Top places to… the world’s best dive sites
With so many choices it’s probably difficult to choose a favourite dive site… It really depends if you’re after wrecks, sealife, caverns, or underwater scenery. Here we explore a few great dives sites worth a try.
- Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island.
- Yongala, Australia.
- Thistlegorm, Egyptian Red Sea.
- Great Blue Hole, Belize.
- Manta Ray Night Dive, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Barracuda Point on Sipadan Island, Malaysia is a wall of coral surrounded by sea life including sharks, turtles, grouper, parrotfish and of course the barracuda that give it its name. Occasional strong currents blast over an underwater prairie. Or maybe you prefer exploring a shipwreck down under? The Yongala is a shipwreck off the coast of Queensland in Australia will offer you stunning underwater views and spectacular coral. In 1911, the Yongala was given no warning of impending bad weather and sank during a cyclone killing 122 people, a racehorse and a bull. It is fully protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act.
Another large wreck to dive is the Thistlegorm in the Egyptian Red Sea. This British vessel was air-attacked and sunk with its cargo in1941. Currents can be strong and will pull you in different directions at the surface and at the wreck so it is best to buddy up and never dive alone at any dive site or shipwreck.
The Great Blue Hole in Belize is an extremely deep, wide, hole edged by coral reef and inhabited by sharks. Diving the vibrant colours of this hole in an experience not to be missed. The water goes from salt to fresh water at about 15 metres, and you can even watch massive tuna clean themselves in the hole. Another 25 metres offers stalagtites and stalagmites of ancient caverns.
Hawaii gives you the spectacular Manta Ray Night Dive in Kailua Kona. Underwater lights placed on the ocean floor attract beautiful manta rays – an amazingly wonderful and unforgettable dive with one of the most beautiful animals in the world.
And if you can get from Hawaii to Navy Pier in Western Australia you could easily spend a week diving there and not be bored, particularly at night. On any dive there are lots of sea life and white tipped sharks, octopuses, stargazers, and the usual smaller finned friends. Sometimes you’ll come across absolutely huge rays dozing in the sand like back in Hawaii.
A popular Indonesian wreck is in Bali – dive to a wreck totally encrusted in anemone, gorgonians and corals. All the fish are very tame (partly as a result of some guides feeding them) from the goatfish and wrasse that nibble around your feet and fins at the end of the dive, to the unicorn and surgeonfish which make a beeline for your mask as you swim down towards the Wreck.
The UltraDry Team.
