With its clear and warm waters, the Caribbean Islands is where you can spot the wonderful diving spots in the world. Scuba divers who have tried exploring the place describe it as a paradise. Explore the best scuba diving in the Caribbean for beginners that offers unique attractions that will make your diving experience memorable.
Your curiosity will be enhanced with the school of fish and other marine species that will accompany you to swim. There are also a handful of sunken ships that adds mystery to your diving adventure. Here are the best scuba diving spots suitable for beginners.
8 Diving Spots In the Caribbean For Beginners
Bonaire
This scuba diving spot is located in the northern part of Venezuela, South Caribbean. Crowned as the shore diving capital of the world because of its spectacular azure waters. It has a relaxing view of the shoreline. Diving in Bonaire will let you enjoy its abundant marine resources that were protected for over 35 years.
You will get a chance to interact with over 400+ different kinds of fish species, from small to large creatures. Aside from different kinds of marine mammals underwater, coral enthusiasts will also enjoy the reefs and coral formations. The beautifully-shaped hard and soft corals are scattered on the sea bed that will give you a magnificent view as you dive. This best scuba diving in the Caribbean for beginners is near the shoreline, making it accessible. Almost all of its 60 diving sites can be accessible by boat ride.
No need to wait for the right timing to experience diving in this Caribbean diving spot. The diving season for Bonaire is ideal all-year-round. Expect that there will be light showers from November to January, but it is still safe to enjoy the whole place. Bonaire is a national marine park. You will enjoy its diving activities as well as its non-water activities as well. Their non-water activities include hiking, golfing, and museum sightings.
Jardines De La Reina
If you want to take your diving adventure to the next level, Jardines De La Reina is the perfect spot for you. Both professionals and beginner divers are attracted to its sceneries while mingling with different kinds of sea creatures. The adventure comes in because you will not only expect to swim with fishes and turtles, but sharks and crocodiles would happily welcome you on their turf.
Sharks and crocodiles are naturally aggressive, especially if they are in the wild. The Caribbean island has been contained and protected for a long time, as seen in its pristine condition. The wildlife creatures living here are more curious than aggressive. Don’t be afraid when they go near you because some of them want to play and are just curious about your presence.
This is considered one of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean for beginners because of the calm waters. Scuba divers describe the water as warm and calm all-year-round. You can choose where to dive because of the accessible diving spots. These diving spots are applicable for all scuba divers, from beginners to experts. You will not get bored exploring the sea bed because it is rich in natural resources that have been cherished for many years.
Cayman Island
Cayman Island has 3 diving areas, which are the Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and the Little Cayman. These 3 diving islands are suitable for nature lovers who are into extreme diving adventures. It is great to plan a diving getaway at Cayman Island because you can book a schedule at any time of the year.
The largest island in the Cayman Islands is the Grand Cayman. It has 4 diving areas, which are the South Side, North Wall, East End, and Northwest Point. These 4 diving areas encompass over 159 dive sites that give you a unique adventure. It is great to plan a diving getaway at Cayman Island because you can book a schedule at any time of the year. Renowned as the most popular diving spot, Cayman Island is the most developed where tourists and divers can do many activities.
Be ready to swim with large stingrays, sea turtles, and colorful fishes as they accompany you to appreciate the underwater beauty. Be amazed by different coral reef formations in different sizes; some even form a cave-like appearance that gives boost the curiosity of divers. It is on the list of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean for beginners. Your skills in scuba diving will surely match whats this place has to offer.
Bahamas
The Bahamas is situated within the Caribbean Sea and the Western Atlantic Ocean. There are a lot of attractions that divers can enjoy through its clear waters. It houses the third-largest barrier reef shore that both beginners and experienced divers shouldn’t miss. The Bahamas diving site composes of deep walls, tunnels, caverns, breathtaking wrecks, and one of the best shark diving adventures.
It offers one of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean for beginners because all-year-round environmental conditions are perfect for diving. Its warm waters attract a diversity of sea life from small to large kinds of sea creatures. It homes to a variety of shark and dolphin species. Diving activities are prominent in the Bahamas that made its wildlife creatures adapted to it. You can expect a friendly and welcoming treatment from these wildlife creatures, including the sharks.
These are the popular destinations that divers can visit in the Bahamas, such as the Gambier Reef, Angelfish Reef, and Thunderball Reef; these magnificent reefs serve as a house to thousands of colorful fishes and other marine creatures. There are also shipyard wrecks such as Lighthouse Wreck and The LCT Barge that are considered one of the most beautiful shipwrecks in the whole Caribbean diving sites.
