Considering that oceans cover 71% of the world’s surface, we know remarkably little about life at their lowest depths. Instead we have to content ourselves with exploring coral reefs, atolls and amazing underwater rock formations with the occasional shipwreck thrown in. Gliding peacefully below the waves with colourful shoals of fish and marine life all around you is an amazing experience and scuba diving is definitely worth giving a go if you haven’t already tried it. Here are five of the best places to head to if you want to see all of the wonders of the underwater kingdom.
Grand Cayman
One of the best places to go scuba diving in the world, Grand Cayman lies just to the south of Cuba in the Caribbean and has absolutely loads of fantastic dive sites for you to enjoy as well as idyllic white sand beaches and that laidback island way of life. Alongside its healthy coral reefs that lie just offshore, there are also a number of shipwrecks that you can dive to and swimming around these rusting hulks with fish all around you is an incredible feeling. One of the best dive sites on offer is the magnificent Stingray City where hundreds upon hundreds of the rays glide peacefully above you as you sit on the ocean floor gazing up at them.
The Maldives
A biodiversity hotspot, the Maldives make for some fantastic diving and the crystal clear waters mean that you have great visibility when underwater. As well as being an island paradise, the Maldives has lots of different atolls for you to visit and wherever you go you’ll see beautiful parrotfish and you may even spot a reef shark or two.
Belize
With the second largest barrier reef in the world just offshore, it is no surprise that Belize is such a popular dive destination and it is ideal for beginners looking to start their underwater adventure. As well as the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, there are also three wonderful atolls for you to explore and these are home to a plethora of fish and coral reefs. The Blue Hole is one of its best dive sites and in a number of spots you can can watch whale sharks slowly swim by.
Australia
Home to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia is a wonderful place to go diving and the amount of marine life on show is staggering. As it is largest barrier reef in the world, there are endless dive sites for you to explore and catching a glimpse of turtles or various types of shark swimming around you is an awe-inspiring experience.
Bonaire
If you’re looking to learn how to scuba dive then Bonaire in the Caribbean is a great place to start as it commonly called the shore diving capital of the world. This means you can literally roll out of bed and roll into the water where you’ll find an incredible dive site waiting for you! All of the island is a marine park which means that the coral reefs are in fantastic condition and everywhere you go you’ll find dive shops and dive schools.