Diving is a refreshing recreational activity people should often do, and there are plenty of destinations around the world to enjoy this activity. While people are usually attracted by the abundance of marine creatures a dive spot offers, the beauty alone is enough to make one visit. While the focus here is the natural scenery they offer, these dive spots also offer rich marine biodiversity. With deep dives around the world providing discoveries beyond belief: the water is constantly surprising us.

In fact, that's what makes them so beautiful and worth visiting. Without further ado, pack your scuba diving gear and come along to these most beautiful dive spots around the world.

UPDATE: 2023/06/14 21:05 EST BY NOAH STAATS

There Are Four More Stunning Dive Spots To Check Out!

This article has been refreshed with four new diving locations, as well as photos of each respective location. From the Red Sea all the way to Iceland, these are some of the most stunning underwater destinations in the world. Have fun!

14 SS Thistlegorm, Egypt

SS Thistlegorm
Woodym555, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Diving site of the SS Thistlegorm
  • This is a famous shipwreck site from the 1941 sinking of SS Thistlegorm.
  • Many divers come here in groups, so this is a popular spot.

One of the most hauntingly beautiful dive sites in the world is the site of the sunken SS Thistlegorm in El Tor, South Sinai Governorate, Egypt. This shipwreck site has a lot of history, a British cargo steamship that was built in North East England in 1940 and sunk by German bomber aircraft in the Red Sea in 1941. To this day, divers from across the world come here, often snapping photos and recording videos of the now-iconic site.

Related: Diving Into The Past: Discover The Mysteries Of The World's 10 Most Ancient Shipwrecks

For those wanting to stay in the US, people can scuba dive in New York City and even in the Hudson.

13 Shark and Yolanda Reef, Red Sea

Ras_Mohammed
Joel113 at German Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Shark and Yolanda Reef
  • These reefs are among the top ten in the world.
  • The two pinnacles rise up from a depth of 800 meters.

One of the world's top diving locations is the Shark and Yolanda Reefs in the Red Sea. Furthermore, this dive, among the top ten in the world, is perhaps the most famous dive site of Ras Mohammed National Park. Here, people can explore two pinnacles rising up from a depth of 800 meters.

These ten stunning diving spots are perfect for spring travel.

12 Fujikawa Maru, Micronesia

Fujikawa_maru
Motoki Kurabayashi, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Fujikawa maru dive site
  • This is a shipwreck diving location.
  • The boat is standing upright, allowing people to see all around it.

The next dive spot to check out is Fujikawa Maru in Micronesia. Here, people can explore the shipwreck, originally built in 1938 for the Toyo Kaiun Kisen Kaisha. The ship site has a rich history and measures 133m (437ft), and due to it still standing upright, divers get to see the entire boat inside and out.

11 Cocos Island, Costa Rica

waterfall on cocos island, costa rica
Shutterstock
waterfall on cocos island, costa rica
  • Cocos Island has more than 20 unique, tightly-knit dive sites.
  • Hammerhead sharks live here in droves.

With this island having 20 dive sites within a compact location, Cocos Island is the perfect spot for diving experts. From shallow but steep vertical walls and drift diving to deep pinnacles down to over 130 feet, this island is one of the more iconic on the list. Hammerhead sharks are one of the draws for divers in this area of Costa Rica, as well as the reef sharks, silky sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, and marble rays.

These ten deep dives around the world are worth the visit.

10 Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia

Motu_d’Ahe,_Archipel_des_Tuamotu
GrandBout, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
French Polynesia dive site
  • Made up of more than 70 atoll islands.
  • This diving spot makes up the largest chain of atolls in the world.

This archipelago is made up of more than 70 atoll islands which combine to make up the largest chain of atolls in the world. These different atolls offer different diving experiences as they are filled with different marine creatures, from bottlenose dolphins to sharks. Despite offering different unique experiences, one thing the dive spots in the Tuamotu Archipelago have in common is incredible natural scenery.

9 Blue Corner, Koror, Palau

Blue Corner
jeff~, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Blue Corner diving spot
  • The most sought-after dive spot in Palau.
  • Schooling fish, sharks, and corals make this dive memorable.

The Blue Corner is the most sought-after dive spot in Palau due to the scenery and underground activity it offers. At this dive spot, divers can expect to be met with an abundance of schooling fish and numerous species of sharks. The reef here also comes with beautiful corals, which combine to make the dive spot incredibly beautiful. There are endless unique dives in the world: this one is certainly worth the dip.

8 Great Blue Hole, Belize

  • One of the most famous dive spots in the world.
  • This is the largest underground sinkhole.

The Great Blue Hole is famous worldwide not just because it is the largest underwater sinkhole but because of the incredible scenery that can be seen here. The Great Blue Hole is characterized by a deep blue color and unique geological formations, which makes the diving experiences here feel unique. The Great Blue Hole also has colorful corals, and it is a great place to see different species of fish and sharks.

