Best Scuba diving sites in the world

People go scuba diving to see all sorts of things, for any number of reasons.  That is why it is hard to come up with a cover-all list of criteria that one should look for in an ideal dive site.  The fact is, the best scuba diving sites in the world are as diverse as the scuba divers who explore them.  Here, in no particular order, is a list of some of the best dive sites in the world and the unique things each has to offer.

This island is a perfect site for divers looking for a leisurely outing.  Relax in the warm water and let Cozumel’s fairly strong currents do all the hard work for you.  You will drift past a breathtaking reef scene of bright, vibrant sponges and tons of fish, including the whiskered Splendid Toadfish, which is unique to the area.

This is the place where Darwin originally got the idea for his theory of evolution.  And take one scuba diving excursion there and you will see why.  The waters here are full of all kinds of surprising life forms, such as iguanas that swim and warm weather penguins.

Perhaps the most famous scuba diving site in the world, this enormous, 1,200 mile-long reef is the largest living thing on Earth—so big, in fact, that it can be seen from outer space.  Its millions of acres of coral gardens are also home to thousands of exotic species of tropical fish.  This is a must-see for anyone traveling to Australia, whether you are an experienced diver or just beginning.

Referred to as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” this is arguably the best dive site in North America to see ship wreckage.  It is a great place to see merchant ships sunk by U-boats during World War II, which, in the summer, are joined by a lot of tropical and game fish that swim north in the warm water of the Gulf Stream.

The waters off this small Caribbean country are home not only to three of the four atolls found in the entire Caribbean, but also to the amazing Blue Hole, a 412-foot trough in the Belize Reef that was first made famous as a dive site by Jacques Cousteau.  A dive here will include sightings of some of the Caribbean’s largest fish, including hammerhead sharks.

Bordering the Sahara Desert to the east is the biblical Red Sea, which is an excellent place to see a stunning reef system with some of the most abundant marine life in the region, as well as wrecks.  And, who knows?  If you dive deep enough in this water (which is actually a clear turquoise color, not red), you might even catch a glimpse of some of the ancient Egyptian chariots that chased Moses.

This dive site makes the list for the sheer multitude and variety of life forms found here.  You will be able to swim with turtles, sharks, dolphins, and large schools of colorful fish, as you navigate your way along bright coral and through cave systems.

The most exciting thing about this dive site is its Bloody Bay Wall, which starts in water about 18 feet deep and suddenly drops off at an almost vertical angle into the dark depths below.  This dramatic wall takes its colorful name from the corals and sponges splattered up and down it.

When it comes to this Pacific state, reefs and wildlife abound (and surround).  The waters to the north of this chain of islands make up the biggest marine reserve in the United States, which means that they will be well preserved and guaranteed to continue to provide great scuba diving opportunities well into the future.

Who would have thought that you could scuba dive in Canada?  Indeed, you can.  Brace yourself for the icy waters off the coast of Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula—where the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron meet—and for the more than ten wrecks that these cold temperatures have wonderfully preserved.