Best Spots To Scuba Dive And Snorkel Across The World – Part III

In the third and final part of this series of posts on the best scuba diving and snorkeling spots across the world, we have another ten travel bloggers share their picks, completing this wonderful list which constitutes of some of the most beautiful places on our planet. Read on and fuel your wanderlust.

Cenotes Diving, Mexico – Tommo and Megsy, Food Fun Travel

If you are into scuba diving you might want to take it up a notch and experience what it’s like to scuba dive in a cenote in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsular. Cenotes are naturally formed sinkholes that previously were incredibly important to the Mayan people of the region, they are noticeable because of their striking blue/green colour and also the fact that some of them go as deep as 40 metres. This is where anyone with an advanced scuba certification can get really excited! The water in the cenotes is fresh water and visibility is insane with visibility sometimes reaching 100 meters of distance. Even as you keep descending you may lose light and need a torch, but you will be able to see everything around you crystal clear. If you are not an advanced scuba diver – never fear! There are plenty of stunning cenotes around the Yucatan region that are perfect for snorkeling and shallower dives. Some of our favourites for scuba diving in the region include “The Pit”, “Dos Ojos”, and “Cenote Angelita”. Each more unique and breathtaking than the last. A must try experience for any scuba diver!

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Utila, Honduras – Claire Sturzaker, Tales of a Backpacker

Utila is renowned among backpackers and budget travellers for being one of the cheapest places to dive in the world. I took my PADI certification there, and Utila certainly lived up to the hype. Not only was Utila excellent value for diving, but clear waters, calm waves and sandy bottom made learning to dive in Utila a dream. There are plenty of dive sites around the island, suitable for divers of all levels, not just beginners. Wrecks, caves and black corral walls are just some of the dives you can expect if you have a little more experience in the water. Honduras is a great place to spot sea life too, even on our short learner dives we saw turtles, rays, squid, a dazzling array of fish, and we even got to snorkel with a pod of dolphins in between dives. Whale sharks frequent the waters around Utila as well, and although whale sharking sitings aren’t as common as dolphins if you are lucky you might have a chance to get in the water with these gentle giants.

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Nusa Penida, Josh & Sarah, Veggie Vagabonds

One of the appeals of snorkelling or diving is that you’re out of your natural habitat but surrounded by animals that are so beautifully adapted to their environment. This couldn’t be more true than with manta rays, one flap of their giant wings and they’ve disappeared in a cloud of sand. We were lucky enough to swim with these gentle giants just off the coast of the Indonesian island Nusa Penida. On a perfect morning our boat took us through choppy waters to South side of the island where the mantas commonly swim. Through the dark blue waters the boat captain spotted something in the water and signalled for us to jump out. You can’t quite grasp how big manta rays are until they are metres below you in the water. We felt very insignificant in this huge ocean with these incredible animals below us. Not put off by us floating on the surface they seemed curious of us and circled beneath us. Every now and again they’d flap their wings and vanish, only to reappear again a moment later. They really are majestic giants and half an hour in their company seemed like minutes. It was without doubt one of our most incredible snorkelling experiences and we feel incredibly lucky to have swum with them in their natural habitat!

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Molokini Crater, Maui – Julianne Oliveri, Part-Time Passport

If paradise really does exist, then there’s no doubt that it can be found in Hawaii. Molokini Crater in Maui is truly a once-in-a-lifetime snorkelling experience like no other. Here, you’ll have the chance to snorkel in a moon-shaped volcanic crater submerged within the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean. The crystal clear coral reef is filled with an incredible abundance of colourful marine life, making this one of the best snorkelling spots in the world. Most tour companies combine a visit to Molokini Crater with a quick stop in Turtle Town where – you guessed it – you’ll have the chance to snorkel alongside beautiful green sea turtles. The location, just off the palm tree-lined coast is stunning and a truly bucket-list worthy experience!

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The Great Barrier Reef, Australia – Bryony, Coasting Australia

The Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s natural wonders and the largest living organism on Earth,is a 2300km stretch of coral and reef systems hugging the North-East coast of Australia. The UNESCO World Heritage Site offers incredible dive and snorkel opportunities for all abilities. You can access views of the incredible marine life and coral off the beach in locations like Fitzroy or Green Island off Cairns, or visit the Outer Barrier Reef on a day or overnight boat trip. Turtles, reef sharks, over 1500 species of fish and 400 species of coral can be spotted in the crystal clear blue waters, and the stunning scenery of Australia’s East Coast adds to the magic of your visit. Cairns in Tropical North Queensland is the ideal base to explore the Great Barrier Reef. As well as world class diving and snorkelling opportunities, it is also the location of some of the world’s oldest rainforests and the adventure capital of Australia – with bungee jumping and white water rafting on offer.

