Top 10 Snorkelling and Diving Destinations
Beach vacations can offer so much more than a suntan and a pina colada. Have a read through our top 10 destinations for scuba diving and snorkelling and swap the lounge chair for the underwater environment, immersing yourself in some of the world’s most beautiful marine life.
Mexico has always had its own unique tourist calling, but the shores of Cozumel in particular offer a serenity that is found in few other Mexican hot spots. The Mexican Caribbean’s largest island, and just 12 miles from the Yucatan Peninsula, Cozumel is home to many eels, nurse sharks, barracudas, crabs, lobsters and sting rays. Save the Corona for dry land.
Exploring the Grand Cayman’s seven miles of reefs and wreck dives opens travellers to a world of sponges, corals, algae and tunicates in an unimaginable variation of colour. Beginners can try shore diving right by the beach, while serious divers can choose night diving for a unique experience. Check out the sunken wreck, Mermaid, located just off the coast of Sunset.
Deemed a World Heritage Site and containing the largest marine park in the world, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the only living thing on the planet that is visible from the moon. It houses 1,500 breeds of fish, 400 species of coral, 4,000 kinds of clams and snails, and the entire thing is larger than the United Kingdom. Need we say more?
While some know it as the Great Barrier Reef’s kid sister, there’s no joking around when you dive into the Belize Barrier Reef. This masterpiece runs the length of the coastline and is considered the ‘holy grail’ of the area. Make sure to see the three open-ocean atolls, and check out the Turneffe Island and Lighthouse Reef Atolls for coral-garden diving.
Bonaire’s surrounding waters are designated as an official marine park, and diving here offers a seemingly untouched and unspoiled environment. The South Caribbean water is exceptionally clear, making underwater photography a must. Most reefs begin at the water’s edge, so beginners can start from the shore, and experts can dive as deep as the drop-off zone – where star coral loom like huge pillars and give way to families of sea turtles and sting rays.
In Hanauma Bay’s shallow inner area, more than 50 species of reef and shore fish welcome snorkellers to what feels like an outdoor aquarium. Options for snorkelling and diving in Hawaii are endless. Great for beginners, Kahaluu Beach on Big Island is calm and clear, and if you listen closely enough, you can hear the parrotfish feeding. Another option, mile-wide Kealakekua Bay is just at the foot of stunning sea cliffs, and provides abundant marine life.
These islands west of Ecuador, while breathtaking, are not for beginners. Underwater veterans will be able to better navigate the strong currents and cold waters, but diving for the most part here requires you to go deep into the ocean. Discover the beauty and mystery below the surfaces of Wolf and Darwin Islands. For extra safety, dive with a group that has a boat with Nitrox facilities, and don’t attempt to dive at night.
Settled among the Red Sea and Mount Sinai, Sharm El Sheikh’s stunning reefs encapsulate a history of six mysterious shipwrecks and years of maritime trade. The isolated reefs, enormous tidal movement, and lack of nearby intensive fishing create the perfect conditions for observing schools of fish, sea turtles, and dolphins.
Opened to divers only in recent years, South Africa’s Rocktail Bay is very strict with its diving activity and offers just one boat for permits. This solitude and exclusivity creates an unmatched atmosphere for underwater exploration. So far, 1,250 species have been spotted, including manta rays, dolphins, scorpionfish and even whale sharks. On land, Rocktail Bay’s wild coastline is tempting enough to stay on-land, but once you plunge beneath the surface, you’ll understand how to the two worlds collide.
The soft coral capital of the world, Fiji has plenty of luxury resorts and eco-hideaways that pair stunning beaches with exotic underwater environments. Its ever-changing current allows the corals to bloom into colour. One of the most popular dive sites, Beqa Lagoon, is a favourite of both beginners and veterans, and Viti Levu offers bone-chilling shark feeding dives. To remove yourself from the business of resorts, visit Kadavu, where you’ll be treated like a local, and acclimate to the true culture of the Great Astrolabe Reef.
© Cheapflights Ltd (Creative Commons images: Ilse Reijs / brewbooks / The Lightworks)
This entry was posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 11:36 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.