The best countries for diving. Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt
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Diving is amazing view sports and it doesn’t matter whether you dived once or hundreds of times, the beauty and depth underwater world will delight and attract you again and again. Every avid driver probably has his own favorite place for diving, but we would like to introduce you to the list of the best places for diving.
GREAT BARRIER REEF
GREAT BARRIER REEF (Australia) - famous natural feature Australia and one of the most popular diving destinations in the world. Everything is here ideal conditions for diving. You can go here all year round, but the season is considered to be October, November and December. The water here is always warm +25…+30°C. Visibility in the water reaches 20 - 30 meters. This is the largest coral reef system in the world and the only one visible from space. Its length is about 3000 kilometers. Big Barrier Reef included in the list since 1981 World Heritage UNESCO as the largest existing coral reef on our planet. A Morskoy National Park Australia is considered one of the wonders of the world. Here you can see dolphins, green sea turtles, clown fish, humpback whales, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 varieties of shellfish."); w.show();" alt="Great Barrier Reef" title="Great Barrier Reef">
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MALDIVES
Probably many people, having heard the word Maldives, imagine a paradise, with blue lagoons, long clean beaches, white sand, palm trees, bungalows. But the Maldives is not only about white beaches and lagoons, it also has a magnificent underwater world. Giant stingrays, large fish - Napoleons, sea turtles, various moray eels, stars, barracudas, tropical fish, whitetip sharks, hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, tiger sharks and the Maldivian clown triggerfish - all that you can see in the Maldives. Divers from all over the world come here to admire the beauty and diversity of this underwater world. The most best time For visiting it is considered from the end of January to April. Water temperature all year round is +28…+30°С. Visibility from 5 to 30 meters.
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COCONUT ISLANDS (Costa Rica)
Cocos Island is located about 600 kilometers off the coast of Costa Rica. This is the largest uninhabited island Pacific Ocean, maybe that’s why it’s one of the best places for diving. This is a place with perfect natural conditions, free from pollution and fishing. Cliffs with caves 600 meters high surround the island on all sides. In these waters live: hammerhead fish, white sharks, manta rays, green sea turtles, humpback whales, reef sharks, tuna, stingrays, dolphins, whale sharks and much more.
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PALAU
PALAU is a republic that unites 200 Pacific islands with lagoons full of clear water, tropical forests and a rich underwater world. The diving association CEDAM International named Palau one of the seven underwater wonders of the world. Here you can meet a leopard shark, octopuses, various crabs, more than 700 species of tropical fish, as well as other very rare sea creatures. This is an area with rich flora and fauna, and also a place where there were many shipwrecks during World War II. The season is here all year round, but it is better to go from January to May. Water temperature is approximately +20°C.
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SIMILAN ISLANDS
SIMILAN ISLANDS - an archipelago located in the western part of the Andaman Sea, consists of nine islands with tropical jungle and white sand. They have become very popular among tourists and are rightfully considered best place for diving in Thailand. Divers have two diving options: the western side, which has massive granite boulders covered with coral, and the eastern side, which has gently sloping coral reefs. The depth reaches from 15 to 40 meters.
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RED SEA
There are many in the Red Sea interesting places for diving, the most popular are the reefs of Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Dahab, but divers are very attracted to places in the South of the Red Sea, starting from El Kezir to the border with Sudan. These places are free from pushy salesmen and dive boats, and under the water there are amazing coral reefs, canyons, caves and a wide variety of marine life. Among them: squid, octopus, turtles, dugong, dolphins, moray eels, stingrays, sea turtles, sea cucumbers, arotrons, urchin fish, Napoleon fish, warts, sharks, barracudas, stone fish, starfish and much more. You can go here at any time, but the best time is from November to March. The water here is always warm, about +29°C in summer, +23…+26°C in winter. Average visibility is about 20 meters.
