Best Scuba Diving Holiday Locations

For many divers, the best holiday is one spent out on the ocean, exploring the deepest depths of the underwater world. However, with so many places to explore and so many destinations to discover, it can be hard to determine where to go. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing tropical getaway with fun coral reefs or an adventure-packed exploration of the unknown, we’ve got a destination for you to consider. Read on to learn more about seven incredible places that would make for a great dive getaway during the holidays.

 

The Maldives

 

With its white sandy shores, crystal clear waters, tropical palm trees, endless sunshine, and overwater bungalows, the Maldives is a great destination for any holiday. But what makes it a truly spectacular location for divers is what lies below the surface of its pristine waters. Home to one of the largest coral reef systems in the world, the Maldives is quite literally a diver’s paradise. Here you can find an abundance of marine life including turtles, manta rays, eagle rays, white tip sharks, hammerhead sharks, blue marlins, and even whale sharks. There’s a variety of diving to partake in with reef dives, shipwreck dives, deep-sea dives, and drift dives being some of the most popular. The Maldives is also a great location for liveaboard adventures if you’re looking to travel further offshore.

 

Thailand

 

Thailand is a mecca for divers, offering a wide variety of dive sites to explore and dive excursions to partake in. The island of Koh Tao, also known as Shark Island, is an especially popular spot among beginner divers and those looking to get certified. Offering up crystal clear waters, coral reefs, and an abundance of marine life, it’s the perfect place to get your feet wet. For more advanced divers, there are also shipwreck and pinnacle dives, where you may just be lucky enough to encounter whale sharks, turtles, and leopard sharks. Other popular dive spots in Thailand include the Similan Islands, which are accessible by liveaboard, Richelieu Rock, which is known for its coral wall, and Phuket, a great spot to go if you’d like a bit of nightlife mixed in with your diving. 

 

Antarctica

 

If you’re looking for a truly unique getaway, look no further than Antarctica. While it may not offer the same sunny, sandy holiday as the tropical islands on our list, it does provide limitless adventures for those seeking the ultimate thrill. You can go on glacial dives under the ice, come face-to-face with leopard seals, and even swim with penguins! Most excursions to the south pole are conducted by liveaboard, but you’ll still have the chance to explore on land. Many dive companies provide land excursions that include hiking, snowshoeing, camping on the glaciers, mountaineering, and more. You may even have the opportunity to tour the huts at Cape Adare, where the first long-term expedition to Antarctica was conducted in 1899. Needless to say, any holiday spent in Antarctica is bound to be an unforgettable one!

Indonesia 

 

Home to more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is a top destination for many divers. There’s so much to see and do, both on land and under the sea, that you could easily spend months exploring these tropical islands. However, two of the most popular destinations for divers include Raja Ampat and Bali. Raja Ampat is most known for its marine life, which is some of the most diverse in the entire world. It’s a great spot for encounters with both small and large sea creatures. Bali, on the other hand, is famous for its drift dives and wreck dives. It’s home to the world-renowned USS Liberty shipwreck, which has since become an artificial reef. Bali, with its white sandy beaches, volcanoes, and rice paddy terraces, is also a great destination for explorations on land.

 

Micronesia

 

Known for its wreck diving, Micronesia is a small island nation located just north of the equator in the pacific ocean. During World War II, it was the site of several naval battles that resulted in the destruction of more than 60 ships and 200 aircrafts, the majority of which sank in the lagoon off of Chuuk island. Today Micronesia is world-renowned for its wreck dives, drawing in divers from all over the world. The islands also offer pristine reef dives off the island of Pohnpei and interactive manta ray dives off the island of Yap. While Micronesia can be difficult and expensive to get to, it remains largely untouched by tourism and development, meaning it’s pristine and about as natural as natural can be.

 

Malta

 

Located in the southern Mediterranean Sea, Malta offers some of the best diving in Europe. Home to over 100 dive sites, this island nation provides divers with the chance to explore shipwrecks, coral reefs, caves, underwater arches, and tunnels – making it the perfect location for beginners, advanced divers, and even technical divers. One of the most popular dives in the country is the Blue Hole, a sinkhole that was formed in limestone thousands of years ago and now provides a protected area for marine life to flourish. Here you can find a variety of fish, lobsters, eels, and octopi, as well as arches, tunnels, and narrow pathways to explore. Malta is also home to several shipwrecks dating back to World War II, making it a perfect dive destination for history buffs.  

 

The Red Sea

 

Offering crystal clear waters, vibrant reefs, and an abundance of marine life, the Red Sea off of Egypt is a great holiday destination for divers. There are countless locations to explore, including the Sinai Peninsula, home to the SS Thistlegorm shipwreck, and the Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt’s first protected marine park. In these locations, you can find a wide variety of aquatic life, including hammerhead sharks, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, tiny clownfish, and blacktip reef sharks. The Ras Mohammed National Park also encompasses the famous Shark and Yolanda Reefs, a dive spot that offers a three-in-one opportunity to explore a coral terrace, a coral wall, and a shipwreck. Many divers to the Red Sea choose to hop aboard a liveaboard, but it’s also possible to base yourself off land, if you’d like to explore more of Egypt. 


References:

 

Blue Water Dive: ​​https://www.bluewaterdivetravel.com/Antarctica-dive-travel

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