International Scuba Diving Day: Best places to make friends under the sea

Every year, on the 6th of August, International Scuba Diving Day is celebrated, inviting enthusiasts to plunge into the underwater world and explore. Scuba diving is a much sought-after underwater activity using apparatus like oxygen-filled tanks and breathing masks to comfortably breathe underwater and venture into the depths to see the mysterious and beautiful marine life up close. It’s almost like another world, another planet, evoking a surreal feeling to witness a thriving ecosystem under the ocean, where humans cannot survive.
The underwater life is a mystery as humans have explored only 5% of the inexplicable vastness. This International Scuba Diving Day, get a glimpse of this enigma and prepare to be awestruck, with a dash of existential musing, as you explore the ocean’s depths. Here are some places to go scuba diving and have an unforgettable experience.
 
Located off the coast of Queensland, Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. A hotspot of teeming marine life, the Great Barrier Reef spans over 2,300 km and consists of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. The size is huge and is visible from outer space. It is the world’s largest single structure made by living organisms. Dive for a brilliant view of the colorful corals under the stretch of blue. Many marine species like sea turtles, manta rays, reef sharks, and more are also spotted. The life and color underwater look mesmerising. It’s considered one of the prime places for diving.
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A limestone cave that collapsed and a deep, cavernous chasm developed over time. Home to different shark species like bull sharks, nurse sharks, and Caribbean reef sharks, it may not be as rich in fish or coral life as the outside. However, what the Blue Hole lacks in marine life, it makes up with its geological wonder. This marine sinkhole in Belize promises an intriguing underwater experience with majestic stalactites, stalagmites, dripstone sheets, and columns at its core. It can be seen from space and is the second-largest barrier reef.
 
Off the coast of Ecuador lies the volcanic Galápagos Islands, a hidden gem tucked away from the world until introduced by Charles Darwin in his book “On the Origin of Species.” It’s said to have inspired and influenced Charles Darwin vastly. Scuba diving in this once laboratory of evolution will be an unparalleled experience. Unique and rare wildlife like giant tortoises, hammerhead sharks, manta rays, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies can be spotted.
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The Indonesian archipelago Raja Ampat, meaning “Four Kings,” inevitably beckons an interesting origin story for the name. Legend has it that Raja Ampat’s four main islands emerged from magical eggs laid by an enchantress. This vast archipelago covers over nine million acres and features a mindblowing array of marine life, including over a thousand fish species and varieties of mollusks. Divers encounter schools of tuna fish, snappers, batfish, and barracuda.
The Red Sea makes you feel like you are flying in the sky as you float in the sea. With the perfect balmy temperature in Egypt, the Red Sea has more than 1,200 species of fish and 44 species of sharks. Apart from the frolicking underwater life, witness an ancient shipwreck, the SS Thistlegorm, a British steamship, now withering away at the sea bed. Or if you just want to relax, simply float in the water. The high saline content of the Red Sea makes it easier to float.
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