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BAHAMAS
BAHAMAS - The islands are located between Florida and Cuba, with clear warm water and excellent beaches. Some come here for the beaches and palm trees, others for honeymoon trip, and some for diving and fishing. It has everything you need for this: vibrant marine life, coral reefs and the longest cave labyrinth found on the island. The island has shallow reefs from 3 to 15 meters deep and reefs at greater depths from 30 meters. The underwater world is the pride of the Bahamas, and the water here is considered the most transparent in the world, which allows you to see all its inhabitants very well. The mating games of bottlenose dolphins and spotted dolphins take place here every year, and you can also see sharks, manta rays, rays and stingrays. Snorkeling or scuba diving is very popular here. The water temperature, even at great depths, does not drop below +22°C.
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MALTA
MALTA is one of the most attractive diving destinations. There is no such beautiful beautiful flora and fauna as, for example, in the Red Sea, but the local underwater world is famous for its caves, canyons and grottoes. Also, many ships and submarines from different eras sank in these waters. Drivers love to dive 42 meters to the British Blenheim bomber, which was shot down during World War II. Also sunk here is the French liner Carnac, on board of which there are various antiques, silverware and porcelain. At a depth of 60 meters there is an English submarine X7. Diving on the island can be done all year round; the water does not drop below +14°C even in the winter months; in summer the water is about +23°C. In Malta you can take scuba diving lessons, there are 30 schools at your service, offering a wide range of courses and rental of the necessary equipment.
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SIPADAN ISLAND
SIPADAN ISLAND (Malaysia) is a legendary place for divers. This is the top of an extinct underwater volcano that rises almost a kilometer out of the sea. The island itself is very small, you can walk around it in half an hour, but all the beauty is around the island, where underwater life is in full swing. There are many species of exotic fish, sharks, hammerheads, and the population of sea turtles is one of the largest in the world. One of amazing places- Barracuda - A point where barracudas gather in giant schools of thousands that create patterns and spirals. There are many reef sharks around the island that are not afraid of people and allow themselves to be photographed. In 1989, Jacques-Yves Cousteau visited the island and was amazed by the local underwater world and coral forests, which resemble the fauna of the Australian Great Barrier Reef. Dives here are strictly controlled, no more than 120 are allowed per day. The water temperature is +29...+30°C, so the season is all year round, but between May and November there are heavy rains, so the water becomes less transparent.
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YUCATAN PENINSULA (Mexico)
It is home to the longest underwater cave system in the world. The island itself is made of limestone rocks, there are practically no rivers and few lakes, but there are sacred cenotes. Cenotes are the entrance to a cave, the so-called well, which the Indians called the gateway to the kingdom of the dead and considered this place sacred. They threw gold jewelry there as gifts to the gods. Everything valuable, of course, has already been taken from there, but this has not diminished the interest of tourists in the cenotes. Most of them are located in the jungle and look like a well or a small pool. It is better to travel here from May to July; it is not recommended to travel in August and September, since at this time the likelihood of hurricanes is greatest. The water here is warm - +25…+27°C, with visibility up to 85 meters.
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BIG BLUE HOLE
The GREAT BLUE HOLE is a major tourist attraction in Belize. This is a huge karst sinkhole that has a diameter of 305 meters and a depth of 120 meters. It was made famous by Jacques Cousteau, who included it in his list of the 10 best dive sites in the world and is now a popular dive site. Here you can find a lot interesting species fish, angelfish, nurse sharks, grouper, reef shark. Typically, divers dive no more than 30 meters because there is not enough oxygen beyond that and therefore life thrives only closer to the surface.
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FRENCH POLYNESIA
FRENCH POLYNESIA is one of the best diving destinations in the world. Rangiroa is the planet's second largest atoll and is internationally popular for its divers' encounters with large ocean creatures. Divers love to dive into warm waters to encounter humpback whales, stingrays, dolphins and many marine animals that live in coral rings. The temperature here in winter is about +21°C, in summer - 27°C, which allows you to dive into these waters all year round.
