Sometimes, one needs to put aside the adventures on land and take a dive underwater to watch the unique life there. With up to 15% of the earth’s species living underwater, there is so much one can see in the earth’s water bodies. Although there are so many places around the world to enjoy a wonderful experience underwater, these places are the best when it comes to diving with marine creatures from large sharks to gentle manta rays, colorful fishes as well as barracudas. Without further ado, grab that scuba diving equipment and head over to these destinations around the world for an unforgettable underwater adventure with sea creatures.
10 Great Blue Hole, Belize
The Great Blue Hole is a 318 m circular underwater sinkhole in Belize known for its unique sapphire blue color and an abundance of marine life. The hole extends up to a depth of 124 m (410 feet) and is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. The Great Blue Hole is often regarded as one of the most popular scuba diving spots in the world as it is endowed with several species of fish and sharks. The bull shark and hammerhead sharks are some popular shark species one can expect here.
9 Victory Reef, Bahamas
Located in Bimini, Victory Reef is one of the best diving spots in the world due to many reasons. Besides featuring warm water all year round, the reef is also known for its abundance of marine life. Scuba divers in this five-mile stretch of reef will be met with sights of rays, sharks, barracudas, and thousands of colorful fishes. The reef’s unique caves and canyons are some more unique things to enjoy while diving in this part of the Bahamas.
8 Maaya Thila, Maldives
There are many diving spots in the Maldives but Maaya Thila stands out in many ways. For starters, it is a protected Marine Reserve and it is also endowed with a huge population of sharks. Maaya Thila goes as deep as 30 m and offers divers both daytime and nighttime diving for an extensive exploration of the various parts of the caves where one will find amazing marine life diversity. Gray reef sharks and whitetip sharks are the most commonly seen marine creatures at Maaya Thila, although one will also be presented with a multitude of others such as - Great barracudas, turtles, and rays, as well as different species of fishes including - stonefish, parrotfish, clownfish, and angelfish.
7 Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island, Malaysia
Sipadan Island - an Island in Malaysia is a mecca for diving. While the many parts of the island are great for this activity, its most famous diving spot is Barracuda Point where thousands of Barracudas can be seen at once. The speed and coordination of this fish species are exciting things to watch and divers should also keep an eye for other marine creatures such as - turtles, reef sharks, and manta rays.
6 Tiger Beach, Bahamas
Tiger beach is famous for the abundance of Tiger sharks that can be found in the waters. But not just tiger sharks. The reef also features other marine creatures such as - bull sharks, lemon sharks, and Caribbean reef sharks. The crystal clear waters even make an encounter with these unique marine creatures more enjoyable.
5 SS Yongala, Australia
Yongala SS is arguably the most popular diving spot in all of Australia. Dubbed “Australia’s Titanic” this diving spot is a large shipwreck in the Great Barrier Reef that features an abundance of sea creatures and sightseeing. While diving at this world's popular dive spot, one will be graced with countless sights of small fishes and other marine creatures including - sea turtles, manta rays, bull rays, and sharks.
4 Richelieu Rock, Thailand
Richelieu Rock is arguably the best diving spot in Thailand. The dive site is located in the Andaman Sea and is part of the Surin Marine National Park. Its abundance of marine life is what makes it stand out among other dive spots in the country. At Richelieu Rock, divers will be met with frequent sights of whale sharks as well as other sea creatures such as - Great Barracudas, Seahorses, Shrimps, Tunas, and Mantas.
3 Galápagos, Ecuador
Divers who love the large marine life have a lot of things to see in the Galápagos Islands. Here, one will be graced with an abundance of Pelagic fish and white sharks. While most of the islands in the Galápagos are great spots to enjoy this activity, Darwin island is one of the places scuba divers should not miss out on. Divers at Galápagos should also expect sights of turtles, sea lions, manta rays, seahorses, and hammerhead sharks.
2 Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Raja Ampat is a mecca for scuba diving in Indonesia. Besides the warm waters of the area, Raja Ampat also features rich coral reefs that have made it an incredibly diverse spot for marine life. While the beautiful coral reef is one thing divers will be graced with, the huge number of fish in the water makes it more interesting for scuba divers.
1 Isa Mujeres, Mexico
Located in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, Isa Mujeres is a great diving spot to see unique marine creatures in Mexico. One unique thing about Isa Mujeres is the blue color and the warmness of the water which makes the dive more enjoyable. Adventurers at this island will be entertained with creatures ranging from sea turtles to whale sharks, sailfish, and several other tiny fishes. It is also worth noting that Isa Mujeres is close to the popular Cancun Underwater Museum which is an alternative diving spot to the coral reefs on the island.