Best Holiday Destinations for Scuba Diving
Discovering a stunning new world
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to explore a different world? Diving provides you with a key to unlock an incredible realm beneath the clear blue waters. For a first-time diver, plunging beneath the surface is a surreal experience. It’s hard not to be gripped by a sense of fascination with the plethora of marine life and its kaleidoscope of colors. For frequent divers, the visit to the underwater world does not lose its magic. One of the wonderful things about diving is experiencing something new and exciting in every descent.
Exploring the underwater world takes you away from the bustling city … away from the traffic, noise, and worries that sometimes weigh you down. The moment you descend in the water, you find yourself immersed in a zen-like environment. The quiet and peaceful marine environment relaxes the senses. When you head back to the surface, you take with you memories that you can cherish for a lifetime.
Great diving destinations worth visiting
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Stunning is an understatement when describing the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. No wonder it was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981. It is noted for being the largest and most bio-diverse coral reef ecosystem on Earth. The Great Barrier Reef stretches 2,300 kilometers along the northeast coast of Australia. Tagged as the largest living structure in the globe, it measures a whopping 135,135 square miles. It’s so vast that it is visible from outer space. Incredible, isn’t it?
What to see: The extensive reef is home to 5,000 kinds of mollusks, 500 varieties of seaweed, and 125 types of sharks. The corals in the Great Barrier Reef are astounding and presumed to be 8,000 years old. Imagine all those centuries of existence. These corals are priceless underwater gems. The waters are teeming with fish of all shapes and sizes; from tiny gobies to huge tiger sharks, manta rays, and massive whale sharks. This underwater Eden is also a favorite playground of marine reptiles from sea snakes to sea turtles.
Popular dive sites in Great Barrier Reef:SS Yongala Townsville (near Ayr), Stanley Reef, Townsville (near Ayr), Steve’s Bommie, Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole, Ribbons Reefs, Lighthouse Bommie, Ribbon Reefs, Hastings Reef, Flynn Reef and Norman Reef, Eddy Reef, Pixie Garden
Grand Cayman, Caribbean
Nestled on a plateau in the center of the western Caribbean Sea, Grand Cayman is the biggest of the three Cayman Islands. Measuring 22 miles long by eight miles wide, this incredible island has over 200 diving sites. It’s truly a diver’s paradise!
What to see:Many Grand Cayman dive sites feature magnificent canyons, steep walls, reefs with spectacular swim-throughs, and bountiful marine life. The area is noted for sightings of sea turtles, barracuda, eels, eagle rays, tarpon, reef sharks, and nurse sharks.
Popular dive sites in Grand Cayman: Tarpon Alley (also known as silver kings), Stingray City, Wreck of the USS Kittiwake
Dubai, UAE, Middle East
This UAE emirate started as a small fishing village in the Arabian Gulf and later flourished into a modern cosmopolitan. Today, Dubai is famous for its towering buildings, major ports, beautiful coastlines, charming deserts, and immaculate beaches. Its year-round good weather makes Dubai a sought-after holiday diving destination.
The waters surrounding Dubai are ideal for different levels of diving. Don’t worry if you have no diving experience or if you’re a beginner just learning how to dive because Dubai is the perfect starting point for your scuba diving journey. Take advantage of scuba diving Dubai deals to make the most of your trip.
What to see: The waters of Dubai are home to eagle rays, cownose rays, sharks, moray eels, turtles, san diego whale watching and different kinds of tropical fish. Small marine creatures like seahorses and nudibranchs also thrive in this rich underwater world.
Popular dive sites in Dubai: Jumeirah Beach, Dubai Marina