Back in 2017, I was persuaded to go on my first scuba-dive. We did this as part of our 10 days in Fuerteventura that year. It was a magical and surreal experience which opened my eyes to a completely new world. Since then I have been on a few dives and have snorkelled in some incredible places, including Thailand and Mauritius. I have however wonder where the best places to scuba-dive are.
This blog post goes through my bucket-list of the best places, in my opinion, available to divers. How many can you tick off?
Best Places to Scuba-Dive | My Ultimate Bucket List
This map shows the top 8 places that we came up with when it comes to scuba-diving. They are not all tropical and, I hope , that some of them may even surprise you.
Without further ado, here is my bucket list.
The Maldives
Famed for its marine life all over the world, the Maldives offers a huge range of biodiversity. Whilst it is a tourist-hotspot, especially amongst honeymooners, it offers something entirely different to any destination. You can spot elusive giants such as manta-rays and whale sharks, and experience the thrill of swimming with turtles easily.
The other great thing about the Maldives is that it’s easily accessible to those who don’t want to dive, and just fancy a snorkel. A lot of the reefs are pretty shallow, so you can easily see all the sights without going too deep.
Lastly, it is the Maldives, so you can combine diving with a bit of TLC.
The Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos is renowned as one of the best places to see wildlife in the world. On the land, you have evolutionary marvels, and in the water the marine life is brimming.
However, the main attraction here is of course everyone’s favourite diving sight; sharks. The Galapagos Islands home the largest abundance of shark populations in the world, and mass gatherings of hammerheads and reef sharks are a common sight.
Shark-diving is definitely not for everyone. In fact, I’d probably leave that one to my husband. However, in the Galapagos Archipelago it is possible to see one of the best wildlife spectacles on the planet… If you are brave enough to get in the water.
Iceland
This entry is slightly different to the others. It isn’t because of the tropical seas, or even the wildlife, that stands out here. On the contrary, diving in Iceland is almost lifeless in comparison. So you may be wondering why it is included in this best places to scuba-dive bucket list.
What Iceland does offer however is a crystal-clear dive between two tectonic plates. The water here is arguably clearer than anywhere else and swimming between two continents is surely bucket list.
The only issue with this is that it is exceptionally cold, so make sure that you pack your best dry suit.
Hawaii
Hawaii is famous for many things; the culture, the surfing and its impressive marine life. It is right in the middle of the Pacific and so acts as a base for the abundance of migrating animals.
One of the most spectacular animals here is the manta ray. These are found in the surrounding ocean of the island. Perhaps the coolest part of diving in Hawaii is the topography. Being a volcanic island, the reefs are mostly comprised of hard corals and rocks. It is quite a different terrain to those reefs found elsewhere, such as in the Indian Ocean.
The Red Sea
The Red Sea, and more specifically, Shark reef and the wreckage of the Jolanda, are famed amongst divers. Here there are two outcrops and a wreck, which make it ideal for a plethora of marine creatures. It is meant to be one of the diving jewels of the world, and is filled with stunningly exquisite colours from the coral and fish that live there in abundance.
For sheer colour and variation, there are few places that can beat this. Plus, it is an excellent place for beginner divers to earn their stripes.
Malaysia
Malaysia is one of the best places for scuba-diving. In particular, a dive site called ‘Barracuda Point’ on Sipadan Island is famous amongst divers. Here you’ll find plenty of wildlife, a huge drop-off and, of course, barracuda. These predatory fish congregate here in monster shoals which is meant to be one of the best marine spectacles in Asia.
This might sound amazing, or it may sound terrifying. If you are of the latter persuasion, then no worries. Malaysia and Borneo have lots of house reefs which are shallow and allow for less experienced divers to see all the animals they would want to.
Belize
Just off the coast of Belize is an infamous sinkhole, known by divers as the ‘Great Blue Hole’. This sinkhole goes to around 125m deep, and is not for the faint-hearted. Indeed, to even dive on it, you need to have a record of 24 dives under your belt, and have sufficient qualification.
Aside from this, in the Caribbean Sea you can swim with plenty of sharks, fish, turtles and rays. It is famously great as a diving site and perfect for kicking back with a cocktail.
Australia – The Great Barrier Reef
What dive bucket-list would be complete without the king of reefs? This reef has everything you could ever want from a dive, and guarantees you some breath-taking spectacles.
Of course, this would need to be the top of the list as there are simply so many things to see. Plus, the sheer size of it ensures that no two parts of the reef are the same.
The Great Barrier Reef also includes some of husband’s favourite creatures, such as the mystic sea-dragon, or the ferocious tiger shark. I also want to visit the famous wreck of the Yongala, which has immense biodiversity including manta rays, sharks and turtles.
Final Thoughts | Best Places to Scuba-Dive
My bucket list of the best places to scuba-dive in the world was really hard to write. If I am honest, there are just so many countries I’d want to include. Have any of you ever dived on these sites? If so please let me know, and send all your tips over.
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