Related: Visit Belize's Great Blue Hole From The Air

7 Beqa Lagoon, Fiji

Bullshark_Beqa_Fiji_2007
Pterantula, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Bullshark swimming in Fiji
  • This dive site is home to colorful reefs and fish.
  • Many claim this site reminds them of a rainbow underwater.

At Beqa Lagoon, divers will be met with sights of colorful reefs and a wide variety of fish. The reefs that surround this lagoon look more like a rainbow, and the various fish species also add more colorful splendor to the entire lagoon. Some species to expect here include seahorses, clown triggerfish, and leaf scorpionfish.

Beqa Lagoon also has several wrecks, and up to nine species of fish can be seen here. While diving during the day diving comes with its scenery, the florescent night diving here is the most beautiful diving experience one can have.

6 Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia

Pulau Piaynemo, Raja Ampat
Rizalubun, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pulau Piaynemo dive site, Raja Ampat
  • This dive spot contains over 500 types of corals.
  • It's confirmed that 75% of the world's coral and fish live here.

The incredible marine biodiversity of Raja Ampat Islands is what makes it an incredibly beautiful dive spot. Under the water here, there are over 500 types of corals and an abundance of fish species. The experience is not just beautiful but incredibly entertaining, as it has been confirmed that up to 75% of the world’s species live in these waters.

Besides the underwater scenery one can witness here, the surrounding views of dense jungles above the waters also make this place even more enchanting.

5 Silfra Fissure, Iceland

Silfra_TectonicPlates
Ex nihil, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Tectonic plates Silfra dive, Iceland
  • This dive allows travelers to swim between two continents.
  • Silfra Fissure has some of the clearest water in the world.

The main appeal of Silfra Fissure is the fact that it is the only place in the world where one can dive or snorkel and touch two continents at the same time. But that’s not the only reason this place is amazing. The waters of this dive spot are crystal clear, and it is said to have the clearest water in the world. This, combined with the abundance of rocks scattered all over the fissure, makes diving here a unique and memorable experience.

4 Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Image by Frauke Feind from Pixabay
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
  • The Great Barrier Reef is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • There are endless sea creatures here, from sharks, turtles, fish, dolphins, and coral.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been a mecca for all kinds of diving experiences divers seek. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has plenty of marine species and an abundance of colorful reefs that make the underwater scenery here amazing. While diving here, you will find colorful species, some of which include angelfish, cucumber, turtles, reef sharks, and dolphins. It is also endowed with up to 400 different species of corals, and a couple of shipwrecks, such as Yongala, are around the reef for divers who want something different.

Related: Travel Guide To Cairns: The Gateway To The Great Barrier Reef

3 Rainbow Reef, Fiji

Taveuni Island, Fiji
Photo by Manuela Tauferner on Unsplash
White boat in the middle of the ocean, Taveuni Island, Fiji
  • Rainbow Reef is one of the most colorful dive sites in the world.
  • The deep blue water adds to the beauty and charm of this site.

Rainbow Reef is perhaps the most colorful dive site anywhere in the world. Diving through this reef feels like watching a painting as it is filled with different colors of corals, from blue to yellow, pink, and orange. While this alone makes the experience here amazing, the huge number of colorful fish and the unique rock formations around the reef makes the dive even more memorable.

Divers here can expect species such as parrot fish, sea turtles, clownfish, and giant clams. Rainbow Reef also has plenty of caves, and the deep blue color makes the scenery even more magical.

Related: Scuba The South: 10 Of The Best Dive Sites In North And South Carolina

2 Blue Maomao Arch, Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand

Diver going through a sea cave near Poor Knights Islands, North Island, New Zealand
Shutterstock
Diver going through a sea cave near Poor Knights Islands, North Island, New Zealand
  • This dive location is filled with blue maomao fish, turtles, and sharks.
  • The light changes the color of the water and reefs at this dive spot.

The archway of this dive site is the most appealing feature and what makes the underwater scenery here magical. From the archway, there is an opening, and it is from this opening that light penetrates and lights up the water beautifully. While diving in the water, divers will also be met with plenty of blue maomao fish, turtles, and sharks.

One more thing that makes this dive site amazing is that the direction of the illuminating light changes water according to different seasons. This means one can dive at a different season and experience a different scenery.

1 Cape Kri, Raja Ampat, Indonesia

A Hawksbill sea turtle swimming in the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Photo by Kris-Mikael Krister on Unsplash
A Hawksbill sea turtle swimming in the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • Cape Kri is filled with fish and colorful corals.
  • This is an incredibly popular diving site, bringing hundreds of people daily.

Raja Ampat offers some of the best diving experiences in Indonesia, and when it comes to scenery, Cape Kri tops the list. At Cape Kri, divers will be met with huge numbers of fish and an abundance of colorful corals. Some of the rarest fishes can be found here, and the sun's rays shine so beautifully into the water and make the scenery incredibly magical.