10 Scuba Spots That Are Basically Underwater Heaven

1. Gili Islands, Indonesia

The Gili Islands are a set of 3 tiny islands off the coast of Lombok. Gili Air is the most famous of the island for scuba diving because of its large sea turtle population (the biggest in the world!) The island is just 6 square miles and you can easily walk around the entire island in just a couple of hours.

Then there’s the smallest Gili Island, Gili Meno which has a wreck just offshore called the Bounty Wreck. The best time to visit these islands is from September to November when there is the best water clarity and the weather is calm. To get here you can either take a ferry from Bali or fly into Lombok and take a boat from there.

2. Phuket, Thailand

Thailand has always been people’s go-to scuba diving heaven because of its colorful reefs, fishes, and the beauty of the islands. Phuket has these things and more! It’s located in Southern Thailand and has crystal clear water and beautiful reefs. Some of the best dive sites in Phuket are the Similan Islands, Shark Point, and Anemone Reef (just to name a few), 

The best time of year to visit Phuket is November to May because the other months have significantly more rain. You can stay on this peninsula for super cheap and spend your days scuba diving and your nights partying. There is an airport in the northern part of the island and you can get a shuttle or taxi to the south side of the island where the main city is.

3. Kona, Hawaii

If you’ve never swam with manta rays, then head to Kona, Hawaii. There are thousands of mantas here and you can see them every day of the year. The most popular way to see these sea creatures is by booking a night dive. This allows you to see manta rays when they are most active and feeding. Manta rays aren’t the only things they have. There are also dolphins, jellyfish, octopuses, whales, and sharks. 

Diving here is good year round but the best months are September and January because they are during the off-season. This means that you’ll have fewer crowds on the dive boats and a more personalized experience. To get here you can fly into the Kona airport and be right in the center of the action.

4. Palawan, Philippines

Palawan is a small set of islands just south of Manila. Some of the major cities on these islands are El Nido, Coron, and Puerto Princessa. From any of these cities, you can book amazing dive tours that will take you to some of the best spots on Earth. Some things that you might see here are angelfish, pufferfish, whale sharks, and surgeonfish.

If you can, try to stay in El Nido and Coron for the best scuba experience. The best months to visit are October to June because this is the dry season for the islands. To get here, you can fly into the Puerto Princesa International Airport and then take a shuttle to the north of the island, El Nido. Then, when you are done with El Nido, you can take a ferry to Coron for the rest of your trip.

5. Cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

For an experience like no other, scuba diving in cenotes is a must. A cenote is a sinkhole that is filled with water and is found all over the Yucatan Peninsula in Southern Mexico. Some of the best cenotes for diving are Cenote Aktun-Ha, Cenote Dos Ojos, Cenote Calavera, and Gran Cenote. If you like cave diving and have your cave certification, then the Gran Cenote is the one you want to visit.

These locations are near Playa del Carmen, Mexico, a beautiful beach location with lots of ocean dives like Cozumel and Isla Mujeres. May and September will be the best times to see these cenotes because they will be well lit and have fewer people. To get to Playa del Carmen, you fly into Cancun and then take a bus.

6. Blue Corner, Palau

Palau is a tiny country in the middle of the Pacific between the Philippines and Guam. Here you can find coral-lined drop-offs, blue holes, and sea caves. The most popular dive spot here is Blue Corner. This is a place for advanced divers and is known as the “underwater Serengeti”. It has lots of sharks, manta rays, and schools of fish. It’s known as a drift dive because of the strong current here that will take you on a journey through the coral reefs.

The best time to visit is October to May, which is the dry season. Blue Corner is just off the coast of Ngemelis Island, which is about a day’s journey from the closest airport. You usually will have to book a multi-day trip that will take you to lots of dive sites, including the Blue Corner. The dive tours usually leave from Koror, which is also the closest city to the airport.

7. Dean’s Blue Hole, Bahamas

This has been on my bucket list for a long time. It’s a giant sinkhole just off the shore that is the second deepest in the world at ​​663 feet. The beach that’s just a couple hundred feet from the blue hole is one of the most beautiful you’ll ever see. It has perfect white sand, crystal clear water, and palm trees that line the shore.

The best way to see Dean’s Blue Hole is if you have an advanced open water certification. This will let you enter the blue hole and not just swim around the rim of it. To get here, you can fly into the Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau and then book a flight with Bahama Air to Long Island. Once you are on Long Island, the closest city to the Blue Hole is Clarence Town, so you can either stay here or stay anywhere on the island and book a tour that will take you to Dean’s Blue Hole.

8. Dahab, Egypt

Last one on my bucket list, I’m sorry. When most people think of Egypt, they think of the Pyramids. However, Egypt has almost 2,000 miles of coastline! Dahab is located in Northern Egypt on the Red Sea. It has been a scuba diving mecca since the 80s and has a lot of famous scuba sites. There’s also a blue hole here that’s 400 feet deep and has a famous tunnel and arch that you can swim through… if you dare! There have been over 130 deaths at this site because of how dangerous this dive is.

If you don’t want to risk your life then there are plenty of other dive sites to choose from. For example, there’s The Canyon, Eel Garden, The Islands, and the very famous Shark and Yolande. To get to Dahab, fly into Sharm el-Sheikh Ophira. From there, it’s just a short transfer to Dahab.

9. Ari Atoll, Maldives

If you like sharks, then this is where you’ll want to go. They have whale sharks and hammerheads, which are hard to find. There are also manta rays and hundreds of thousands of fish. Some major dive sites include Broken Rock, Gangehi Kandu, and Mushi Mas Mingle Thia, one of the most famous in all the Maldives. This site is a shark-feeding ground, so you can see sharks feeding in their natural habitat.

The best way to get here is to fly into the Villa International Airport Maamigili and then take a boat to one of the 105 islands that make up this Atoll. There are many luxury hotels across the islands, so make sure that the island you plan on going to has a dive center.

10. Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef has the largest expanse of living coral on the planet. If you want to see colorful coral and not just bleached white coral, then you will want to book your trip soon! This reef is quickly dying with over 80% of it already bleached because of the rising temperature of the ocean. Agincourt Reef is a great place to go which is just off of the coast of Cairns, Australia. Here you can find a 130-foot coral wall along with multicolored fish, sharks, and sea turtles. 

Then there’s the SS Yongala Shipwreck, which is a wreck from 1911 and is covered in coral, fish, stingrays, sharks, and turtles. To see more of the Great Barrier Reef, you’re going to want to go to the outer reef, which is a few hours from shore. Cairns is the best place to base yourself and has its own airport. 

Where is your favorite diving site?

The world is filled with beauty, but the ocean is on another level of beauty. It’s almost like a different planet! There’s so much you can visit; these are just a few of the best dive sites.

So whether you are an avid diver or just starting, these top 10 scuba diving locations will have something for everyone.