Prior to departing on Blowin’ Bubbles from Canada on July 1 2014, Shelley and I made quite a number of dive trips. According to Shelley we made dive trips to Florida (2 times), Panama, Bonaire, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Cancun, Columbia, Cuba (5 times), and of course Cozumel (13 times together). We have visited 18 Countries so far on this journey.
Our list will include anywhere we have been and each destination will be rated based on our experience. For those of you who may not know, Shelley is a certified Dive Master with over 1000 lifetime dives and I have been a Scuba Instructor for 20 years and have some 5000 dives. That doesn’t necessarily make us great divers, but we think we have a little experience to base our opinions on. The photos on this page are our own. They are a random selection from some of the dives that make up this list.
Lastly, "the world, she is a changing’",The Ph levels in the oceans have gone through some very dramatic changes in the last 20 years and what might have been spectacular a few years ago, may be really struggling now. Our rating has to be based on when we were there which might not reflect exactly as you would find it today....
Here goes...
#10 San Andreas (Columbia)
This one barely made the list. We were there 15 years ago and the soft and hard corals were amazing. I remember that we joked at the time that it seemed like everything bigger than a plate was gone... So it is, with uncontrolled fishing reefs don’t stand a chance. The reason the coral was so nice is that San Andreas almost never gets hit with a hurricane.
#9 San Blas Islands (Panama)
The San Blas Islands are the home of the Kuna Indians. And while they fish these reefs with unabashed vigor, there lack of technology and and the sheer size of the area makes it possible for many fish and reef creatures to thrive. The San Blas Islands are like Islands in the South Pacific with white sand beaches and crystal clear water.
#8 Flores Island (Indonesia)
We are just now experiencing this part of the world. So far, we are seeing reefs that are terribly over fished, but somehow there are an abundance of small reef fish and creatures you won’t see anywhere else in the world. For that reason alone it is on the list.
#7 Marshall Islands
The reefs are just barely average in this part of the world. What makes these atolls and islands so special is the incredible rich history that lies just under the surface. Throughout the Second World War literally thousands of man made objects found their way to a watery grave. We saw airplanes, artillery, ships, trucks, jeeps, and almost anything else you can think of slowing disintegrating in the warm clear water.
#6 Albuquerque Cay (Columbia)
Located just south of San Andres, this atoll is almost completely uninhabited. Except for a few Colombian soldiers and fishermen, this tiny paradise is virtually untouched by humanity. We saw Brain Coral almost 10’ across, Staghorn Coral almost 30’ high, and an abundance of reef fish and creatures unlike anywhere in the Caribbean except Cozumel (See below).
#5 - Bonaire
This Dutch jewel is fiercely protected and the macro life here is abundant. This is one of the dive capitals of the Caribbean. Which is its only downfall. Divers are pretty much on their own here and no one is keeping an eye on them. And while 99% of diver may be very responsible, it only takes a few to cause unrepairable damage. And this island caters to thousands of divers a year, making the wear and tear on the reefs more and more evident.
#4 - St Lucia
We think this is the macro photo capital of the planet. There was such an abundance of reef fish and creatures that could never see everything.
#3 - Somo Somo Strait (Fiji)
Unfortunately Fiji got hit with a massive cyclone (Winston) a few years ago which really took its toll in what was some of the worlds best diving. Fortunately, in many parts of Fiji the reefs are rebounding nicely. The best we found was in the Somo Somo Straight with young but amazing soft coral, and a semi protected ecosystem all around it. As long as the folks in the dive industry remain vigilant, this will always be an exceptional place to see amazing underwater worlds.
#2 - Tuamotus
Shelley and I agreed on this one but for different reasons. She loved the expansive walls and coral gardens teaming with healthy ecosystems... I was BLOWN AWAY with the shear number of pelagic who call this part of the world home... At least a dozen different species of sharks, and rays pass by you sometimes by the hundreds! All the fish who support these mighty predators are also here in abundance...
#1 - Cozumel (Mexico)
Say what you like, this is a place that is incredible! Some 30 years ago after Jacques Cousteau dubbed it the jewel of the Caribbean, the folks here created a huge marine park (sanctuary) where taking ANYTHING off the reef will land you in jail. Well policed and cared for makes this the best overall place we have ever dove. This is one of the only places you ever see a 5’ Snapper, or a 3’ lobster. It may host hundreds of divers a day, but the dive masters and dive guides are vigilant about keeping this place pristine for the next days divers. There is more to see per dive than anywhere we have ever been.
Cuba gets and honorable mention not so much for its diving, but some of the beaches in Cuba have been the best we have ever seen... (maybe we will do a top 10 beach list).
Hope that helps. We will re-do this list when we get wherever we are going.
Happy diving...
