Best Scuba Dive Sites

The World's Most Beautiful Scuba Diving Sites

Chandeliers and museums don't exist solely aboveground

Written by Maggie Parker

Cozumel Reefs National Park, Cozumel, Mexico

Within this highly popular dive spot off Cozumel, you’ll find a system of four reefs that make up Palancar Reef. The Palancar Caves—brain-like corals and swim-through tunnels—and Palancar Horseshoe are two of the most famous sites within this smorgasbord of coral. With a visibility of 100 feet on average, 230 species of fish and a U-shaped coral rising from 100 feet to just 20 or 25 feet below the surface, it’s no wonder this place attracts thousands of divers each year. Look out for octopi.

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The World's Most Beautiful Scuba Diving Sites

Chandeliers and museums don't exist solely aboveground

Written by Maggie Parker

Gran Cenote, Riviera Maya, Mexico

The Mayans considered this glowing blue cavern sacred, and as soon as you dunk your head you’ll understand why. The stalactites and stalagmites hanging in this small underground freshwater-filled sinkhole act as the crystal chandeliers of the clear turquoise water surrounded by jungle.

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Professional Association of Diving Instructors

The World's Most Beautiful Scuba Diving Sites

Chandeliers and museums don't exist solely aboveground

Written by Maggie Parker

Barracuda Point, Sipadan, Borneo, Malaysia

Diving in this point off Sipadan is heart-stopping, but not because you’re being attacked by fish. The barracudas will be too busy slowly swimming in a tornado-like formation to bother you. Just don’t get sucked in (that doesn’t actually happen here, don’t worry).

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The World's Most Beautiful Scuba Diving Sites

Chandeliers and museums don't exist solely aboveground

Written by Maggie Parker

Tags:

The World's Most Beautiful Scuba Diving Sites

Chandeliers and museums don't exist solely aboveground

Written by Maggie Parker

The Blue Hole, Belize

While this place looks incredible from above, you’ve got to get inside to truly see its beauty. At more than 1000 feet across and 450 feet deep, this dark hole-in-the-reef is home to bull sharks and giant multicolored stalactite and stalagmite formations. It might feel like you’re about to fall down a black hole, but once you’re in, the water is clear and the sunlight streaming in from above confirms that you haven’t been swallowed.

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Professional Association of Diving Instructors

The World's Most Beautiful Scuba Diving Sites

Chandeliers and museums don't exist solely aboveground

Written by Maggie Parker

Moliniere Underwater Sculpture Park, Molieniere Bay, Grenada

Fancy a museum stroll mid-dive? Jason DeCaires built the Underwater Sculpture Park in 2006 in one of Grenada’s marine protected areas. As marine life began growing on the surfaces of the 50-plus life-size sculptures, the collection turned into a patterned artificial reef. Now, these statues of people are a colorful underwater phenomenon.

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Professional Association of Diving Instructors

The World's Most Beautiful Scuba Diving Sites

Chandeliers and museums don't exist solely aboveground

Written by Maggie Parker

Salt Pier, Bonaire

This site’s easy shore entry makes it a popular destination for both new divers and underwater photographers. Beneath the surface, the pier’s pillars are encrusted with colorful sponges and corals and look like works of art. Grab your camera and follow the hundreds of fish that take refuge in the shadows created by the pier overhead.

Tags:

Professional Association of Diving Instructors

The World's Most Beautiful Scuba Diving Sites

Chandeliers and museums don't exist solely aboveground

Written by Maggie Parker

La Parguera, Puerto Rico

A dinoflagellate population inhabits this bioluminescent bay and they light up their surroundings with a natural light show when disturbed. Stay close to the surface to experience it but dive deeper for nearby coral reefs and walls, considered by many to be the best in the region.