10 Best Places for Scuba Diving in World

Whether you are an experienced diver who has already explored the popular spots in Bali or one who simply wants to have a rare experience away from hordes of tourists, consider venturing to a lesser-known location for your next dive.

Here are some of the best places to scuba dive in the world and unique spots to discover on your next diving vacation.

1. Rowley Shoals, Australia

Located about 160 miles off the coast of Western Australia, the Rowley Shoals is a remote but beautiful spot to dive. A range of marine life can be found here, from colorful coral gardens to reef fish to manta rays and hammerhead sharks.

2. Triton Bay, Indonesia

Triton Bay is on the island of Pulau Aiduma, situated off the southwestern coast of New Guinea. It is a great spot for macro photography and shallow dives among soft coral gardens and schools of all kinds of fish. There are over 30 dives to explore.

3. Zanzibar Archipelago

The Zanzibar Archipelago is located off the eastern coast of Africa, near Tanzania, and offers dives for all levels of experience. Though you won't find many sharks, there is an exciting variety of small marine creatures, including bottlenose dolphins, lionfish, and sea turtles. Head to the main island, Unguja, and decide what you would like to do. There are almost two dozen different dives to choose from.

4. Seven Mile Reef, South Africa

South Africa invite divers to enter their wild and woolly kingdom. The diving experience here is as varied as the people, ranging from great sharks to multitudes of small sardines. You will find tropical reefs in the northeast and temperate rocky reefs in the west.

From its northern border with Mozambique to Cape Town, we can follow the route of many species of sharks, from the great white to the bull, sand tiger, hammer, mako, tiger and even whale shark. And of course the great date of the Sardine Run, in addition to dolphins, whales, sailfish, seabirds, etc.

In Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal you can enjoy warmer waters, coral reefs and, of course, many sharks. Cathedral is one of the most popular dive sites in Aliwal Shoal, known for the shelter of jagged shark sharks during the mating season.

With the amount of fish species, spectacular falls and coral formations, 7 Mile Reef must be listed as one of the best dive sites in the world. What makes this reef so popular is its variety, including Blacktip Reef Sharks, schools of pelagic fish, huge moray eels and lots of turtles.

Even Black Marlin has been known to visit this beautiful reef. The ride is often interspersed with sightings of bottlenose and spinner dolphins, whales and humpback whales, depending on the season.

5. Farne Islands, UK

Though the Farne Islands are a popular location for bird watchers, they are also a great place to go diving. Nestled in the North Sea off the coast of England, the Farne Islands are known for their many shipwrecks and a large colony of friendly grey seals. As in other non-tropical climates, you will need to be sure you have the right wetsuit for diving here. While surface temperatures are generally warm, even in the cooler months, deeper water can be quite cold.

6. Azores, Portugal

One hidden spot worth checking out is the Azores, a group of nine volcanic islands located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Europe and North America. The Azores are part of Portugal, but they’re a bit off the beaten path compared to other European destinations. The islands are renowned for their stunning landscapes. The natural beauty is paired with a mild climate, making it a great destination year-round.

You can explore the island's diverse scenery, from the geothermal hot springs on São Miguel Island to the fishing villages of Pico Island. There are also fantastic hiking, whale watching, and diving opportunities.

For those who enjoy local culture, the Azores offer charming towns with traditional architecture and delicious cuisine featuring fresh seafood and local cheeses. Overall, the Azores provide a peaceful and scenic escape, away from the hustle and bustle of more popular tourist spots.

Among the options for diving at The Azores, Portugal includes spots where you can see caverns, shipwrecks, active underwater volcanoes, a plethora of colorful fish, and elusive but exciting sharks, rays, and mola molas. With an abundance of dives to choose from for all levels of experience, there is something here for everyone.

The best way to get to know the Azores Islands is by combining islands. In this case Terceira and Sao Miguel. The Terceira island is the second most important island of the archipelago. Its old town is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which is characterized by its steep and cobbled streets, its Renaissance style and the culture of its people. It is called the Violet Island, because hydrangeas of this color are abundant on this island.

The Sao Miguel island is the capital of the Azores. We can discover its colonial architecture and culture through the urban art that colors its walls. It is called the Green Island due to its humid climate and its exotic and abundant flora. One of the most charming places on the entire island of Sao Miguel, without a doubt, is a gigantic volcanic caldera known as Sete Cidades.

This corner must be in your list if you dare to see the Azores Islands. At less than twenty kilometers from Ponta Delgada you will arrive in an easy and simple way to this place. The best known lakes are Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul. When the sky is clear and the sun shines brightly you can see its intense green and blue colors that are what give name to both lakes.

To see this whole area, one of the best places to do it is the viewpoint known as Vista do Rei. At a very short distance there is a very curious building. At the top of the crater, a luxury hotel was built that eventually went to ruin. At present, this hotel only has its sturdy structure.

It is worth entering inside this installation and imagining what the life of the clients who were staying in these rooms should be like and listening to the grand piano that was installed in the entrance hall. If you go up to the upper floors there are several rooms with views of the blue lagoon and the green lagoon that are really amazing.

