15 Most Ideal Scuba Diving Places in the World

What do you think the learners of Scuba diving are taught first?

“The best way to observe a fish is to become a fish”-this sentence would be written in large size fonts on the classroom board of scuba diving institute.

Scuba divers learn this thrilling adventure sports mainly to see and study numerous marine creatures in their own den and that too up very close.

Apart from fish, crab, whale, shark, snail, turtle, etc, scuba divers get to know more about colorful corals, explore shipwrecks, and engage in rescue operations.

Once they become trained scuba divers, they obtain the required license to indulge in deep-sea diving and also train aspiring scuba divers.

They also visit several scuba diving spots that are considered ideal to do marine life safari and coral reef research.

Some scuba divers also start selling in scuba diving kits and gears while some scuba divers act as guides to tourists who gingerly test the water wearing scuba diving mask and webfoot.

I have gathered a list of finest Scuba Diving Places in the world for scuba diving.

1. Scuba Diving Places in Maldives: Maya Thila, Ari Atoll.

That big fish you saw on the video above is called ‘barracuda’. It is scary to look at close but it seems the barracuda is oblivious of the photographer cum scuba diver who swam along with it for a few meters.

This scuba diving place Maya Thila is located in Ari Atoll of Maldives Islands.

Other beautiful marine creatures that a scuba diver can see in Maya Thila that measures only 80 meters in diameter are:

• Grey reef sharks

• Dog-toothed tuna
• Moorish Idol

• Tail fin batfish
• Blue-faced AngelFish

What a stunning beauty!

• Clown Tiger Fish
• White Tips sharks
• Stone Fish
• Anglerfish

Surely, Maldives can be a scuba diver’s ultimate dream destination.

2. Best Scuba Diving Places: Blue Hole-Belize

I have already written about this natural wonder in Belize, a Central American country and what marine life awaits a scuba diver in Blue Hole. The rare Hammerhead shark made the blue hole as its favorite habitat.

This creature looks bizarre.

Every just-graduated scuba diver’s first diving visit will be the blue hole in Belize. It is like securing a post-graduate degree in scuba diving.

3. Scuba Diving Places in Hawaii: Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Ah, Hawaii! How many wonders the Hawaii Islands possess? They have the most beautiful beaches, thick forests, densely green hills, volcanoes, ideal diving places, and luxurious resorts. I think there are more Scuba Diving Places in Hawaii alone than any other single place in the world.

The marine creatures that swim close to the scuba divers are:

• Stingrays
• Whales,
• Sharks
• Giant sea turtles

The town of Kailua Kona (Big Island, Hawaii) offers several places where the scuba divers can be seen bent with the weight of the scuba diving gears on their back.

The Kona Diving Company is your destination if you want to do deep sea diving in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Their address is given below:

Kona Diving Company

74-5615 Luhia St, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii-96740

Phone: +1 808-331-1858

4. Koh Tao Island, Thailand

Look at these cute looking Angelfish. They are in great numbers in Koh Tao Island, Thailand.

Snorkelers and scuba divers are fascinated by the small Angelfish that also come in black color. Koh Tao Island waters are also home to:

• Whale sharks
• Rayfish
• Green Turtles

What a green shade for a turtle! It must be the most beautiful turtle in the marine world!

• Hawksbill

Wow! That’s a designer turtle really!

5. Puerto Galera, Philippines

This is a colorful and very beautiful invertebrate and it is named as “Sea Slug” that is found in the Philippines Islands, What else can a scuba diver wants than to take a photo of this gorgeous marine creature in its own underwater habitat?

I read this wonderful scuba diving spot in the Philippines attracts scuba divers from all parts of the world. They come in large numbers to see:

• Pygmy seahorse

• Ghost pipefish

OMG! What a weird looking fish!

6. Scuba Diving Places in Malaysia: Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island

I am amused as to why the big barracudas have developed a liking for Asian seas. Nevertheless, I cannot ask them the reason. Well, the scuba divers seem not to question them too as they just dive deep in the sea and look up close at the barracudas, white tips sharks, parrotfish, and grouper.  This scuba diving place is convenient for all levels of divers.

7. Blue Corner Wall, Palau, Micronesia

Do you have any idea of which marine life beckons scuba divers here?

