Whenever we learn to dive or just dream of diving, we actually think of beautiful dive sites, that is, places where we would like to go someday. Blue water, reefs, palm trees on golden sand, mysterious wrecks, underwater canyons. All these places that are simply a challenge for any diver. Then once we learn to dive we start somewhere in the conversations between divers to learn about dive sites, and this is where the “Where is better?” discussions begin. Which dive sites are simply better?
What characterizes a dive site?
- Water clarity
- Water temperature
- Views, views, views.
- Reefs
- Wrecks
- Great creatures of the sea
- Tourist sites accompanying diving expeditions
First, of course, we think about the regions. Where there is blue, warm water and a coral reef. Such places as the Red Sea, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean. However, as we start to think a little more precisely we are already starting to think about specific countries; maybe Egypt, maybe Thailand, maybe Martinique. Then we start planning to dive on specific dive sites. When we learn a little more about diving and already start to know what we like, we start to think and plan more and more precisely. We choose specific destinations for our expeditions, according to what we already know interests us underwater. For example, places where either nature has shaped amazing underwater formations like massive canyons, Blue Hole or reef-covered rocks or other places where it is easier to meet a beautiful aquatic creature. Also places that have been created to some extent by man that is, the beautiful wrecks we like to go to and see them. These are places that for us divers, are very important.
In addition, divers like to go simply to some cool tourist place where it may not always be the greatest underwater, but tourist places are very interesting. A lot of people ask about the Mediterranean coast, where there are places that are very cool tourist spots but underwater just “fish water, water fish” and places like L’Estartit in Spain where underwater is really a diving paradise and around the Dali museum, Barcelona, etc.
In this and future texts, I will try to describe beautiful dive sites so that in the future, when considering where to go on our next trip; we just know where we want to go. The descriptions will cover a variety of dive sites, so that both those who appreciate wrecks and those who appreciate reefs or big fish will find something for themselves. Or, conversely, macro photography – beautiful tiny creatures that can be spotted somewhere between rocks or corals which, by the way, requires considerable skill because they are not easy to see. Some also like massive rock formations like canyons or the famous Blue Hole of which there are several in the world.
Reefs
The most beautiful reefs, however, is the Red Sea – the south of the Red Sea – the south of Egypt – Marsa Alam area and lying even further south is the archipelago of Saint Johnes, from which the diving safari routes are named, during which we get to know the most beautiful reefs of Egypt so at the same time actually the most beautiful reefs in the world.
Wrecks
Another diving destination, iconic dive sites are wrecks. Here, of course, you can mention some individual wrecks, which are located somewhere and attract divers from all over the world, and to some extent certainly large wreck sites, i.e. places where for some reason many wrecks went underwater, such as Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, Truk Atoll in Micronesia, Coron Bay in the Philippines or places where simply sank in a very beautiful place a lot of wrecks like the Vis Island in Croatia.
Rock formations – Canyons, Blue Hole
Looking at them from the side of their creation Blue Hole are the so-called singhole, that is, a place where the vault of a huge cave collapsed and above it was the bottom of the sea in this way created a powerful vertical well sometimes somewhere deeper connected with the open sea, which creates an amazing effect of blue light filtered through the water. These types of sites are iconic dive sites. Such a huge Blue Hole is in Egypt in Dahab, another even bigger one in the Caribbean in the Belize area, such a rather miniature Blue Hole is on Gozo in Malta
Reserves/great sea creatures
Separate sites are diving reserves, i.e. places that on the one hand are reserves but on the other hand you can dive there. By limiting the number of dives or visitors to such a site, we see there the kind of underwater world that probably existed before Jacques Cousteau invented the breathing machine. Two places are certainly worth mentioning one is the Islas-Medes archipelago off L’Estartit – a small town in Spain and the other is the island of Sipadan, which is part of Malaysia – a beautiful island near Borneo which is closed to such normal tourist and diving access. One hundred and dozens of divers a day are allowed into this reserve. He can say that this is a great deal. One is very few divers and dives. It is important to realize that many popular sites have several thousand divers a day.
“Accompanying” tourism
Once we decide on a dive site or organize a diving expedition, very often the choice of destination is related to tourist sites in the area. Admittedly, probably most divers diving in Egypt have not seen the pyramids, but it may be worth once on some diving trip to the Red Sea so plan the trip to see the pyramids. At the same time, due to the fact that very often the airports are close to large cities or capitals, flying to the Philippines we will probably see Manila, somewhere changing on the way there is a good chance to organize such flights to visit Dubai or Singapore. Such tourist additions to diving trips are really a great way to make diving the perfect combination of tourism and diving
In future texts we will also try to create, in addition to the dive sites guide, such a mini-guide of interesting tourist sites related to diving. Related in the sense that they are nearby at dive sites or are a natural complement to dive trips.
Below is a (very subjective) list of beautiful dive sites. It is worth getting acquainted with. In the next texts we will try to write a little more about selected dive sites. About how to organize a trip to such areas, and what is interesting there and with whom to dive. In separate texts we will write what diving techniques, equipment or skills are useful in planning such expeditions.
Top 10 dive sites:
- Blue Hole Belize (Belize)
- Blue Hole Dahab (Egypt)
- Canyon Dahab (Egypt)
- Illes Medes (Spain)
- Scapa Flow (Orkney Islands)
- Wreck of the B-17 island of Vis (Croatia)
- Coron Bay – tanker (Philippines)
- Laguna Truk (Micronesia)
- Laguna Bikini (Micronesia)
- Cocos Island (Costa Rica)
Best wrecking sites:
- Bikini Island
- Laguna Truk
- Scapa Flow
- Vis Island
- Coron Bay
Amazing rock formations:
- Blue Hole Egypt Dahab
- Blue Hole Belize
- Blue Hole Gozo Malta
- Canyon Dahab Egypt
Great individual dive sites:
- Andrea Doria
- Apo
- Attersee
- Blue Hole Gozo
- Cabouy
- The Cauldron- Komodo National Park
- Cenotes Mexico
- Dahab
- Deepspot
- Devil’s Spring
- Diamond Rock Martinique
- Font-Belle
- Galapagos
- Ginnie Spring
- Gossausee
- Gozo
- Gródek
- Hawaii
- Hranicka Propast
- Deep Lake
- Clear Lake
- Klodno Lake
- Lake Niedackie
- Kalymnos, Teledos Greece
- Quarries
- Excavators
- Laguna Truk
- Molnar Janos Budapest Hungary
- Narvik ( wrecks)
- Neptune Cave Dahab
- Palau
- Patmos, Greece
- Poumeyssens
- Raja Ampat
- Salem Express (Safaga Egypt)
- Submarine shelters – Croatia
- SETT in Gosport
- Sipadan
- Socorro
- Sparmann
- Split
- Sri Lanka
- St. Johns
- Thistlegorm Egypt
- Torpedo house
- Free Hermanice
- Wetro
- Great Barrier Reef
- Wildschutz
- The wreck of the B-24 island of Vis
- Fortunal wreck island of Vis
- The wreck of the Maris island of Vis
- Vassilios wreck island of Vis
- Coconut Island
- Zakrzowek
- “Zenobia?” (Cyprus, Larnaca)
