Scuba Diving Locations

There are literally thousands of locations around the world that make excellent areas to scuba dive. In fact, the amount of places you can scuba dive are endless, considering that the world is over 70 percent water. However, if you want to really enjoy scuba diving, then here are the top places on earth to do so, as voted by SCUBA Travel readers.

1. Yongala, Australia
This site is home to the shipwreck of the Yongala off the coast of Queensland. The ship sank in a cyclone in 1911, killing 122 people, a Lincolnshire bull and a racehorse called Moonshine. The ship is located 90 kilometres southeast of Townsville, 10 kilometres from Cape Bowling Green. This dive is considered to be the best in the entire world. The site is currently under protection of the Historical Shipwrecks Act, after being declared so in 1981.

2. Thislegorm, Egypt
The wrecks of the located in the Egyptian Red Sea are a sight to see for any scuba diver. The strong winds, dangerous currents and reefs have made the Red Sea a ship graveyard for thousands upon thousands of years. There are many different shipwrecks here, considering the long history of the area. Even today, many ships still run aground on the coral reefs. This site is a scuba divers dream.

3. Blue Corner Wall, Palau, Micronesia
This site offers some beautiful diving thanks to the abundant marine life that exists in the area. The site often ranks high as one of the best places to scuba dive in the entire world and should be on the list of any scuba diver who wants to see the best that the ocean has to offer.

4. Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island
Sipadan is a small island located just off the east coast of Sabah. On the island, there is a limestone pinnacle that rises to over 600 metres, while off the island there is some of the best scuba diving in the entire world. Countless species of crab and fish can be viewed off the shores of the tiny island, making it a marine lover’s dream. This is one scuba diving adventure that should not be passed up.

5. Shark and Yolanda Reef, Egyptian Red Sea
Like the previous entry in the Red Sea, this is a prime piece of real estate to see shipwrecks dating back hundreds of years, or even ships that have sunk during both peacetime and wartime. Of course, shipwrecks are only one portion of the adventure in the Red Sea, the abundant marine life makes this a nature lover’s and a history lover’s perfect getaway.

6. Navy Pier, Australia
Australia is known for its amazing diversity of life in the sea and its legendary coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef. This pier extends 300 metres from the shore to form a T-Shaped structure that is 300 metres wide. On a dive you will be able to see eels, white-tipped sharks, octopuses, scorpion fish and vast numbers of smaller fishes.

7. Manta Ray Night Dive, Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Diving during the day is one thing, but diving at night is something completely different. Thanks to this night dive, you will be able to see amazing fish, including manta rays, in their habitat while at night when the ocean can, at times, be its most lovely.

8. The Brothers, Egyptian Red Sea
The Brothers are two small islands in the middle of the Red Sea, about five minutes apart. The larger island is home to a lighthouse and surrounded by amazing scenery and ample amounts of fish.
However, it has very difficult currents and, as a result, a diver must have logged 50 dives before they can approach here. As well, the Egyptian government has worked to protect the area and at times it will be closed to divers.

9. Liberty, Bali, Indonesia
Not surprisingly, the best places to scuba dive are those in tropical waters. In Liberty, you will see many different types of coral fish, of various colors that make it one of the prime locations in the world to see tropical fish.

10. Elphinstone Reef, Egyptian Red Sea
The Egyptian Red Sea gets its third spot on the top ten list and it is no surprise with the amazing amount of marine life, from eels to manta rays, that can be seen in this portion of the Red Sea. If you are looking for one place to get as much as you can out of your diving experience, make it the Egyptian Red Sea.