10 Best scuba diving destinations

Scuba diving can be a surreal and life-changing experience that’s why scuba diving destinations around the world are gaining in popularity. Going under water and swimming with a school of fish, discovering colourful corals or standing there and watching marine life passing by are experiences that are on the bucket list of many. Those who are already into scuba diving and are exploring the best scuba diving spots in the world, feel if you do a dive once you inevitably want to do it again. It’s absolutely impossible to ignore the call of the beautiful world underwater.

Like swimming in the sea or snorkelling, scuba diving is not that easy because you need training under water by certified trainers. Dives are classified according to difficulty levels and tourists who are always on the lookout for the best places to go diving, decide on the diving spot accordingly.

Incidentally Asia Pacific is the leading region in dive tourism and some of the best places to go diving are located here. Places like Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and India are seeing a huge upsurge in divers coming every year. Europe and Caribbean are also coveted diving destinations.

Quick chart for best scuba diving destinations

Best places to dive	What to see	Best time to dive
Galápagos Islands Ecuador	Hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, penguins, sea lions	June–November for whale sharks , December–May for mantas and warm-water visibility :
Raja Ampat Indonesia	Manta rays, pelagic species, coral gardens	May–September
Similan Islands Thailand	Whale sharks, sea horses, ghost pipefish, guitar sharks	November–May (peak: December–April) for best visibility and calm seas
Halong Bay Vietnam	Small reef fish, sea anemones, limestone karsts	April–October for warm water and clear visibility; ideal for beginners
Havelock Island Andaman and Nicobar India	Reef sharks, barracudas, sea turtles	October–May for calm waters and good visibility
Great Barrier Reef Australia	400 coral types, dugongs, reef sharks	June–September for dry season with calm seas and high visibility
Maldives	Coral reefs, reef sharks, manta rays, whale sharks, tuna	December–April for dry season with calm seas & excellent visibility, May–November: richer plankton, more manta rays
Colva to Palolem South Goa	Parrotfish, angelfish, lionfish, moray eels	October–May for Ideal post-monsoon period with abundant marine life
Vanuatu South Pacific	Vibrant coral reefs, caverns, shipwrecks	April–October for warm waters and great visibility
Pemba Island Tanzania	Drop-offs, wrecks, mangrove ecosystems	October–March for calm seas, excellent visibility, abundant marine life

What makes an ideal scuba diving destination

There has always been a conception that a great scuba diving destination means clear water, but it’s not. A scuba diving destination is a mix of marine biodiversity, water conditions, accessibility and unique underwater experiences. So here is your detailed guide on what makes a scuba destination ideal for underwater sojourns.

Rich marine biodiversity: The pleasure of scuba diving lies in exploring marine life. Witnessing coral reefs, different varieties of fish and underwater flora and larger marine species are an absolute pleasure. The more daring divers go to places infested with bigger fishes or even sharks and experience the thrill of swimming with them.
Excellent visibility: Visibility is crucial for navigation underwater; shallow visibility may spoil your experience and you might get misled to dangerous parts of the ocean. Tropical locations have excellent visibility over 100 ft, and in the range of 30-50 meters, you can have a good visibility.
Weather and water conditions: If you are a beginner, look for calm seas where the current is less and always look for November and December for diving. Advance divers can seek drift dives and strong currents.
Unique features: As said by scientists and researchers, the ocean keeps secrets, as well as unique wonders like shipwrecks, underwater caves, underwater volcanoes, blue holes and vertical walls. Some spots like these become popular underwater destinations.
Varieties of diving options: A diving destination is great when it provides a variety of diving options for beginners and pros. Like shallow reefs for beginners and deeper or more technical dive for pros.

Top 10 dive destinations in the world

If you are looking for the best diving spots in the world then you have come to the right place. We all know the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most visited diving destinations in the world that has 2,900 reefs. Apart from highly-rated, popular destinations like this one, new dive spots are being discovered regularly.