It is this:

It looks like a scorpion-right? Only, it is a shrimp (Mantis Shrimp) and is fiery looking too. Another rare marine life of Micronesia named the Eagle Ray lives here.

More marine creatures in Micronesia that fascinate the scuba divers:

• Napoleon Wrasse

Hmmm… it’s large and colorful too.

• Jacks
• Snappers

8. Scuba Diving Places Navy Pier, Western Australia

After watching this short video that plays for 4+ minutes, even I too, who is a chronic aqua phobic, feel like taking a plunge into the Indian Ocean. A wide range of marine life that can be identified easily here are:.

• Nudibranch (a mollusk)

• Flatworm
• Woebegone
• Octopus
• Scorpionfish
• Lionfish

Ah, a dazzling marine life that also goes by the name Pterois. This Western Australian coast is an ideal scuba divers’ haven.

9. Scuba Diving Places in Honduras: Utila, Honduras

That’s the picture of coral reefs found in abundance in Utila Island one of the Bay Islands, Honduras in the Caribbean Sea. This is a perfect place in the world for scuba diving.

10. Scuba Diving Places in Mexico: Isla Mujeres, Mexico

That’s whale shark for you. OMG! Look at the size! It is huge and there are hundreds of them that come in search of food in the months of June and July. Obviously, that is a sight to look forward to by the scuba divers. In addition, this Mexican coast is full of lovely beaches and great resorts.

Isla Mujeres is an island of Mexico located in the Caribbean sea. The mainland of Cancun is only a short distance away.

Since there is not much depth in this part of Caribbean sea, scuba divers have clear view of the underwater creatures and coral reefs.

11. Scuba Diving Places in Ecuador: Darwin’s Arch,Galapagos, Ecuador

So many big fish, a range of them that can be seen up close by the deep-sea divers. Did you notice how they were swimming effortlessly along with eels and tiger sharks? I noticed some more such as hammerheads, silky sharks, seals, sea lions, and more. Scuba divers from the United States rate the Darwin’s Arch as the best scuba diving beach in the world mainly because of the presence of so many marine lives.

12. Scuba Diving Places in Indonesia: Gili Islands, Indonesia

There are three islands namely:

• Gili Trawangan
• The Gili Air
• Gili Meno

All of them are located off the shore of Lombok Island, Indonesia. Of the three Gili Islands, the Gili Memo is a world-class diving site because it is home to hundreds of sea turtles and carry the name “Sea Turtle Capital”. Aside from the sea turtles, the marine lives include manta rays, hawksbill turtles, and parrot fish. In addition, these Indonesian Islands are ideal growing ground for reefs and other sea plants. The vantage diving spot is the Turtle Point in Gili Meno Island.

Apart from the above mentioned marine life, there is a unique fish called “Hooded Cuttlefish” that looks really unique. Look below its image.

13. Scuba Diving Places in Brazil: Pedras Secas, Fernando de Noronha

The ocean floor here is very colorful by the presence of reefs and rock formation. For a change, this scuba diving place does not have any big fish but there is a certain category of divers who are interested in studying the underwater plants, reefs, and rocks.

Now, about its location, Pedras Secas is part of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. The entire region is volcanic that results in diverse wildlife and marine life.

The archipelago comprises 18 islands and is actually located quite far off (350 km) from the mainland. The presence of a marine park means it is a wonderful place for scuba diving.

The marine life here includes dolphins and rays. They find the tunnels and marine canyons much to their liking to raise their family.

14. Scuba Diving Places in Australia: Yap, Micronesia

All the islands in the South Pacific are too far away from any mainland, especially Australia.

Yap is a recent name given; its former name is the Caroline Islands whose water is so full of coral reefs that encourage scuba divers to act as professional divers for research scientists to bring underwater samples such as reefs, rocks, and plants.

15. Scuba Diving Places in Bahamas: Tiger Beach, Bahamas

The lack of depth in any part of the beach means it is easy for scuba divers and snorkelers to stay underwater and on the water for a long time, seeing the marine life, capturing them in their hi-tech cameras.

There are tiger sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, and lemon sharks that the divers can see.

Here is a video clip of lemon sharks. No, there is no actual relation between the lemon fruit and this big fish.

Lemon sharks are fiery in nature and can bite humans happily with great appetite.

I read the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India are also great platforms for scuba diving. I will write a separate blog post about them later.