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CATALINA ISLAND
CATALINA ISLAND is an island located 35 kilometers from California. This is one of the best diving spots in North America. Famous Avalon Underwater Park - perfect place for inexperienced divers. This park has giant kelp trees that reach 100 meters in length, and fauna includes Californian horn sharks, bright orange garibaldi, fathead wrasses, moray eels and fur seals. Also an interesting, but also difficult place is the Ship Rock rock, which resembles the sail of a ship. The 30-meter 19th century schooner Diosa del Mar sank here. Visibility in these waters is about 20 meters. It is better to go from May to October; the water temperature in summer is +18...+20°C.
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Scuba diving is one of the favorite tourist adventures during beach holiday. For many, scuba diving becomes a hobby, and then they travel the world and explore the secrets of the deep sea. Both novice scuba divers and professionals will be interested to know where is the most best diving .
Extreme enthusiasts love to dive near the reef Elphinstone. In addition to the fact that it is very interesting to explore the beauty of the underwater world, these waters are home to sharks, which you can meet while swimming.
At any Egyptian resort you can learn to scuba dive, of course, provided that you already know how to swim. Children under 10 years old are not allowed to dive.
- This is the dream of all divers. Here you can scuba dive all day long, but still not explore all the wonders of the underwater world Indian Ocean. The Maldives consists of 26 atolls, each of which includes many large and small coral islands. The atolls are surrounded by lagoons containing a large number of coral reefs. To go diving in the Maldives, you don’t have to swim far; you can dive right off the coast of the atoll you have chosen for your vacation.
The best diving in the Maldives is safari tour, where you will have the opportunity to explore and compare the most popular dive sites, visit uninhabited islands, go fishing and have a barbecue.
Lagoons Maldivian atolls are one of the best places for beginner divers. The coral reefs here are very soft, so diving in these places is safe. In addition to the reefs, in these waters you can explore mysterious caves and sunken ships and, of course, you cannot ignore the diverse fauna of the Indian Ocean.
Among the resorts Providing the best diving, we can highlight the island. There are many scuba diving centers here offering the best modern equipment. Dives are organized for beginners and experienced scuba divers. The waters of the Andaman Sea attract with coral reefs and an interesting underwater world.
The best diving in the Caribbean is And . Here, divers' main attention is focused on the rich fauna - colorful tropical fish and marine animals.
If we don’t talk about the most popular resorts among Russians, then you can get the best diving at Galapagos Islands , on Bahamas, V Papua New Guinea, V , on Marshall Islands, V Canada(British Columbia), etc.
Diving is a very exotic sport. Any diver, whether an expert or a beginner, will be fascinated by the depths of the places where he finds himself on every dive. Every diver has their own list of favorite dive sites. A survey of divers from around the world has resulted in a list of some of the best dive sites.
Similan Islands
The Similan Islands in the western Andaman Sea are considered the best diving spots in Thailand. The archipelago consists of 9 white sand islands covered with tropical jungle. There are 2 diving options: the eastern side has gently sloping coral reefs, and the western side has massive granite boulders covered with coral. The depth can vary from 15 to 40 meters. Read also about the most beautiful islands of Thailand in a separate selection, there are also very good places in order to dive.
Maldives reefs
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most popular diving destinations in the world. It is the largest coral reef system in the world, stretching over 3,000 kilometers. These are the only reefs on Earth that can be seen from space. The Great Barrier Reef also has a wealth of wildlife and exotic fish, including green sea turtles, dolphins, humpback whales and clownfish.
The following ten dive sites are among the most that every diver should include in their dive list - regardless of the choice of a specific destination. These are unique places that are definitely worth visiting in your lifetime for anyone who is seriously passionate and wants to know all its facets.
Tiputa Pass, French Polynesia
Tiputa Pass has a reputation for being one of the best drift diving spots in the world, and you'll be able to appreciate that claim when you visit it. First, you should visit the Shark Cavern, where you are likely to be lucky enough to meet gray reef sharks. Try to go with the flow, and along the way you will meet many other underwater inhabitants of these places, including stingrays, manta rays, dolphins, tuna and hammerhead fish.