Roatan, Honduras
Among the islands in Honduras, the Roatan is one of the largest and popular when it comes to diving adventures. Roatan has 100 dive sites that offer unique attractions from tall walls, shipwrecks, and caves. It is one of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean for beginners because they offer inexpensive diving rates. Aside from the spectacular scenery underwater, large marine species such as eagle rays, hawksbill turtles, dolphins, groupers, and different kinds of sharks will as well as small marine species such as starfish, squids, seahorses, add to the colorful sea environment.
Roatan is known as the rapidly rising star even up to now because it sits in one of the healthiest barrier reefs around the globe, not just in the Caribbean but across the world. There will never be a dull moment diving in Roatan because each spot has something to give in. This diving site is described to have different textures of the sea bed, may it be full of reefs or sandy wide-open, making it suitable for all kinds of scuba divers.
If you are a scuba diver by profession, you will dream of diving in the Josie “J” Shipwreck located in Roatan. If you are a beginner, it is not advisable to dive into it because of its elevation. Beginner-friendly spots in Roatan include Sea Quest Shallow, described as an underwater playground where natural sunlight shines through the white sand. Alegria, a shipwreck that has the right depth for you to explore what’s in it. Blue Channel, this is the perfect spot if you want to swim with different kinds of fishes. Mandy’s Eel Garden, where you can meet hundreds of little eels that stays on the sandy floor. And the Bears Den is a big cave that welcomes other marine creatures.
Silver Bank, Dominican Republic
The Silver Bank diving site was renowned as the Sanctuary for Marine Mammals. It is where all of the creatures, most specifically the Northern Atlantic humpback whales, are protected. When you see this diving site from the shore, you’ll see an irregularly-shaped limestone plateau. It has a depth that ranges from 18 meters to 30 meters, making it the best scuba diving in the Caribbean for beginners. Since the Silver Bank is a protected sanctuary, you can expect rich marine biodiversity.
The popular attraction on this diving site is that you will have a chance to swim with humpback whales. There have been researches that were conducted that humpback whales are prominent in the North Atlantic. Within the Silver Bank diving lies two sunken ships that house healthy corals and different kinds of sea creatures like jellyfish. If you are looking for more fun and adventure aside from swimming with humpback whales, there are three caves that you can explore.
You may need to book early to get a slot because they only allow 60 scuba divers to dive in a week. Beginner scuba divers don’t need to have intensive training to experience the magical vibes in this diving site because it is safe for all kinds of divers, whatever diving skill you possess.
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a great place for open water diver training because of the waters’ calmness. This island has breathtaking sceneries that are further enhanced by its rich marine resources. It has walls that have different depths and shipwrecks that add character to the diving site. The Turks and Caicos consist of about 40 islands, but only 5islands are utilized for scuba diving. This island is a popular docking station for cruise ships because of its pristine condition.
Caicos Islands
This is indeed a diver’s paradise because the water condition all-year-round is ideal. When you reach the 35-kilometer depth, you can expect that groups of dolphins, humpback whales, stingrays, turtles, and other marine species would welcome you. The Turks and Caicos Islands are the lands of the giants because of these creatures. There’s no need for you to worry because these species are comfortable with the presence of humans swimming with them. This is considered one of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean for beginners because of its accessibility. The main diving site is just near the beach shore, so feel free to explore it through a boat ride.
The Turks and Caicos Islands’ top 5 dive sites are the Salt Cay, Grace Bay, West Caicos, French Cay, and Grand Turk. Salt Cay should be your destination if you want to make sure to see humpback whales. Grace Bay is situated in a long barrier reef that has small and large walls in a deep canyon. The West Caicos is where coral reefs are homes to different kinds of colorful fish species. The French Cay is a wide sandy area that homes Moray eels, turtles, and stingrays. The Grand Turk showcases shallow reefs where large fish species stay. You can expect to spend time in this diving site to explore its beauty.
Dominica
The Dominica diving spot is described as the best spot for whale watching. Dominica is one of the most unique diving spots in the Caribbean Islands because its topography consists of underwater volcanoes that add additional attraction for divers. No underwater currents are making it one of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean for beginners. The diving site is accessible, so daytime diving, as well as nighttime adventures, is possible.
Upon exploring underwater life, you will see calm and friendly creatures. These wildlife creatures include batfish, Caribbean reef squid, spinner dolphins, seahorses, electric rays, and different kinds of fish species. There are over 22 whale species that roam around the Dominica diving spot. Diving in this spot would mean watching these creatures swim, play, and eat.
One of the best diving sites in Dominica is the Champagne Reef. It is where the natural bubbling of water comes out from the ground. The bubbling of water brought by the geothermal vents makes it a picture-perfect spot. Since Dominica is located in one of the best topographical locations, hiking and kayaking are the other adventures you can try.
Final Thoughts
There are over 31 islands in the Caribbean with hundreds of diving spots that you can visit. Don’t miss any chance to experience the glory that nature has to offer. Book your slots now and recognize the treasures of the Caribbean islands.
