Few things compare to the feeling of weightlessness, peace, and tranquillity you experience when scuba diving and seeing giant turtles, sharks and manta rays, all in their natural habitat. This experience is something that you’ll cherish forever.
Whether you’re just learning to dive, or are a seasoned veteran, it’s imperative that you select the right destination, which is calm and has excellent visibility. With this in mind, here’s our list of the top diving destinations for 2013.
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Egypt
Sharm el Sheikh, located at the Southern tip of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, is one of the world’s premier diving destinations, as well as one of its newest.
As little as two decades ago, the reefs of Sharm el Sheikh were inaccessible to all but the most committed underwater explorers, given the requirement to trek through the desert in order to get to the sea.
Nowadays, Sharm el Sheikh is proving to be one of the world’s most magnetic diving sites, attracting divers from around the globe. The four and five star resorts situated on the coastal line make the dive sites of Na’ama Bay, Ras Um Sid Cliff and Sharm El Maya easy to explore.
Packed with 250 different coral reefs and over 1,000 species of fish, including sharks, turtles, blue spotted stingrays, crocodile fish and lion fish, Sharm el sheikh is a true diver’s paradise. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, the Thistlegorm, voted one of the world’s top 10 dives, also provides a good start point for wreck diving.
Australia
The Great Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated off the coast of Queensland and stretches over 1,800 miles. It is home to one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world, as well as some of the most visually stunning underwater scenery.
One of the seven wonders of the natural world, the Great Barrier Reef is bursting at the proverbial seams with must-see sights for the diving aficionado. The Reef is home to the world’s largest collection of corals, rays, dolphins, over 1,500 species of tropical fish, in excess of 200 species of bird and around twenty types of reptile, including sea turtles and giant clams.
If the diversity of the marine life wasn’t enough to tempt you, perhaps the promise of seeing humpback whales migrating from the Antarctic to breed will be enough to convince you that the Great Barrier Reef is one of the must-see dive destinations in 2013.
Thailand
The waters of the Andaman Sea, off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, are some of the world’s most hospitable, especially suited to the first-time diver.
With water temperatures of around 28 degrees Celsius, a calm and peaceful sea and visibility in excess of 30 metres, the Andaman Sea makes a great dive location for divers of all levels.
Stunning reefs, quirky rock formations, shipwrecks, vibrant colours and a wide array of marine life, including whale and leopard sharks, await those willing to take the plunge in 2013.
This post was supported by Co-operative Travel and GreatBarrierReef.org.
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