, in a couple of years there will be nothing to touch there.

What to choose?

Diving tours can be divided into two main types: daily diving and liveaboard diving. It is better to go on a diving safari for experienced divers who are not afraid of seasickness and are ready to exchange excursions and shopping for rare dive sites and the company of like-minded people. In essence, a dive safari is sea ​​cruise with two to four dives per day. Since there is no need to return to shore every evening, liveaboards make available distant and interesting dive sites, where, among other things, undersea world much less “spoiled” by tourists.

The main disadvantage of a diving safari is that when living on a ship, the flavor of the country is not so keenly felt, although passengers will certainly be delighted with national entertainment and cuisine. The duration of such a cruise can vary from 3 to 13 nights.

Daily diving is more suitable for beginner divers and groups in which only part of the group dives. In the morning, the diver will be picked up at the hotel and taken either to the diving center or directly to the pier, from there by boat or small vessel they will be taken to the planned dive site. After the first dive, the diver will have a light lunch on board, then a second dive, and in the evening, return to shore. If desired, it is possible to dive three times a day.

If there are two vacationers, and only one of them dives, then the second one can also be offered a boat ride, watch the process and swim for fun with a mask and snorkel. The advantages of daily diving are obvious: full-fledged beach holiday, and if you suddenly feel unwell, you can reschedule the day of diving without loss to your mood and wallet. The main disadvantage of this method of diving is that the dive sites close to the shore have been seen by more than one generation of tourists, and therefore their condition often leaves much to be desired.

Where to go?

Conventionally, diving tourism countries can be divided into two categories:

Category one: “You can’t help but dive here!” There are destinations where divers from all over the world go to dive. These are almost all countries South-East Asia: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Micronesia, Papua - New Guinea, French Polynesia and others. Caribbean and Latin America:

If you are a scuba diving fan, then you have come to the right place. We present to your attention the top best places on our planet where it is most interesting to go diving.

Cocos Island, Costa Rica

Despite the fact that this island is not so close, it will certainly reward you with gorgeous underwater views. The almost 24 sq km island is rumored to have even inspired the film Jurassic Park, and the surrounding waters tempt divers with hammerhead and reef sharks. The island is a national park; there are no hotels or tourist centers on it, however, diving off the coast is permitted.

Magnetic Island, Australia

Magnetic Island, located 8 kilometers off the coast of Townsville, offers a wide range of diving opportunities, and after diving it is more than pleasant to relax on secluded, gently sloping and beautiful beaches. There's nothing better than snorkeling among the underwater gardens of the Great Barrier Reef - wild nature amazing! In addition, the water in these places is very clear and very warm, up to 28 degrees. From Magnetic Island you can dive the world-famous wreck of the SS Yongala, one of the largest and best-preserved wrecks in the waters of Queensland, a state in north-eastern Australia. The ship, which sank in 1911, lies at a depth of 30 meters - over a hundred years the ship has become overgrown with numerous corals and turned into a real oceanic garden.

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Experienced divers claim that near Belize there is the second largest reef in the world after the Great barrier reef, and the diving in these parts is simply fantastic! The water in these parts is truly teeming with life, the visibility of the water is amazing, but, however, all the beauty is located at a relatively shallow depth. You can dive into the famous Blue Hole, a 100-meter hole, but to see true marine splendor, you should head to the shores of Ambergris Caye, where hammerhead sharks and other rare marine life swim.

Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt

In the first and most beautiful national park In Egypt, divers can dive to a sunken ship that once carried hundreds of toilets.

Baa Atoll, Maldives

This atoll is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves and more than a dozen have been filmed here documentaries. What makes this place unique? Divers have the opportunity to observe concentrations of up to 150 stingrays - an amazing sight! And, if you're lucky, you'll spot whale sharks, hawksbill and green turtles, and you'll definitely encounter hundreds of moray eels.

Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea

Kimbe is a large bay and a place of amazing biodiversity. These waters are home to 60 percent of the coral and coral fish species in the entire Indo-Pacific region. Thus, in Kimbe Bay you can find more than 860 species of fish living in coral reefs! With massive coral die-offs worldwide due to pollution, human activity and global warming, Kimbe Bay is becoming an increasingly important location as the bay is seen as one of the last such "coral houses". Efforts are currently being made to limit human impacts on the bay, but diving is still possible here.

Silfra, Iceland

Silfra – unusual place. This is a rift in Lake Thingvallavatn, which is part of the boundary between the North American Plate and Eurasian plate. This is probably the only place in the world where you can scuba dive and look at the junction of two huge plates. Visibility is impressive - up to 120 meters in some cases!

