News
Start Exploring: 7 Great Caribbean Dive Spots for New Divers
The Caribbean, with its turquoise waters and abundant marine life, is a great place for new divers to start exploring the wonders of the ocean and build their dive confidence. From shallow coral reefs full of life to easy wreck dives, the region’s dive destinations offer plenty for new divers to tackle. Join us as we delve into eight great dive spots in the Caribbean.
Cozumel, Mexico
Cozumel, an island off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, is a diver’s paradise boasting a designated marine sanctuary. Efforts to protect its marine life have contributed to a thriving underwater ecosystem there. Topside, there are white sand beaches to relax on, and the coral reefs are bustling with marine life.
Diving in Cozumel offers exceptional visibility and calm water conditions, making it an excellent choice for beginners. With an abundance of shore diving sites, encountering Cozumel’s diverse marine life also couldn’t be easier. Among its marine residents, divers can encounter three species of sea turtles, plus plenty of reef fish.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
With a range of dive centers available, Grand Cayman is a great destination for new divers who want to explore world-class reefs whilst completing an advanced diver certification.
Vibrant coral gardens, such as Eden Rock and Devil’s Grotto, showcase Grand Cayman’s colorful corals and offer easy dives. And if there are seasoned divers in your group, Grand Cayman’s wall dives is a must. Every diver should also take a trip to Stingray City to go swimming with friendly southern stingrays in their natural habitat.
Roatán, Honduras
Tucked among the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Roatán boasts some of the Caribbean’s most diverse marine protected areas. Roatán’s warm waters and gentle currents make it a welcoming destination for new divers.
As the first shark sanctuary in the Americas, Honduras takes pride in its commitment to shark conservation. Divers may encounter various harmless shark species there, including reef sharks and nurse sharks. There are also some accessible wrecks, making it a great place to try wreck diving.
Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos is another top Caribbean destination for abundant marine life and has gently sloping reefs that provide an excellent starting point for new divers. You can work on your dive skills without the pressure of drop-offs and walls.
Grace Bay sits in the Princess Alexandra National Park and has calm waters with a sandy seafloor, and it hosts beautiful spotted eagle rays. It is well worth a visit between your dives or for a day relaxing at the beach.
Bonaire
Bonaire is a new diver’s dream come true. With over 60 dive sites, most of which are easy shore dives, plus year-round coral reef diving, this Caribbean Island is hard to beat!
The people of Bonaire take marine conservation seriously and are famous for their conservation efforts. The Bonaire National Marine Park encompasses all of the island’s waters and is one of the oldest marine reserves in the world. Go Bonaire diving and you will be immersed in thriving underwater ecosystems with healthy corals, sea turtles, and plenty of reef fish.
Bonaire’s “Drive and Dive” concept allows divers to explore independently, adding a sense of freedom to every dive. Simply grab your gear and tanks with a buddy or dive guide, hire a car, and explore at your own pace. It’s a great way to boost your dive confidence and skills without the pressure of being part of a large dive group.
Dominica
Dominica, the Nature Island of the Caribbean, has reefs covered in vibrant sponges and corals that host plenty of macro life. Champagne Reef, named for its effervescent underwater springs, provides a magical experience diving among bubbling vents. If you want to try coral reef diving, this is a great spot to visit.
But swimming with sperm whales is surely the most sought-after experience in Dominica. This island is home to over 200 resident sperm whales, and it is the only place in the world where you can swim with these amazing whales year-round.
The British Virgin Islands
Last but not least, the British Virgin Islands are known as one of the top Caribbean destinations for all levels of diver. There is an array of reefs and wrecks to explore, and the waters are very clear.
The British Virgin Islands’ reef and wreck dive sites are busy with small fish, plus snapper, bat fish, schooling pelagic fish, and stingrays. The Baths on the southwest coast of Virgin Gorda is perfect for new divers, offering soft sands, clear blue waters, and a stunning landscape of huge granite boulders and caves. Make sure you take your camera to capture all of the marine life and landscapes you will find at this impressive national park.
Kathryn Curzon, a conservationist and dive travel writer for SSI (Scuba Schools International), wrote this article.
Header Photo: Kris-Mikael Krister
News
Dive Worldwide Announces Bite-Back as its Charity of the Year
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
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