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Padre Burgos, Philippines – Paul & Karen, GlobalHelpSwap

For as long as I can remember I have been watching BBC wildlife documentaries. If I ever have voices talking in my head I am sure they would sound like David Attenborough! When you watch programs like Blue Planet 2, the underwater world bursts with colour and life. In over 100 dives I had never seen colours like you do on these programs. That was until we arrived in Padre Burgos in The Philippines. We had two days of diving in the area and as soon as we jumped off the boat I knew we were in for a treat. The coral was thriving all around us with so many different colours I felt like I was at a Holi festival. As we were doing a shallow dive we were under the water for over an hour. It was one of the easiest dives I have done and one of the most memorable. My old dive instructors words came in my head saying it’s not about the depth but what’s there. If you are looking for big fish, this is not your area (The Philippines has plenty of other sites for that) but if you want to enter a magical trippy world for a few days then Padre Burgos is your place.

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Lord Howe Island, Australia – Shandos Cleaver, World Heritage Journey

While Lord Howe island isn’t that well-known, it offers some of the best snorkelling and diving in Australia. Located 600km off Australia’s east coast, this tiny volcanic island in the Pacific is home to the most southern true coral reef in the world. Plus, it’s so pristine and unspoilt (with a cap on the number of visitors at any time), that the whole island system has been World-Heritage listed. Lord Howe Island offers countless snorkelling and diving sites. For starters, there’s the huge lagoon that the island wraps around. Its shallower waters are perfect for snorkelling, with plenty of coral and tropical fish, plus frequent turtle visitors and even reef sharks. The lagoon also offers some easy dive sites. On the other side of the island you’ll find Ned’s Beach. Thanks to regular fish feeding, there’s a huge number of fish to spot – you don’t even need to don your snorkelling mask to spot them! Around the rest of Lord Howe’s rugged coastline are more great diving sites, accessible on boat dives. Plus if you head 20km away in a boat, you’ll reach Ball’s Pyramid. The tallest volcanic stack in the world, it’s best suited to experienced divers.

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Aitutaki, Cook Islands – Anne Steinbach & Clemens Sehi, Travellers Archive

What comes to your mind when you think of the paradise? Well, for me it’s Aitutaki, a small islet of the Cook Islands. It’s super far off the rest of the world and truly unbelievable. Most visitors fly here from the Cook’s main island Rarotonga. A small plane will get you right to Aitutaki. From here, you mostly get on a traditional Vaka, which is the Maoris’ word for canoe – and then you’ll enter paradise. The entire lagoon surrounding Aitutaki is full of turquoise and crystal clear water and small islands that seem to be completely unreal. Jump from the Vaka and enter a completely new world: small fish will surround you, while the colourful corals will blow your mind. Above all, bigger fish will come and they hi. Don’t worry, they won’t do anything, but simply be a good company for your very own snorkelling adventure in the Cook Islands.

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Silfra, Iceland – Sonja Erin, Migrating Miss

Snorkelling in Silfra Fissure is Iceland has to be one of the most unique snorkelling experiences you can have in the world. The fissure is found between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park. It is widening a further 2.5 centimetres every year, so constantly changing. The Silfra fissure is full of ice-cold water from a nearby glacier, and stays at around 4 degrees all year long. You need to wear a dry suit to snorkel or dive there, which is a little different from what many people imagine when they think of snorkelling! The water is so clear and clean that it appears to be a brilliant blue, like an oversaturated photo, and you can even drink it as you swim along. Snorkelling in Silfra Fissure, in contrast to many places, isn’t about the wildlife, but instead is about admiring the volcanic rock, amazingly clear water, the trolls hair seaweed, and if you’re very lucky, spotting the very rare tiny fish that might make their way there from the nearby lake. You’ll be able to float along the different parts of the fissure and end up in the large, shallower lagoon. A tour experience takes around 1.5-2 hours, with 30-45 minutes in the water. You’re face will be numb by the end of it! It’s really an unbelievable snorkelling experience!

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Raja Ampat, Indonesia – Andra Padureanu, Our World To Wander

Raja Ampat is one of Indonesia’s best-kept gem. It’s an incredible area boasting so much biodiversity that being underwater feels like watching a live documentary on National Geographic. Raja Ampat is an archipelago of more than 1,500 islands that lie in the northwest side of Indonesia’s West Papua province. What makes it unique is the fact that it hides an incredible number of species of hard corals. You don’t even need to dive to be awestruck by the maritime life in this region. Snorkeling in Raja Ampat will immerse you in a magical world filled with colorful fish, reef sharks, adorable turtles, sea stars of all sizes, manta rays, sting rays and the list goes on. For the best experience stay in a homestay, in a simple hut right on the beach, to get closer to the Papuan culture. The homestays organize various boat trips to some fantastic diving and snorkeling spots, depending on which island you will live on. We chose to stay on Gam, and it was an excellent place as it was close to the famous Friwen Wall and had incredible coral reef right in front of our homestay.

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This brings us to the end of this amazing list of places to scuba dive and snorkel around the world. Some of the best spots in the world have been featured in this three part series, thanks to some wonderful travel bloggers. Read on and pick your spots to add to your wishlist. Link to the previous two posts here and here.