The most interesting diving spots in the world. Where is the best diving?
- The first group belongs to the so-called cult diving. This is, of course, the Galapagos Islands, which are considered an underwater paradise and the best place for diving due to its rich ecosystem. Of course, these are Cocos Island and the Socorro Islands, which are a sanitation station in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for a variety of marine life, including a huge population of sharks. Iconic dive destinations also include the wild, still poorly explored waters of Raja Ampat in Indonesia and the world's largest atoll, Aldabra, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, which is very difficult to simply get to. To understand why J. Cousteau, the main expert on the best diving, spent so much time studying the Sea of Cortez, you need to come to Mexico's Baja California. The dream of many divers is to take part in the famous sardine race in South Africa. By the way, most of the above-mentioned sites can only be reached by safari yacht. In fact, these are real mini expeditions on special ships.
- The second group can roughly include countries with mass diving trips. It includes the Red Sea with Egypt and Sudan, the Maldives, unrivaled in the beauty of the underwater world, and almost all the countries of Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea. Australia and Oceania can be included in the same group: the Great Barrier Reef, paradise French Polynesia, Fiji with shark feeding. And, of course, Cuba with coral reefs and shark diving, the Dominican Republic with caves, the Bahamas with bull and lemon sharks, Turks and Caicos with humpback whales. In Europe, the choice is small - Malta and wrecks, budget Croatia and expensive Norway with killer whales. People go to all these countries for both daily diving and diving safaris.
- Well, the third category of countries for diving from the category: “It’s worth diving there at least once!” These countries can hardly be called the best places for diving, but if a diver is there, he will find something to see underwater. This includes landscape diving in Spain and the Canary Islands, archaeological diving in Greece and Turkey and Tunisia, the reefs of Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Jordan, the biodiversity of Seychelles and Mauritius. Diving in these countries can be interesting due to its novelty and specificity, therefore, once here, most divers will want to “check in” in the local waters. Thus, diving in the Canary Islands is called landscape diving. There are no coral reefs here, and the depths between the islands reach 3 km. Encounters with the inhabitants of the open ocean can be the most unexpected, especially on the outer islands of the archipelago, but they cannot be guaranteed. Many islands have not yet been explored at all, which adds interest and intrigue.
With many of the best diving spots in the world, everyone chooses what interests them. Those who are looking for a new direction, some need to “get their gills wet” inexpensively, some are interested in sharks, for others diving is exploring new caves and wrecks.
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 diving is not carried out in random, incomprehensible bodies of water with muddy waters and dubious 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 assumes that the scuba diver has 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
Since Sipadan has 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 the east coast of the state. 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 located here that can immerse you in the wonderful world of 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 of less popular, but no less amazing diving spots, please share this information in the comments.
Diving and spearfishing, places with the best diving in the world. Photos and videos of the underwater world of the seas. Diving tours and diving courses in Moscow, Russia and abroad. From Egypt to Australia, from Mauritius to Seychelles - everything about diving: sites, dives, prices and tours.
A fact that many thousands of scuba diving fanatics are ready to confirm: diving is the most addictive form of active recreation. 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, calling diving, especially recreational, an extreme sport can only be done for advertising purposes. Scuba diving, like alpine skiing, has its own levels of difficulty, and there are practically no serious dangers for beginners - after all, no one puts neophyte skiers who confuse rope 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, there are shallow waters, water at a comfortable temperature and the absence 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. Essentially, a dive safari is a sea cruise with two to four dives per day. Since there is no need to return to shore every evening, safaris are made available by distant and interesting dive sites, where, among other things, the underwater world is 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: a 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 the countries of Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, French Polynesia and others. Caribbean and Latin America:
Diving is a very entertaining form of active recreation. It hooks you after the first dive, creating a desire to return to the depths of the seas and oceans again and again. Where can you go diving? It depends on what the diver expects from the dive, as the various locations feature shipwrecks, stunning underwater caves and a variety of marine life.
Great Barrier Reef
One of the most favorite places for divers is the Great Barrier Reef on the northeast coast of Australia, the largest coral reef on Earth. It became one of the seven natural wonders of the world for a reason: a huge variety of living organisms live there. You don't have to scuba dive to see some of them: even with a snorkel you can see a lot of beautiful things.
Among the 3,000 reefs formed by 350 species of corals, there are representatives of 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 species of shellfish. This place is often visited by divers of different skill levels, but due to the huge size of the reef (its area is larger than the size of Great Britain!) they do not interfere with each other's enjoyment of diving. The Great Barrier Reef is open to visitors all year round, but the best season is October-December.
Santa Catalina Island
In North America, St. Catalina Island, thirty-five kilometers from California, is considered an excellent place for diving. In addition to plenty of land-based activities, there are 49 dive sites. Beginners should visit the Avalon Underwater Park: giant brown algae grow there, and tiny Californian horned sharks, bright garibaldi fish, moray eels and fur seals swim among them. And one and a half kilometers west of the island there is a rather difficult place - the Ship Rock rock. In the shallow waters next to her, the schooner “Diosa del Mar” (translated from Spanish as “Goddess of the Sea”) sank - she can also be seen with a simple mask. On Catalina, the diving season lasts from May to October.