Truk Lagoon, Micronesia

First off, what is Micronesia? Micronesia is the general name for groups of small islands in Oceania - a total of 1,500 islands (including Palau, Nauru, Kiribati, etc.). In 1944, a Japanese ship, one of the largest in the world, sank in one of the lagoons of Micronesia. Today it has become an underwater museum, with sake cups, skeletons and fighter jets still in their hangars. This epic collection of shipwrecks can even be seen while snorkeling, but it's best to explore the ship while scuba diving.

Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands

Off the coast of the island, the smallest of the Cayman Islands in terms of area and population, you can find dozens of ideal places for diving with coral gardens swaying in the waves, sponges and reef fish large and small, in particular barracudas.

Tiputa Strait, Rangiroa Island, Polynesia

Experienced divers will be completely delighted by the waters of the Tiputa Strait, in the northwestern part of the Rangiroa Lagoon: blue Lagoon here it smoothly transitions into the open ocean, and a lot of unusual organisms live in the water column. Professionals can dive in these parts a little further from the shore to a depth of 45 meters to get acquainted with the bronze hammerhead shark.

Sipadan Island, Malaysia

The coastal waters of the island are shoals of barracudas, sea turtles, big-eyed trevally and other organisms, through which it is difficult to see the corals. The island and beautiful places are not easy to get to, but it's worth it.

Diving is more than just scuba diving. Diving is a breathtaking process that is inextricably linked with contemplation. Therefore, in order for your diving to be enjoyable, the diving site should at least have these beauties.

It is for this reason that they do not dive in random unknown bodies of water with muddy waters and questionable underwater fauna.

Connoisseurs of the delights of the deep sea try to choose the most Beautiful places for diving, where you can see a lot of beautiful and amazing things.

In this article we will try to tell you about the best diving spots, which are most often visited by scuba divers looking for aesthetic benefits from diving.

Thailand

Currently, Thailand is in great demand not only among ordinary tourists, but also among those who go to the resort for diving.

Where to dive?

People who travel abroad specifically for diving most often visit the Similan Islands in Thailand.

This destination differs from many others not only in geographical, but also in material accessibility.

The best place to dive is in a marine reserve protected by UNESCO. To get to it, it will take only two hours by boat from Phuket Island.

Fauna

Scuba divers in the area of ​​the Similan Islands can spend time surrounded by barracudas, coral sharks and spotted groupers, striking in their size.

If you go on one of the underwater cave tours, you can admire the anemone fish made popular by the cartoon Finding Nemo.

Education

You can not only go to Thailand if you already have diving experience behind you. You can get training here. But be prepared for the fact that you will have to pay about six or even seven thousand rubles for such a service.

Mexico

Mexico tends to love resorts with underwater caves.

Yucatan Island

There are plenty of underwater caves here. They intersect, forming whole tangles and labyrinths. Moreover, to travel through caves, scuba divers dive in places that look like small ponds dotted with water lilies and other aquatic vegetation.

And under the water a real kingdom with mysterious passages and rivers awaits a person.

It is not surprising that the Mayan Indians who lived in those places considered underwater caves to be passages for the gods of the underworld. The underwater nature looks very mystical.

Education

It is believed that special “cave” training is not required to visit the Yucatan caves. Experienced instructors work there and their supervision ensures sufficient diving safety.

However, everyone can take part in “cave” diving and go exploring caves without strangers.

Ecuador

Ecuador is another magnet for those who love scuba diving.

If you are going to Ecuador for diving, then you should definitely visit the Galapagos Islands. However, it should be noted that this resort requires the scuba diver to have sufficient experience. It's not that easy to dive here. Strong waves and currents take their toll.

Perhaps this is why local diving centers that provide training to tourists charge significant fees for their services. So, those who want to learn diving on the spot can pay from thirty to sixty thousand rubles.

Darwin

The island called Darwin comes to experienced scuba divers in their sweetest dreams. It is a large volcano. True, he fell asleep a long time ago and, theoretically, poses no danger.

Fauna

Off the coast of Darwin you can find beautiful and leisurely sea turtles, whitetip sharks and hammerhead sharks, as well as dangerous stingrays.

At the Arch rock, a scuba diver can find himself among huge whale sharks.

But these places attract tourists most at night. Since they contain many luminous crustaceans, in the dark the waters turn into an amazing environment full of small moving bluish stars. Such beauty simply defies description.

Egypt

Many Russian scuba divers are upset by the ban on visiting Egypt. After all, this is where the Blue Hole is located, which is considered one of the most extraordinary reefs located in the Red Sea.