7. Cape Tarkhankut, Ukraine

At the westernmost point of Crimea, Cape Tarkhankut provides a huge variety of options for divers of all levels of experience. Highlights consist of shipwrecks from different eras of time; the Monastery cavern; and the Alley of Leaders, an underwater museum full of states of former Soviet leaders and other sculptures.

8. Socorro Island, Mexico

You have to dive out of a liveaboard boat to explore Socorro Island, located almost 400 miles from the coast of Mexico. Large marine animals draw divers to this remote island. Depending on the time of year you visit, you can see dolphins, sharks, humpback whales, and giant manta rays.

The massive 650 ft tall underwater rock called "Dirty Rock" is located in the Pacific ocean, just off the coast of the Revillagigedo Islands, near Mexico. From the surface of the ocean, mostly the white tip of the enormous rock measuring 160 feet wide is visible. But underneath the waters, there is a fascinating diversity of marine creatures.

Swiss photographer and adventurer, Franco Banfi, who first discovered the rock while on a diving cruise, has captured incredible photos of the thriving ecosystem near the isolated rock during his second trip. Indeed the underwater rock is home to a unique collection of marine wildlife like the coral Mexican hogfish, Panamic green moray eel, yellow trumpetfish, spiny lobsters, and many more.

9. Blue Hole, Belize

The second smallest country in Central America is a box of surprises. Belize is the perfect destination to explore, relax or fall in love. With more than 400 islands, paradisaical white sand beaches and the largest continuous barrier reef in the world, diving in Belize offers all kinds of adventures.

Belize is located between Mexico and Guatemala. It is the least populated country in Central America. But it has the largest continuous barrier reef in the world, with almost 300 kilometers of reef. The diving in Belize is spectacular.

Belize's best known diving is the Blue Hole, the blue hole. This spectacular place is 300 meters long and 135 meters deep. When submerging, gigantic stalactites and stalagmites surprise us about 40 meters. And bull sharks come out to meet us. Fascinating. But it is only recommended for experienced divers.

And after the Blue Hole, on the same day, you can dive in Half Moon Caye Wall while traveling Belize. It is a vertical wall that falls 300 meters deep. Stripe blankets, coral sharks, turtles and gigantic corals are what await us when we dive. And we can add a third diving a day at Long Caye Aquarium, full of marine life.

And while Blue Hole is the most famous dive spot in Belize, Half Moon Caye and Long Caye Aquarium offer more marine life. All of them are located in Lighthouse Atoll, and it is one of the most fascinating diving experiences in the world. Apart from these three points of immersion, the Belize Barrier Reef offers unique dives.

North of the San Pedro area it is possible to see nurse sharks. The topography of the area is cut by dramatic canyons and cracks. And in the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve you can dive with hammerhead sharks and turtles. In Ambergris Caye, just in front of the town of San Pedro, is the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

It is one of the best diving sites in Belize. A deep break in the coral reef causes the arrival of varied marine life and flourishing corals. In Shark Ray Alley you can snorkel with rays and nurse sharks.

Another of the dive sites in Belize that we highlight is the Turneffe Atoll. It is the largest and the one with the greatest biological diversity. Since 2012 the atoll is under a protection program. And the underwater visibility is crystal clear, between 30 and 45 meters.

Due to its isolation, the coral life is amazing, like a coral forest. And if we add the possibility of seeing rays, sea turtles or barracudas, the Turneffe Atoll becomes one of the best diving spots in Belize.

And south of the city of Belize we find Silk Cayes Canyon. Low reefs mix with flourishing corals, forming interesting structures. There is a great variety of hard corals and it is possible to see coral sharks. And to see whale sharks, we have to go to Stann Creek District. The diving in Gladden Spit allows us fascinating encounters with these marine giants. But harmless.

10. Caribbean Islands

Also called the Antillean Sea, the Caribbean is known for its islands and coral reefs that attract millions of tourists every year. It is part of the Atlantic Ocean, bordering Central America and South America. It is one of the largest seas in the world and communicates with the Pacific Ocean through the famous Panama Canal, reaching its deepest level (more than 7,600 meters) in the Cayman Trough, located between Cayman Islands and Jamaica.

Its tropical location helps the water temperature to remain relatively high and constant throughout the year which, together with the marine currents, favors the existence of a great biodiversity at the same time that makes it a pleasant diving environment.

Among its underwater scenarios, the Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest in the world and declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. The reefs of the Caribbean are full of places full of color, movement and life. Butterfly fish, surgeon, damsel or angel fish are the most common inhabitants of this environment, and yet other fascinating creatures such as sea turtles, eagle rays, sea horses or some sharks are also frequent in the area.

Swimming with the biggest fish in the world, diving surrounded by sharks or diving in disturbing blue holes are just some of the experiences you can experience while travelling the Caribbean.

Keep in mind that, although it is a very fun activity, diving requires more preparation than snorkeling. It would be crazy to dive 20 meters deep into the ocean without having some basic knowledge about how the oxygen bottle works, how to stay stable, or what to do if our ears hurt or we run out of oxygen.

If you are not convinced that you are going to like diving but you want to try it, you can do the test with a diving baptism, in which you will be given some basic notions and a professional diver will guide you during the dive. Have fun getting off the beaten path and trying out exceptional, underrated diving spots!