Your heart pounds overtime with excitement as you finally descend to the bottom of a dive site. A whole new world unfolds before your eyes. From walls to reefs, wrecks to piers, scuba diving allows you to tap into your inner adventurous self and see an unlimited amount of fascinating marine life in its natural habitat.
Many Caribbean islands offer diving during all seasons so your chances of spotting diverse organisms – from sea horses to reef sharks, turtles to shrimp – is possible year-round. Getting certified through PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is a must and can be done on most Caribbean islands, allowing you to use your certification for life (although you may benefit from a refresher course if you have a large gap between dives). From night dives to shipwrecks, you’ll see that the variation in these underwater landscapes is endless. Here are our favorite dive destinations in the Caribbean.
What to expect: An underwater marvel awaits at St Vincent’s Byahaut Bat Cave: you swim through a fissure between two rocks in order to enter the dive site. Look up at the top of the cave to see dozens of bats hanging out on the ledges before making your descent. There is plenty of marine life at around 40–60ft (12–18m) deep, including eagle rays, pipefish and seahorses.
What to know: Book an early morning dive trip to Bat Cave to avoid the crowds that come on other dive boats. Seeing the bats inside the cave is a great bucket list diving experience for the adventurous.
How to make it happen: The Sandals St Vincent Dive Center offers all-inclusive diving while staying on the property, including all equipment needed. Alternatively, book your trip through dive operators such as Canouan Scuba Center or Dive St Vincent.
What to expect: In Western Jamaica, near Negril, the Deep Plane dive site offers divers the chance to explore the nooks and crannies of a Cessna 152 aircraft wreck, for which the site is named. There is also a robust and active coral reef surrounding the wreck. Once you descend to the plane, look for colorful coral crusting along the wreck as well as a variety of marine life, including turtles, sharks, sea fans and various rays living on the coral.
What to know: Diving is possible year-round, but since the plane sits at 90ft deep (27m) it is recommended for advanced divers only, which is those with a PADI Advanced Open Water Certification or higher.
Make it happen: You can rent equipment and take PADI dive courses at the ScubaCaribe dive shop in Negril. The dive instructors are friendly and knowledgeable about first-timers' concerns like answering questions about depth, safety, and proper equipment. You can also book through One Love Scuba Dive
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