Top 5 Scuba Dive Destinations in the Caribbean

Scuba diving in the Caribbean has to be a top destination to visit. Not just because of the clarity of the water or the colorful marine life you find here but for the diversity of the dive sites, from the gently sloping seabed to the dramatic drop-offs.

Scuba dive sites around the Caribbean offer something for everyone, regardless of skill and experience. Here you can experience reef diving and wall diving in waters that offer up to 100ft of clear visibility and pleasant water temperatures of around 80 degrees.

Diving the Caribbean

With so many excellent sites, it would probably be possible to compile a top 50 list; of course, any list would be subjective. Different people want different things for their dives. But this list of five represents those sites where the divers that have experienced them have labeled them as spectacular, either for the beauty of the underwater environment or the overall dive experience.

They are presented in no particular order, and if you were to compile your list, these sites might not even appear. Still, for those who have never been to the Caribbean and are looking forward to dipping that first toe in the water, they are a great starting point for letting you know just what you will be able to experience when you get there.

1. The West Caicos Walls – Turks & Caicos

This is a wall diver’s dream location with miles and miles of vertical wall and incredible drop-offs. Here the geothermic currents have combined with the cooler ocean waters to create some stunning features, which have been inhabited by thousands of colorful sponges, corals, and possibly more fish than you can identify with anything from small tropical species to barracudas.

One thing to bear in mind as you explore here, though, is to keep at least one eye on the shadows off in the distance, as this is also home to reef sharks and the occasional hammerhead and stingray, as well as less intimidating nurse sharks and sea turtles, eagle rays and manta rays.

2. Dive Belize – Half Moon Caye Wall – Lighthouse Bay

On this top-notch dive spot in Belize, you will find a combination of reef and wall diving, with some incredible Staghorn coral that has grown to over 20ft. Whole colonies of garden eels sway almost hypnotically in the current; the sand chutes expose where they root themselves.

Here you will experience a good mixture of tropical fish, graceful Eagle rays, giant groupers, and majestic sea turtles. If you have an underwater camera, this would be an excellent place to test its abilities.

3. Dive British Virgin Islands – Wreck of the RMS Rhone

This is the wreck of the RMS Rhone, a royal mail steamer that went down off the coast of the British Virgin Islands in 1867 during a hurricane.

This is quite possibly one of the most famous dive sites in the whole of the Caribbean. Because it has been colonized by the marine life that took advantage of its many sheltered areas, it has been given the designation of an Underwater National Park.

As such, divers should be aware that there may be conditions attached to their dive in and around the area to ensure that the natural environment that has developed here is disturbed as little as possible.

4. Dive Bonaire – Salt Pier

If you are into underwater photography, Bonaire is a site you should head to. You will find incredible sponges and a vast array of corals, with plenty of frogfish and seahorses swimming around.

One of the great things about this site is that you can walk in straight from the beach to get to the reef and the drop-offs.

Though the quantity and diversity of the small reef fish here may make it feel as though you are swimming in an artificial aquarium, it is a 100% natural environment.

5. Dive the Bahamas – Victory Reef

Victory Reef offers an incredible dive experience, and other than the regular life on the reef, you will find yourself swimming with amazing loggerhead turtles.

The reef is filled with canyons and peaks of coral that look like delicate lace, home to some big game fish that swim into the region and the reef’s more usual inhabitants. Keep your eyes open for the ever-inquisitive reef sharks as you explore this underwater coral maze.

We probably missed a few dive sites.
Let us know in the comments below what your top dive sites in the Caribbean are.

Would you like to go scuba diving in the Caribbean? Contact us. We have multiple partners that offer dive packages and scuba lessons.

The Scuba Page, the online magazine for Scuba Dive lovers worldwide, published this article. The Scuba Page is part of RUSHKULT: the online booking platform for adventure sports. Visit the RUSHKULT platform to book your next Scuba Dive training, guided trip, and accommodation.