The Blue Hole is a large funnel. Its diameter reaches fifty meters. The walls of the funnel go down vertically. Due to the fact that the sun's rays are continuously reflected from the walls of the hole, the diver is not fully aware of where he is going. Because of this, the impression of mystery and unreality of what is happening is created.

The resort of Dahab is located 15 kilometers from the Blue Hole. Therefore, getting there is not difficult.

Education

Inexperienced divers would probably be pleased with the low cost of diving training in Dahab. Training centers, as a rule, charge only 2.5 to 4.5 thousand rubles for a course.

Australia

It is not so easy for Russians to get to Australia. However, those who nevertheless made an effort, visited this country and were able to go diving, as a rule, do not regret it. It is not surprising, because this is where the Great Barrier Reef is located - a fabulous dream for divers and surfers around the world.

What is amazing about this place? The fact is that here (and only here) you can examine 340 species of corals while diving. Is this too much? A lot, considering that there are 350 species of corals.

It is worth noting that the local reliefs are protected. Tourists are prohibited from breaking off pieces of coral and taking them with them. Coral broken by flippers can be punished. This strictness has allowed the authorities to preserve the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef for many years.

Fauna

But corals are not the only attraction of the Great Barrier Reef. It is also home to red snapper. This fish is considered a long-liver, because its life cycle averages fifty years.

Also here you can observe very rare specimens of underwater fauna: clown fish, parrot fish, butterfly fish, urchin fish, cardinal fish, as well as blenny and wrasse.

But every diver must remember that the touch of one bright fish can be life-threatening. Many of the local inhabitants are as beautiful as they are poisonous.

Malaysia

In Malaysia you can find a small counterpart to the Great Barrier Reef located in Australia. This backup is located on the island of Sipadan.

Sipadan

Sipadan Island was one of the favorite places of the famous traveler and explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

There are entire coral forests here, which, although inferior to the Australian reef in terms of diversity of species, are in no way inferior to it in beauty.

In fact, Sipadan is the top of a volcano, which, as if flirting with a person, looks out of the water.

Having decided to reach the foot of the volcano, a scuba diver can dive to a depth of six hundred meters.

Fauna

Because Sipadan is different warm currents, barracudas often swim here. They travel in flocks. You can also see sea turtles here, which not only swim off the coast, but lay eggs there.

Education

There are no training centers located on Sipadan. This is because it is prohibited to build any structures here. The territory of the island is considered a protected area.

But you can get training on the nearby islands: Mabule and Kapalai.

UAE

Those who want to undergo high-quality diving training in an ideally suitable territory are usually offered to visit the United Arab Emirates.

Fujairah

Fujairah is one of the Arab Emirates. It is located on east coast states. There is not only amazing fauna and calm currents here. At the bottom you can see many sunken ships, which, like everything frozen in time, amazes the human imagination.

Autoriffs

The administration of Fujairah has created a unique reef, which has become a refuge for many colorful tropical fish. To create this space, the regional authorities had to flood several old cars.

Now not only cute fish live here. The underwater parking lot has also become home to octopuses, lobsters and crabs.

The once luxurious “iron horses” of the Cadillac and Ford brands are now covered with tubercles of shells and look more like King Triton’s motorcade.

Education

There are many training centers located here that offer services for a reasonable fee. For the course, a tourist will have to pay about seven thousand rubles.

Israel

Most often, divers visit the resort of Eilat in Israel.

Eilat

The local coral forests are very diverse and beautiful. But due to the accessibility of this resort, a huge number of scuba divers regularly visit it. Therefore, you most likely will not be able to swim underwater calmly, in the company of only familiar people.

Education

There are many training centers here that can immerse you in amazing world diving for only 4-5 thousand rubles.

Republic of Maldives

Islands

It practically does not matter from which island you begin your amazing acquaintance with the underwater world of this state. On almost every island you can find coral forests and parts of sunken ships, some of which went under water several centuries ago.

Education

If you have found the funds to come to the Maldives and explore the underwater world here, it is not a fact that you will have enough money to take diving training here.

Many centers raise tuition prices to astonishing heights. From time to time you will be offered to take a full diver course for 90 thousand rubles (and this is not the “ceiling” of local price lists).

Therefore, before packing your suitcase to visit the Maldives, it is better to undergo at least basic training in your city (if possible).

We told you about the most famous and colorful places suitable for diving.

If you have knowledge about less popular ones, but no less amazing places for divers, please share this information in the comments.