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This is the one hundred and seventy-first in a series of reviews of the best resort diving locations around the world. In this post, the focus is on the Caribbean. For other “Best” reviews of liveaboards and destinations, go to “Best Liveaboards & Destinations Lists” on the top menu.
Have you been diving in the Caribbean before? If so, I’d love to know about your experience. What dive shop or liveaboard did you use? Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.? Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.
Best Scuba Diving Caribbean
Beautiful sandy beaches, a warm tropical climate, and a cold beverage in hand while watching the surf or sunset from a beach chair is what you can have all over the Caribbean on your next vacation. To top it off, how about some great scuba diving? Where are the best places? Fortunately, there are many. Here are 10 to choose from where you can’t go wrong.
- Bahamas
- Dominica
- Roatan & the Bay Islands, Honduras
- Cayman Islands
- Belize
- Grenada
- Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
- Tobago
- Bonaire
- St. Lucia
Bahamas
Known for its warm climate and sandy beaches, there is a great diversity of diving around the 700 islands of the Bahamas. Bathed in the nutrients brought by the Gulf Stream there is subsea topography of fringing patch reefs, caves, walls, the famous Blue Hole, mangroves, and sandy areas that provide habitat for a variety of macro critters, reef tropicals and a fabulous list of sharks, rays, large fish, and dolphins with dive sites suitable for absolute beginners and seasoned advanced level divers. Some sites have strong currents at times making for exhilarating drift dives. In addition, it’s a premium area for wrecks.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: lows of 72°F (22°C) in January and highs of 82°F (28°C) in August
- Visibility: 50-100 feet (15-30 meters)
- Highlights: hammerhead, nurse, lemon, tiger, bull, black nose and Caribbean reef sharks, eagle rays, stingrays, dolphins, groupers, turtles, octopus, lobster, garden and moray eels, jawfish, angelfish, blennies, Sugar Wreck, Hesperus Wreck, James Bond Wreck, Austin Smith, San Jacinto, Theo’s Wreck, Comberbach (42 wrecks total: check here for a list of wrecks and details)
For a review of the Bahamas liveaboards and scuba diving, check out these posts:
Check the Price & Details on the Bahamas Liveaboards
Dominica
Located in the Lesser Antilles between Guadaloupe and Martinique, Dominica is part of the divide between the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Most of the best diving is on the Caribbean side with less current, smoother conditions, and rich coral reefs on volcanic terrain. The interesting topography includes pinnacles, walls, arches, volcanic craters, and several hot springs emitting bubbles. Several marine sanctuaries protect the pristine nature of the rich and colorful corals, gorgonians, sponges, macro critters, reef tropicals, pelagics, and megafauna like stingrays, sharks, and cetaceans.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 78-84°F (26-29°C)
- Visibility: 100-150 feet (30-45 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: seahorses, frogfish, flying gurnards, huge crabs, spiny lobsters, scorpionfish, octopus, reef squid, moray eels, spotted flamingo tongue snails, Peterson cleaner shrimp, sargassum triggerfish, French grunts, parrotfish, pufferfish, yellowtail and mahogany snappers, blackbar soldierfish, black durgons, Creole wrasses, chub, barracuda, jacks, stingrays, eagle rays, nurse sharks, 4 species of turtles, spinner dolphins, 22 species of whale, with sperm whales in residence year-round.
For a fuller review of Dominica scuba diving, check out this post:
Roatan & the Bay Islands, Honduras
The Bay Islands of Roatan, Utila, Cayos Cochinos, and Guanja are located on the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest in the world. There is great biodiversity on a variety of subsea topography with fringing reefs starting as shallow as 16 feet (5 meters). Due in large part to the work of the Roatan Marine Park protection of 40 sites, and moorings for 90 out of the 178 total sites around the islands, the reef is in excellent condition. Several wrecks are available with opportunities for the relatively inexperienced up through technical levels. In addition, whale sharks reliably appear during two seasons per year near Utila Island.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: highs of 84°F (29°C) from June through October with lows from January through March of 81°F (27°C)
- Visibility: usually 50-150 feet (15-45 meters), during the rainy season, it can move lower
- Highlights: huge lobsters and crabs, octopus, big groupers, schools of barracuda, parrotfish, pufferfish, angelfish, grunts, butterflyfish, snappers, moray eels, grey reef, nurse, and hammerhead sharks, eagle and manta rays, stingrays, dolphins, and pelagic game fish like marlin and tuna, whale sharks in March and April and again in September can often be seen near Utila Island, wrecks: El Aguila, Odyssey, Prince Albert, and Mr. Bud.
For a review of Roatan liveaboards, check out this post:
Check the Price & Details on Roatan Liveaboards
Cayman Islands
The clear water, mild conditions, warm climate, and a wide variety of marine life on a large number of sites have given the Caymans a well-deserved reputation as a world-class dive destination. The undersea terrain running from shallow coral gardens to steep walls has nurtured rich macro life and reef tropicals along with a nice array of megafauna including turtles, sharks, rays, and pelagics. A number of wrecks like the Balboa, the MV Kittiwake, and the MV Captain Keith Tibbetts are relatively shallow and accessible to fairly inexperienced divers while providing challenges suitable for the advanced. It is calculated that there are 365 dive sites (one a day for a year) including the Bloody Bay Wall, a protected marine park.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 78-82°F (26-28°C)
- Visibility: 60-100 feet (18-30 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: sailfin blennies, lobster, decorator crabs, yellowhead jawfish, lettuce leaf sea slugs, sea hares, octopus, squid, lots of turtles, French angelfish, horse-eyed jacks, barracuda, eagle and manta rays, southern stingrays, tarpon, Caribbean reef sharks, Balboa, MV Kittiwake, Russian Frigate, and MV Captain Keith Tibbetts wrecks.
