Where are the 10 most beautiful diving areas in the world?
As is well known, beauty lies in the eye of the respective viewer, especially with an optical activity such as diving. A generally accepted ranking of the 10 most beautiful diving areas in the world is certainly not entirely without contradictions. Nonetheless, there are a few of the thousands of diving areas around the world that always appear at the top of the rating portals and which repeatedly earn a lot of praise and recognition in the relevant reports.
The Red Sea has many other colors at hand: South Sinai in Egypt
The waters in front of the Ras Mohammed National Park in the south of the Sinai Peninsula near Sharm El-Sheikh offer deep blue water with a distant view of exotic fish in the colors of the rainbow and quirky coral gardens as well as sunken freighters as diving destinations. Very popular traditional diving spots are Jolanda and the Shark Reef.
Where Cousteau has already dived: the Medas Islands on the Catalan Costa Brava
The Medas Islands (Illes Medes / Islas Medas) were discovered in the 1930s by the famous marine explorer and diver Jaques Cousteau as a unique diving area. Today a good dozen diving schools offer their services to guests, the most booked dive leads to the mysterious “Dolphin Cave”.
Majestic manta rays and wild whale sharks: the Ari Atoll in the Maldives
The flight time from Malé, the capital of the Maldives, is a good 30 minutes, with a little luck you can spot manta rays and whale sharks in the wild under water. The sometimes violent currents between the 105 islands in the main season from December to May should not be underestimated.
With dolphins, rays and whales on T (a) feel: The island of Socorro off Mexico
The largest island of the Revillagigedo Islands is a good day trip by boat off the coast of Baja California, but the long journey is definitely worth it because of the attractions there. Everything revolves around big fish diving, sharks, dolphins and humpback whales can be admired from a very short distance.
Underwater caves with stalactites and stalagmites: The Great Blue Hole off Belize
Since 2009, the “big blue hole” with a diameter of approx. 600 meters and a maximum depth of 125 meters has been known to divers above all for its underground cave system on the south wall on the UNESCO list of endangered world natural heritage sites. As part of the Belize Barrier Reef, it has been a national monument in Belize since 1996.
Sunfish and manta rays between corals: The Komodo National Park in Bali
The national park named after the local Komodo dragon (see picture above) has a total area of 1800 km² around the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar (Lesser Sunda Islands) in Indonesia. 1000 different species of fish live in the waters around the islands, and various species of whales, dolphins and sea turtles can also be seen there.
The home of hammerheads and pirates: the Isla del Coco off Costa Rica
The almost 24 km² large and now uninhabited island almost 500 kilometers off the coast of Costa Rica was considered a wild pirate nest between the 16th and 19th centuries, where allegedly numerous treasures of the pirates are said to still be hidden. Divers especially appreciate the large shoals of hammerhead sharks to be found there.
Lava from volcanoes created a fascinating landscape: the Azores in the Atlantic
The warm waters of the Gulf Stream and the exposed location in the central Atlantic have given the 9 islands and numerous rocks of the Azores large deposits of large fish and marine mammals. Strong currents make the dives rather demanding, beginners should definitely contact the local diving centers.
Where the great white shark brought prosperity: Gansbaai and Dyer Island in South Africa
The divers in the cage for shark observation off the west coast of South Africa do not have to be afraid of predatory fish. The inhabitants of the community in the Western Cape province, which has grown rapidly due to diving tourism, have a lot of experience in their profession. You can also admire whales on site between August and December.
Barracudas, parrot fish and turtles: the island of Pulau Sipadan in Malaysia
The small island in the Celebesee measures only 13 hectares, 36 kilometers east of Borneo. In addition to the ubiquitous barracudas, parrot fish and turtles, numerous reef sharks frolic in the waters around popular diving spots such as Coral Garden, Sipidan Midreef, Staghorn Crest, Turtle Cavern and Whitetip Avenue.
