World’s Best Scuba Diving Destinations

Scuba diving destinations have been attracting adventure enthusiasts since long. Find out more about some of the best places in the world, where you can indulge in this adrenaline-raising activity.

"Scuba diving is sensual. To breathe underwater is one of the most fascinating and peculiar sensations imaginable. ... Soon, lungs act as bellows, controlling your buoyancy as you achieve weightlessness. And, as in your dreams, you are flying ...."

― Tec Clark

The sea has always been a subject of great fascination and awe for mankind. Through the ages, humans have attempted to find ways and means to reach the bottom of the sea to explore its hidden treasures.

With time, diving became one of the most popular recreational activities for adventure seekers, and sports such as snorkeling and scuba diving gained impetus.

Best Places in the World to Go Scuba Diving

One dive underneath the surface of the Egyptian Red Sea and all you can see is a huge variety of marine life all around you.

Red Sea is one of the world's richest marine ecosystems, landlocked on all the four sides by a desert. This makes its water a little saltier than the other water bodies.

Swim with the dolphins and sharks that keep on circling the walls and wrecks in the depths of this water body. A variety of colorful corals and sponges in the reefs look absolutely stunning too.

Considered as the 'Jewel of Indonesia', the island of Bali is undoubtedly one of the most exotic holiday destinations in the world. And that is certainly true when it comes to a scuba diving vacation as well.

While Bali boasts a stunning marine biodiversity, its most sought-after underwater attraction is the Mola mola, the giant ocean sunfish, which is the world's heaviest-known bony fish.

Located in the Western Caribbean Sea, the Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory, comprising three islands, viz. Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.

The Cayman Islands is a world-famous scuba-diving destination where divers flock to swim with stingrays. Historical remnants of shipwrecks can also be found in the depths of the sea here.

The waters around this uninhabited island off the Costa Rican shore boast the presence of large marine species, including dolphins, rays, and hammerhead sharks.

Cocos Island also features one of the richest reefs of the southeastern Pacific, abundant with colorful species of marine fauna, making it one of the popular scuba-diving spots.

In 2007, Cocos Island was designated one of the 10 best scuba diving spots in the world by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Literally meaning Island of the Swallows, this island in the Caribbean Sea is another renowned scuba diving destination.

Primary attractions here are extensive communities of coral reefs. Scuba divers can go as deep as 3,000 feet into the sea and explore the awe-inspiring tunnels, caves, and caverns, besides its exotic marine life.

This archipelago of volcanic islands boasts as many as 62 scuba diving sites, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you crave for big animals, then Galapagos is your place.

Swim along with whale sharks, turtles, moray eels, and eagle rays; not to forget the stars of the show―the hammerhead sharks that appear in large schools over here.

The most iconic scuba diving destination in the world, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living thing on Earth with nearly 3,000 individual reefs and over 350 species of corals.

Home to some 1,500 species of fish and six out of seven species of sea turtles found in the world, it is the diver's paradise.

If you are looking to do a wall dive, the Half Moon Caye is the perfect place for you. Once you begin to dive downwards, you will be intrigued by the variety of marine life it shelters.

Half Moon Caye features numerous tunnels and swim-throughs crammed with a variety of sponges and monster groupers. Marvel at the eagle rays, loggerhead turtles, barracudas, moray eels, and the rosy razor fish as you dive deeper.

The tourism industry of Palau focuses mainly on scuba diving and snorkeling on the islands, which boast an extremely rich marine environment.

Palau features more than 700 coral species, over 1,500 fish species, numerous blue holes, absolutely stunning walls, and enchanting coral reefs, alongside some historical World War II wrecks.

Papua New Guinea is a blooming scuba diving destination, which has come to the forefront recently.

If you wish to see and experience the diversity of marine life, head to Papua New Guinea.

Deep water is only a couple of feet away from the beaches of Papua New Guinea so you don't have to go too far to take a dive.

So, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and get going for one of the most fulfilling adventures of your lifetime!