This weekend Cristi and I are completing our PADI Open Water Diver certificate. So, I decided to create a scuba diving bucket list of the best diving spots in the world. I plan in one day visiting all of these place, so stay tuned for updates and photos of dives, although we will most likely be doing more local dives first. Obviously, as this is a bucket list, none of the photographs below are mine, but one day soon I will hopefully update them with my own!

Without further ado…

My Scuba Diving Bucket List

1. Gili Islands, Indonesia

Indonesia has an aquatic Babylon. With clear water containing more than 3500 marine species living in this area, this is simply a heaven for any scuba diver. Many diving competitions are also conducted in the Gili Islands providing divers of any skill level a great opportunity to learn more. Gili Islands gets visitors throughout the year but most of the people avoid going from November to April because of the rainy season.

2. Byron Bay, Australia

Byron Bay is located just 2.5 km offshore, providing one of the best scuba diving places in Australia. This area attracts varied marine life because of its tropical currents. This active site attracts people from around the world. The south part of this area has cooler water and because of this most of the people prefer scuba diving in Byron Bay in summer.

3. Koh Tao, Thailand

This place is one of the few diving spots in world where people can see white sharks. Along with this many other type of fish are also seen in this area. This place is best suited if you are looking for a diving based trip only. You can visit this place any time but if you are looking for best visibility then you should consider visiting this place from July to September.

4. Dahab, Egypt

This area provides coral habitats which are located at few steps from the beach. The relaxed area of Dahab is not only center of attention for most of the casual divers but many professionals are also interested in this Dahab because a Blue Hole formation is located several kilometers to the north.

5. Caye Caulker, Belize

The Belize Barrier reef reserve system is located at a distance of less than a mile from Caye Caulker. This place provides with stunning coral gardens along with its great blue hole, as pictured above, which attract thousands of divers each year.

6. Utila, Honduras

Utila provides magnificent places for scuba diving and snorkeling with more than eighty dive sites. Utila is often visited from September to December and March to April as there is a higher chance of seeing a whale sharks at this time of year.

7. Santa Cruz, Ecuador

Santa Cruz Island, a part of the Galápagos Islands, is located at the converging point of three different sea currents attracting various forms of marine life. It is often described as one of the “Seven Underwater Wonders of the World.” Being located on the equator Santa Cruz’s mild weather attracts visitors year round. As I am currently living in Ecuador, my hope is that Santa Cruz Island will be the first scuba diving site to be crossed off my bucket list!

If you think there are any other beautiful or amazing scuba diving spots that are missing from this bucket list, please let me know in the comments!

(Feature Image source: Ilse Reijs and Jan-Noud Hutten)

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