Dives should be carried out in a counter current so that you do not get carried away in the opposite direction. But in some cases (for example, when visiting caves) it is worth starting from your own experience.
The best time for diving in Tiputa Pass is June-July. It is during this period that the chances of meeting gray sharks are greatest. The water temperature here is about 25-26°C, so a thin 3 mm thick one is sufficient for diving.
Silfra Gorge, Iceland
The Silfra Rift on the border of parts of the world is another unique dive site that is most attractive to divers all over the world, because where else if not here can you swim between two continents. Geographically, the dive is carried out in, but the voyage itself takes place along a fault between continental plates North America and Eurasia, so divers here have the opportunity to experience two continents at the same time.
Diving in Silfra Gorge offers some of the most... vivid impressions from scuba diving, because visibility underwater here is more than 100 m, which is due to the crystal clear glacial water, which over hundreds of years has naturally been filtered by passing through porous underground lava. There are almost no fish here, but the beautiful rocky landscapes of Silfra are so impressive that it is worth diving here, even despite the low water temperature.
Diving in the Silfra Rift is available all year round, but in the summer there may be the greatest number of people wanting to dive into the waters of a unique place between two continents. The water temperature usually does not exceed 2-4°C, so diving requires a good wetsuit.
Taveuni, Fiji
Diving in Fiji in general is very popular, but the best known and most unique dive site that attracts divers from all over the world is the Great White Wall, located in the Somosomo Strait.
What makes this place unique is the abundance of fragile snow-white corals, which create the illusion of a snow-covered ski slope underwater. Dives begin at a depth of 25 m, but it is worth keeping in mind the presence of strong underwater currents, so diving here is suitable for the most experienced divers.
The best period to go to these places in order to engage in such exciting diving among the coral forests of Taveuni is from November to April. The tropical waters of Fiji pleasantly delight with temperatures of +24+30°C, so a 3 mm wetsuit is the best solution for diving in Taveuni.
Guadalupe Island, Mexico
This is one of the best places in the world for an unforgettable experience. Near Guadalupe Island you can meet great white sharks, reaching a length of up to 5-6 m. Diving in crystal clear waters with many of these huge predators will undoubtedly add adrenaline to your blood and make your pulse race.
Guadalupe Island can be reached from the harbors of San Diego and San Francisco. If you would like to find out at own experience, what is diving with sharks, then this is the place for you. The best period for diving with white sharks is from September to December, but the most tourists come here in October-November.
The average water temperature during the season is at least +18+21°C. So a 6-7mm semi-dry wetsuit would be a good option. But the most comfortable will be a dry wetsuit.
In the harbor of St. George in Grenada there is one of the most interesting objects for connoisseurs - the sunken luxury liner Bianca C, known to many as the Titanic Caribbean Sea" This is one of the most worthy of attention shipwreck sites.
In October 1961, the liner, anchored off the coast of Grenada, caught fire as a result of an explosion in the engine room. All attempts to tow the cruise ship into shallow waters were unsuccessful, and the liner sank just a few hundred meters from the coast. Therefore, Bianca C is one of the most accessible wreck sites in the world for divers and an interesting wreck that is simply impressive in its scale.
Many of the decks have collapsed under the pressure of time, but the Bianca C still remains a wreck worth visiting. A promenade deck with a bridge and a swimming pool is available for underwater exploration. It was these places that turned into a real underwater colony for schools of barracudas.
Next to this wreck site, in the Gulf of Molinere, there is another no less attractive place for divers - an underwater park of 65 sculptures, covering an area of 800 sq.m. When you snorkel in these places, you can't help but feel like you're in a surreal world. Hundreds of corals and various marine flora entwine these statues, turning this underwater park into a unique marine kingdom.
The best time for diving in Grenada is the dry season, which lasts from January to May. The water temperature here is rarely less than +26+28°C, so a wetsuit 3 mm thick is quite enough for diving.