Maltese Islands
The most attractive place for lovers of sunken ships will be the Maltese Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, where ships of all eras can be found - from Phoenician galleys to modern submarines. Since many of the local underwater attractions are difficult to access, most of them remain almost untouched, and therefore more interesting. A downed English bomber that has remained here since World War II is very popular among divers. A submarine of the British fleet was sunk in St. Paul's Bay, and a French merchant ship was sunk off the coast of Valletta, on board which dishes and wine were found. It was probably attacked by Mediterranean pirates, whose base Malta served for a long time. The best time to look at the numerous ships, as well as grottoes and canyons, is from June to September.
Maldives
Surely many have heard about the Maldives - small but very beautiful islands with white sand beaches, palm trees and lagoons. Some of the first visitors to the islands were divers who explored the incredibly beautiful underwater world of the Maldives. You can even meet its representatives in shallow waters, where stingrays love to swim. And at the depths there are countless inhabitants: there are colorful tropical fish, turtles, starfish, impressive Napoleon fish, barracudas and moray eels. There are also different types of sharks here, for example, whale and tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks and whitetip sharks. Many hotels here have their own reefs, where most of the diving takes place. The best diving season in the Maldives runs from January to April, although the water is warm all year round.
Republic of Palau
The next place is recognized by the diving association CEDAM International as one of the seven underwater wonders of the world. Palau is a republic located on two hundred islands, of which only eight are inhabited, since the natural community here is very fragile and, of course, very beautiful. The numerous lagoons of the Palau Islands are home to 700 species of tropical fish, including leopard sharks, octopuses, turtles and crabs. Palau also has very rare marine animals that are not found anywhere else. The main attraction for divers is the so-called “Blue Hole”, a complex system of underwater caves, many entrances into which allow light to pass through so that from different viewing angles and at different times of the day the water acquires all shades of blue. The visiting season for Palau is considered to be from January to May.
Sipidan Island
Sipidan Island is formed by the top of an extinct underwater volcano, protruding almost a kilometer out of the sea. Despite the fact that it is very small, the underwater life boiling around it can be the envy of many large archipelagos. In one part of the island, huge flocks of caranax gather, and on Barracuda Point, barracudas form schools of thousands of individuals and create amazing patterns. Sipidan is also home to one of the largest populations of sea turtles. Local reef sharks are not afraid of people and allow you to swim close to them. These sharks are small, so divers enjoy the opportunity to photograph them up close. You can dive here all year round, but from May to November it rains on Sipidan and visibility is reduced.
Diving in Thailand
Diving in the Red Sea
The Red Sea is very popular among divers, but the most famous places like the reefs of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh are always very crowded with tourists, and divers had to explore the southern coast of the sea. There, from El-Kezir to Sudan, an uninhabited desert coast stretches for hundreds of kilometers, but coral gardens lie under the water, and among the caves and canyons there are many animals that have not yet been intimidated by divers. There are also octopuses, squids, and turtles, as well as relatives of sea cows - the amazing dugongs.
Recently, an airport was built in Marsa Alam, which led to the opening of dive centers there. But it is much more interesting to spend time in special diving camps. Enthusiasts have organized entire cities with diving schools, bungalows, tents and restaurants. The only hindrance to enjoying the dives may be the winds that cause currents, but in general the south of the Red Sea is open to visitors all year round. The best time is considered to be from November to March.
Yucatan Peninsula
Diving underwater and underground at the same time is considered especially exotic. Such dives are practiced in Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. 60 underwater caves up to 68 km long have already been discovered here, and divers are constantly discovering new cave systems. The Indians considered the entrances to these caves to be the gates to the afterlife and threw gold jewelry there as a gift to the gods, and sometimes sacrificed their fellow tribesmen.
Of course, everything that has archaeological value was raised from the bottom of the caves long ago, but this does not make them any less interesting. Most of these caves are located in the jungle near Cancun. The entrance to the cave resembles a pool or well, which is why the Mayans called it “cenote,” which means “well.” Sometimes getting to the cenotes is not so easy: you have to climb rocks or jump into the water from a height of three meters. But what is under the water, clear as air, is worth such efforts. Hurricanes are likely here in August and September, and the best time to travel to Yucatan is May-July.
Diving in St. Petersburg
For those who want to learn diving and freediving in St. Petersburg, there are good diving schools that meet all certification requirements. To teach diving to children and adults in St. Petersburg, you can contact Natalya Levochskaya at https://diving-deti.ru/. Well, if you are an adult and you need a diver certificate, I recommend the website of the Baltika Club in St. Petersburg.
Diving in the North Sea
The most extreme type of diving is diving into the icy waters of the northern seas. Before you go diving to the North Pole, it’s worth testing yourself in the Barents Sea. Getting to the diving base will not be so easy: it is located on the border with Norway on the German Peninsula, and you can only get there with the permission of the border service. At the bottom of the Barents Sea you can see many shell casings and shells, as well as sunken ships. Among the marine animals found here are northern dolphins, beluga sturgeons, whales, seals and salmon. You can dive from May to August.
Read with this article:
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 for diving.
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.