This is because divers are always searching for new scuba diving destinations and countries with great diving infrastructure are trying to improve diving tourism by adding new spots. Interestingly, some countries are emerging as new scuba diving destinations. We have listed the popular and emerging destinations here.

Galapagos Island, Ecuador

A divers dream island, Galapagos offers one of the most unique experiences for divers and one can see creatures which are hardly found in other diving destinations. You can expect encounters with hammerhead sharks, sea lions, whale sharks, penguins, marine iguanas and school of fishes.

This is an advanced dive where one has to navigate strong currents and encounter sudden deep ends. But the variety of marine life here is truly mind boggling and astonishingly one can see tropical fish and penguins all together here.

Best diving sites

Wolf and Darwin Island -Hammerhe
Cousin’s rock
Punta Vicente Roca
Gordon rocks

Best time to visit

June to November: Cooler water, nutrient rich current that brings whale sharks and can witness hammerheads
December to May: Warmer water, clear visibility and best for underwater photography.

Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Raja Ampat Island holds the richest marine diversity on earth, for its pristine coral gardens, manta rays and 1500 species of fishes. Raja Ampat diving, which also means four kings by the locals, refers to four main islands: Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo.

Locals believe that these islands and underwater kingdoms were ruled by four kings and all these islands were born from an egg. You can witness large pelagics, giant trevally and sharks. All these make it one of the most popular diving destinations in the world.

Best diving sites

Cape Kri
Manta Sandy
Blue magic
Misool

Best time to visit

October to April: Peak manta season, warm water, calm seas and amazing visibility

Similan Island, Thailand

Similan island, the chain of 11 islands off Thailand’s Andaman coast, is known for its granite boulder landscape. The name Similan itself is what denotes the islands here, Similan comes from the Malay word ‘sembilan’ meaning nine as the area before consisted of nine islands and two were added later. Similan island scuba diving is famous for its coral gardens, whale sharks and dramatic swim throughs.

This is one of the best diving destinations because visibility is great here but sometimes currents are strong. You can see sea horses, ghost pipe fish and the rare guitar sharks and leopard sharks. No wonder it is in the list of top 10 diving destinations in the world.

Best diving sites

Richelieu Rock
Elephant Head Rock
Anita’s Reef
Koh Bon and Koh Tachai

Best time to visit

November to May: Dry season, calm seas and excellent visibility
February to April: Peak season for Manta and whale shark sightings

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Halong Bay, known for amazing cruising, limestone karsts, jade green waters and UNESCO world heritage status, also allows you to immerse yourself in an amazing underwater experience. Diving in Halong Bay is best suited for beginner divers and snorkelers because it offers shallow reef dives and wrecks, providing a mix of sightseeing and gentle underwater experience. This is why it is one of the most popular diving destinations in the world.

Though marine biodiversity isn’t as rich here as in tropical hotspots like Raja Ampat, you can witness giant cliffs and caves as well as small reef fish and sea anemones. Diving in Halong Bay can be an amazing experience for tourists who want to experience the thrill of exploring the undersea world.

Best diving sites

Van Don Island
Co To Island
Bai Tu Long Bay

Best time to visit

April to October: Warm water leading to clear visibility

Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Havelock Island, also known as Swaraj Deep, boasts of being India’s top scuba diving destination. The Andaman sea diving scene is always popular for its coral reef, relaxed island vibe and pristine waters. But Havelock is special because it provides accessibility to all levels of divers. That’s why it is one of the best diving spots in the world.

Havelock is rich with marine biodiversity; you can encounter manta rays, reef sharks, barracudas, sea turtles and vibrant reef fish. The calm seas around are best for beginner divers but it also has drift and deep dives for advanced divers.

