Best Places To Dive
Diving has become one of the most thrilling, daring and adventurous water sports enjoyed by a good number of people, especially in the summer. It’s an amazing feeling diving in locations you’re more accustomed to, however, life is too short not to explore the diversity and intricacies other sites provide. Below we highlight the top ten places any diving enthusiast would love to see, and most probably even take a peek into the mysteries hidden deep in the various waters.
1. The Yongala Wreck, Australia
For the historical sites and amazing sea creatures, the Yongala wreck takes the first spot with Waters that are full of life. In 1911 the Yongala ship headed for its unforeseen destruction having no means of being forewarned about the dangerous weather condition. A cyclone took the ship down leaving its remains as a reminder of the event even till today. It has become quite a popular destination spot for both indigenes and visitors being the home to an array of marine animals that are quite rare in other parts of the world. Although there’s an official prohibition to enter the ship, the beautiful turtles, barracudas, sea snakes, giant trevallies and tiger sharks are quite the sight to behold.
2. Barracuda Point, Malaysia
Malaysia is known for some really amazing sites, and the Barracuda point stands out as a world-class diving location for the mere beauty and thrill of it. Boasting a good amount of marine life, the waters promise awe-inspiring time watching sea turtles, buffalo fish, coconut crabs, parrotfish and not to leave out, the Barracuda. The swarm of barracudas give this popular spot its name; there’s no missing the warm welcome given to visitors by these amazing sea creatures always hovering in groups. If you’re a sucker for big things, the Waters also house reef sharks and Hammerheads that swim by and would definitely be a breath-taking sight to see.
3. Great Blue Hole, Belize
There’s nothing more thrilling than a deep, wide and mysterious hole overcome with bright and vibrant colors. Being the home to a good number of sharks, it’s surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. The hole goes 143 meters deep being the perfect home to make families and sharks. Between June and July, a lot of indigene and tourist divers head there to experience the color and thrill of the under-waters. The waters provide excellent and clear visibility of the habitat, and as you go lower, transitioning from the salt water to the fresh water, the beautiful sea blue ambiance and age-old caves make the most welcoming and glorious sights.
4. Liberty Wreck, Bali Indonesia
A beautiful location for indigenes and tourists adorned with corals, anemone and gorgonians is the home to a huge range of sea life making it a phenomenal spot to visit. During World War 2, a cargo ship was knocked over and pushed further into the sea by a volcanic eruption. The ruins lie in the water enabling a phenomenal swim through history. The wreck, array of marine animals and the scenery make it a great location for underwater photography with rich contents to document. The waters are extremely still and peaceful with great visibility to as low as 30m deep. Experience the abundance of sea life from purple scorpion leaf fish, ornate ghost pipefish, hawksbill turtles to the Great Barracuda and Flapnose Ray.
The beautiful T-shaped structure lies beneath an Australian Navy Pier and is home to a great number of sea species. It may not have the best visibility, however, the sea life makes it a spectacular spot to visit and dive in. It’s not the biggest of waters either, measuring about 330m wide, however, this compact site has phenomenal scenery especially at night. The eels, octopuses, frogfish, nurse sharks lion and scorpionfish, stargazers, white-tipped sharks are just a few of the bio-diverse species that you may find swimming in these waters. They are equally smaller finned fish swimming around the space, beautifying the entirety of the Water with the magnificence of creation.
6. Richelieu Rock, Thailand
The popular and phenomenal Richelieu Rock is not so far away from the Suring Islands boasting of sea life that is not regularly seen in other parts of the world. It’s the best holiday location or bucket list item for shark lovers who would love to experience new scenery and probably take a picture of the rare whale sharks. With other beautiful sea animals to see, the large mass of water may take more than one dive to fully encompass the region and take in the beautiful sights and creatures it has to offer. Jacks, barracudas, seahorses, batfish and the likes are some of the schools of fish one would regularly see in one unforgettable dive.
7. Manta Ray Night Dive, Hawaii
We couldn’t make a diving list and not have the home of many waters feature in it. The Mantra Ray Night Dive takes its rightful spot for its phenomenal night time diving opportunities. Lights have been placed securely on the Ocean floors to enhance visibility in the dark, allowing divers to see the beautiful marine life swimming by. Don’t miss an opportunity of seeing the manta rays swim by; the lights attract planktons, and where the planktons go, the manta rays will shortly follow. The currents can get a bit wild, but once the waters are calm, the exceptional aura of the location and the beautiful sea creatures offer an unforgettable view the eyes and mind will always treasure.
8. Big Brother, Egyptian Red Sea
The brothers got the famous name from being little islands that co-habit about 5 minutes from each other. Characterized as big and little brother, the former is known for housing a good amount of sea life that include glassfish, tiny anthias, and sweepers. They mostly swim around a fringing reef with striking walls beautifully covered by gorgonians and corals. For the love of big fish, the Big Brother attracts a number of sharks including grey and white tip sharks, hammerheads and thresher sharks if you’re lucky.
9. Benguerra Island, Mozambique
With so much beauty and sea life to offer, these rich blue waters are one of the most accessible dive sites in Africa. Colorful corals decorate the waters as well as a large variety of fish to see. From clownfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish puffers and green turtles to even larger species such as Humpback whales, manta rays and reef sharks. The waters boast of a crystal clear blue hue that is not only relaxing but refreshing to watch. The natural beauty has been untouched; everything seen around has been placed there by nature, finely highlighting the exotic beauty of creation.
10. Aliwal Shoal, South Africa
South Africa is the unsung hero of spectacular shark diving globally; unknown to many, this beautiful site is majorly known to the privileged few outside the country that stumbles on the location. It’s a worldclass dive site that boasts of species of sharks that are uncommon to many. Diverse reef fish, eels, critters, nudibranchs, and other ostentatious fish swim in these waters all year long. Experience the warm waters from December to March and you just might get a view of the tiger sharks and if you’re in luck, the Great White. If you have the guts for it and love the thrill and adrenaline, the Shoal has historical wrecks and great, big sea life that will be definitely intriguing and mindblowing to watch.
