Top 10 Awesome Scuba Diving Spots

With thousands of dive sites located across the globe, it can be hard to narrow down and pinpoint which ones are actually worth visiting. Take into consideration that the ocean is constantly changing and new sites are being discovered every day, and it suddenly becomes even harder. To help you navigate all of this, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite dive spots and why you should consider them for your next dive trip!

 

Barracuda Point – Sipadan Island, Malaysia

 

Consistently ranked as one of the top ten dive sites in the world, Barracuda Point in Sipadan, Malaysia is a destination worth venturing to. Located near a tiny island off the eastern coast of Malaysia, this site is home to thousands of barracuda fish. They can usually be found swirling through the deep blue sea in a tornado-like formation. The site also offers the opportunity to get up close and personal with turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays, octopuses, a wide variety of fish, as well as the occasional hammerhead shark.

 

Richelieu Rock – Thailand

 

Located off the west coast of Thailand, Richelieu Rock is often regarded as one of the best dive sites in Thailand. Offering an interesting mix of reef and deep-sea creatures, this dive site promises it all and delivers! Its horseshoe-shaped reef, which is home to smaller reef fish, drops off drastically into a coral wall that is surrounded by nutrient-rich open seas. This water, which is filled with plankton, attracts large pelagic marine life, including manta rays, tuna fish, and sharks. Richelieu Rock is in fact known as one of the best spots in Thailand to catch a glimpse of whale sharks!

 

Cape Kri – Raja Ampat, Indonesia

 

With a plethora of diverse marine life, Cape Kri is a popular destination for many divers around the world. And for good reason – it holds the world record for the most species of fish identified on a single dive, which attests to just how diverse this dive site really is. Home to an abundance of fish, manta rays, turtles, and sharks, Cape Kri offers a diving experience unlike any other. All of this, of course, is thanks to the vibrant and healthy coral that resides in Cape Kri.

 

Shark & Yolanda Reef – Red Sea, Egypt 

 

Offering deep dives, wreck dives, drift dives, and shark encounters all in one, Shark and Yolanda Reef has something for everyone. Located in the Ras Mohammed National Park in the northern part of the Red Sea, this dive site offers the opportunity to explore three reefs at once! Most divers start at Anemone City, a coral terrace that is often visited by turtles, and then venture over Shark Reef, a vertical coral wall that drops 800 meters. The dives then finish up with Yolanda Reef, which also happens to be the resting place of a shipwreck by the same name. This ship was carrying bathroom supplies when it sunk and remnants of its cargo can still be seen strewn across the ocean floor today.

 

Tiger Beach – Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas 

 

Known for its shark diving, the Bahamas is a great location for anyone looking to get up close and personal with large predators. Home to many species of sharks, it has become a mecca for shark divers. Tiger Beach in particular is a popular spot to go for tiger shark encounters. With daily chum feedings that draw in marine life, you’re guaranteed to see not only tiger sharks but also nurse sharks, lemon sharks, and Caribbean reef sharks. Simply hang out on the sandy bottom and wait for them to show up for their daily feast. 

 

Silfra Fissure – Thingvellir National Park, Iceland

 

Located between the North American and Eurasian continental plates, Silfra Fissure is a dive unlike any other – after all, it is the only place in the entire world where you can dive between two continental plates! The dive itself is mostly void of marine life, but with visibility of up to 100 meters, there’s still plenty to see and explore. With colorful algae that fills the cracks and crevices of the fissure, this dive is known for its reflective, vibrant shades of green and blue. 

 

Bajo Alcyone – Cocos Island, Costa Rica 

 

While only accessible by liveaboard, Bajo Alcyone is known as one of the best places in the world to dive with hammerhead sharks. The dive itself can be rough at times, but the dive plan is simple – descend to the top of a seamount, wedge yourself between the rocks, and wait for the action to begin. If you’re lucky you may just spot a few manta rays, whale sharks, or Galapagos sharks swimming amongst the hammerheads. 

 

Jardines de la Reina – Cuba

 

Known as the “Gardens of the Queen,” Jardines de la Reina is a marine park that has been protected for over twenty years. As a result of this, the coral gardens and the marine life that they support have all been able to flourish largely untouched by the influences of humankind. While diving is now allowed within the park’s boundaries, it is very regulated and limited, with a maximum of 1,200 divers allowed to visit each year. Those who are lucky enough to dive within these waters are met with brightly colored coral, large populations of fish, and a variety of sharks.

 

Sardine Run – Agulhas Bank, South Africa

 

Offering fast-paced action and intense feeding frenzies, the Sardine Run in South Africa is not for the faint of heart. For a few weeks each year, millions of sardines take an annual migration up the coast of Africa, drawing in large pelagic predators in the process. If you happen to time it correctly, you can jump in the water right in the midst of these tiny fish and come face to face with a variety of dolphins, sharks, and whales – all taking advantage of this never-ending feast. It’s a wild, unpredictable dive, one that you are bound to never forget.

 

Roca Partida – Socorro, Mexico

 

Located 250 miles off Mexico’s shoreline, Roca Partida is a thriving seamount that is only accessible by liveaboard. It takes approximately 24 hours to reach the site but offers quite the reward for those willing to make the journey. The seamount is home to large schools of tuna and jackfish, which frequently draw in large pelagic predators. Divers to Roca Partida are known to have regular encounters with manta rays, dolphins, humpback whales, whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, and sometimes even tiger sharks. 

​​

References:

 

Scuba Travel – https://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveslong.html

Leave a Reply