Diving sites

Elephant Beach Reef
The Wall
Minerva Ledge
Pilot Reef
Jackson Bar and Johny Gorge

Best time to visit

October to May: Calm waters with best visibility rate
November to February: Peak season with pleasant weather

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Do you know which is the only living structure visible from space? That’s the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) the largest coral system in the earth, stretching over 2300 kms along Queensland’s coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to over 1500 fish species, 400 coral types, sea turtles, dugongs and reef sharks.

This place is one of the most famous and popular diving destinations in the world with beginner-friendly coral gardens and advanced deep outer reefs drop offs. Because of the beautiful formations, stunning colours and striking natural beauty, divers just flock to get the best scuba diving experience here.

Diving sites

Cod Hole
Osprey Reef
Heron Island
Ribbon Reef
Lady Elliott Island

Best time to visit

June to September: Dry season, visibility rates are higher as the sea is calm
December to May: Warmer water which allows excellent diving but has chances of tropical rain and marine stingers

Maldives

The Maldives, a chain of 1,192 coral islands scattered across 26 atolls, offers some of the clearest waters and richest marine life on the planet and hence it offers the best scuba diving in the world. Famous for drift diving, you will ride the currents through channels teeming with reef sharks, manta rays, tuna and huge schools of fish. Many dive sites are just minutes from luxury resorts and are accessible by liveaboard boats, making it a top choice for both honeymooners and serious divers.

Coral reefs here are vibrant, and seasonal plankton blooms attract whale sharks year round in some areas. Diving is available for all levels, though strong currents at certain sites require experience.

Diving sites

Maaya Thila
Banana Reef
Manta Point
Fotteyo Kandu
South Ari Atoll

Best time to visit

January to April: Dry season and calm seas leading to best visibility
May to November: Wet season

Colva to Palolem, South Goa

There are amazing scuba diving spots in the coastline of South Goa and every year tourists from all over the world visit Goa not only for its relaxed beach vibe but also for the attractive South Goa scuba diving opportunities.

From rocky reefs to underwater caves and marine life that includes parrotfish, angelfish, lionfish, moray eels, damselfish and snappers, it’s a diver’s haven. Apart from reef sharks, stingrays and eagle rays in deeper waters one also gets to see rare octopus, cuttlefish and crabs.

Diving sites

Grande Island
Sao Jorge Island
Bat Island
Dona Paula Wreck

Best time to visit: October to May is the ideal time when the monsoon recedes and marine life is at its best

Vanuatu, South Pacific

This is a lesser-known destination although it’s ideal for both beginner and advanced divers, Vanuatu has 83 remote islands that have varied diving spots. Here one finds vibrant coral reefs, dramatic caverns, ship wrecks and even encounters with the rare dugong. So this is one of the best places to go diving.

A pioneering PADI Eco Center at Tanna’s White Grass Ocean Resort is also working on regenerative tourism and conservation.

Diving sites

Million Dollar Point
Hideaway Island.
Eton Reef
SS President Coolidge

Best time to visit: April to October when waters are warm and visibility is great.

Pemba Island, Tanzania

Pemba Island is replete with reefs, mangrove ecosystems and luxurious innovations like a floating underwater hotel room at The Manta Resort. Pemba Island has dramatic drop-offs with strong currents for experienced divers and some sites include small wrecks and mangrove roots that shelter juvenile fish.

From manta rays to hammerheads to sea horses to green turtles there is beautiful marine life making this one of the top spots for scuba diving.

Diving sites:

Njao Reef
Manta Point
Chake Reef
Misali Island
Chwaka Bay

Best time to visit: October to March, when the seas are calm, visibility is excellent and marine life is most abundant.

How Flying Squirrel Holidays can help you

We have listed the best diving destinations in the world for you. Make your choice and let us know where you want to head. From hotel bookings to flights and visa assistance, we will do everything for you.

Just tell us how you want to conceive your scuba diving holiday, and we will do the rest for you so that you can have the time of your life in the best scuba diving destinations in the world.

Call us at: +91 33 4052 5777 /+91 8336978737

Email us at: [email protected]

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