Stingray City, Cayman Islands
The Caribbean is a unique place for scuba diving. The diving depth here is only 4 m, but this place is interesting due to the many stingrays with which you can easily swim nearby. More than 30 species of different stingrays are found here, which are already so accustomed to tourists that they scurry around divers like friendly puppies.
Grab a handful of squid, and you won’t even have time to notice how the first stingray will already rush towards you, sniff the hand with the prey, and will calmly feed from your hands. Diving with stingrays will not be boring when several stingrays compete for prey.
Any time of year can be suitable for diving and swimming with stingrays near the Cayman Islands. The water temperature is constant throughout the year and is about +26+28°C, so a 3 mm wetsuit will be enough.
Los Islotes, Mexico
The Mexican island of Los Islotes consists of two rocky islets, one of which is shaped like a natural arch. The coastal waters and coast of these islands have become a haven for a colony of California sea lions, of which there are more than two hundred individuals. These representatives of marine fauna can reach a length of up to three meters and weigh more than 300 kg.
They are particularly playful, so they love to keep divers company while swimming nearby. And while large adults try to stay away from people, inquisitive little ones accompany divers everywhere. One sea lion calf even gained particular notoriety because it learned to jump into divers' boats and beg them for food.
The most suitable period for diving here is from August to November, when the water is especially warm and clear. A 3mm wetsuit will provide sufficient protection when diving in these areas.
Truk Lagoon, Micronesia
Truk Lagoon, located in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, takes almost the first place on the list of wreck diving connoisseurs, because such a large number of sunken equipment (both ships and planes) cannot be found anywhere else. Numerous Japanese ships, destroyed by American aircraft, rest on the ocean floor in this region.
Among the most interesting underwater objects of the Truk Lagoon, it is worth noting the 132-meter ship Fujikawa Maru. The vessel is in a vertical position at a depth of 34 meters from the surface. It is surrounded by a network of soft corals and is home to many reef fish. Here you can find shells, machine guns, wings and fuselages of aircraft.
Combined with stunning visibility, warm water and plenty of unique marine life, this dive site is a dream for any diver, not just wreck diving enthusiasts. The most favorable conditions for diving here are from June to September. The water temperature is constant and is about +27°C, so both a short and a long wetsuit with a thickness of 3 mm are suitable for diving.
The 95-meter "Rhone" was one of the main ships of the Royal Mail Steam Packet company, which could often be found in the open spaces. This ship constantly sailed from Great Britain to the Caribbean and back. In 1867, the Rhone was stationary, but the weather began to deteriorate sharply.
Instead of avoiding the storm, the captain decided to go out to sea, where the ship was caught in a real hurricane - the strongest that has ever been on the British Virgin Islands. "Rona" sank near Salt Island. The ship broke into two parts and went under water along with 125 passengers and crew.
The “Rhône” has lain underwater for almost 150 years, so all its wreckage has long been overgrown with sponges and corals, turning into artificial coral reefs, which have become an abode for many representatives of marine fauna. All this makes diving to the shipwreck of this ship one of the most exciting underwater adventures. "Rhône" is also one of the venues. In 1977, this location was chosen for the filming of the film “The Abyss.”
This dive site is accessible all year round, but in August-September the waters warm up best. The standard water temperature is in the range of +26+29°C, so you can safely choose a short or long (at your discretion) wetsuit for diving.
Manta Point, Maldives
Manta rays are one of the largest species of underwater rays, encountering them for the first time during diving makes an indelible impression. The weight of these sea giants can reach up to 1.3 tons with a wingspan of up to 7 meters. Manta rays feed mainly on small crustaceans and plankton, using their head fins to capture them.
Manta Point (or Lankanfinolhu) is one of the places where these giant rays are most often found. Dive depths near this reef vary from 12 to 50 m. The best time to go diving with mantas near North Male Atoll is from February to March inclusive. The water temperature here is approximately +28°C.