For a review of Cayman Island liveaboards, check out this post:
Check the Price & Details on Cayman Island liveaboards
Belize
Off the eastern Caribbean shoreline of Belize is the western hemisphere’s longest unbroken barrier reef that includes more than 400 islands. Outside the barrier reef are several coral atolls with fringe reefs and drop-offs to the abyss 3,000 feet below. Conditions are excellent for a rich variety of Caribbean corals and sponges, macro critters, reef tropicals, schooling fish, and megafauna like turtles, sharks, rays, dolphins, and the occasional whale shark. There are sites that are shallow with minimal drift suitable for beginners and others on steep walls with fast currents that will excite even the well experienced. Outstanding sites to visit include Ambergris Caye, Turneffe Atoll, Lighthouse Atoll, Glover’s Reef, and the Blue Hole. Many locations are best approached on a liveaboard.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 77°F (25°C) in winter to 86°F (30°C) in summer
- Visibility: 50-130 feet (15-40 meters), and there is usually little surface chop on the sites closest to shore
- Marine Life Highlights: scorpionfish, octopus, reef squid, lobster, spider crabs, morays, schools of grunts and snappers, schoolmasters, queen triggerfish, queen angelfish, trumpetfish, blue tangs, squirrelfish, parrotfish, spadefish, green, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles, black, tiger, and Nassau groupers, tarpon, schools of horse-eye jacks and barracuda, southern, Caribbean, and yellow stingrays, eagle rays, reef sharks, whale sharks, dolphins
For a review of Belize liveaboards and scuba diving, check out these posts:
Check the Price & Details on the Belize Liveaboards
Grenada
The main island of Grenada and a number of smaller islands including Petite Martinique and Carriacou are situated with the Caribbean Sea to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The Atlantic side is known for rougher surface conditions, strong currents at times, and a generally less rich coral reef. Most of the preferred sites are on the Caribbean side with many easily accessible sites on a varied undersea terrain of plateaus, sloping shelves, pinnacles, canyons, and steep drop-offs with rich corals, fans and sponges. The marine life is well rounded with a diversity of macro critters, reef tropicals, and megafauna of turtles, sharks, rays, and pelagics. There are also a number of historic and scuttled wrecks from shallow to deep in the recreational range and an underwater sculpture park providing a surreal reef habitat to explore.
- Dive Season: year-round, located on the southwest side of the main island, storms are buffered.
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 81-86°F (27-30°C)
- Visibility: usually around 50-100 feet (15-30 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: octopus, squid, jawfish, scorpionfish, seahorses, frogfish, lobster, lettuce sea slugs, scorpionfish, banded jawfish, pipefish, moray eels, butterflyfish, sergeant majors, triggerfish, creole wrasses, grey angelfish, green, hawksbill and leatherback turtles, southern stingrays, nurse, and bull sharks, yellowtail snapper, bar and horse-eye jacks, grouper, great barracuda, Atlantic spadefish, spotted drums, rainbow runners, eagle rays, dolphins and the occasional manta ray or whale (15 species in Grenada’s waters), wrecks: Bianca C, Buccaneer, MV Veronica, MV Shakem, MV Hema I, MV Hildur, 50 underwater sculptures by Jason De Caires.
For a fuller review of Grenada scuba diving, check out this post:
Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
The top site among many good ones in Cuba is Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) situated 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the central coast. It has a 150-mile (240-kilometer) long mangrove and coral system that serves as a barrier reef and nursery for large schools of baitfish which are attractive to predators like jacks, barracuda, tarpon, sharks, groupers, and rays. The topography including steep slopes and caverns is rich in corals, gorgonians, and a variety of barrel, tube, and pipe sponges. The middle section of the reef is a protected area with no inhabitants or fishing allowed. There is not a lot of diving traffic with liveaboards the best way to get there.
- Dive Season: year-round, located on the southwest side of the main island, storms are buffered.
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 79-84°F (26-29°C)
- Visibility: usually around 50-130 feet (15-40 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: lobsters, green moray eels, schools of blue-striped grunts and yellowtail snappers. 200-400 pound (90-180 kilogram) jewfish, Nassau, tiger, and black groupers, 7 species of shark including silky, Caribbean reef, blacktip reef, lemon, bull, nurse, hammerhead, and whale sharks, turtles, tarpon, stingrays, saltwater crocs, remnants of Spanish galleons.
For reviews of Jardines de la Reina Liveaboards and Cuban dive sites, check out these posts:
Check the Price & Details on Jardines de la Reina Liveaboards
Tobago
Located to the northeast of Venezuela and south of Grenada, Tobago and a number of small islands at the north end, have remarkable marine life on reefs nurtured from the nutrient-rich Guyana current. The fringing reefs, pinnacles, caverns, and walls have rich macro, reef tropical, and megafauna life with 300 species of coral, a variety of gorgonians, sponges, sea whips, and black coral. Unlike its national partner to the southwest, Trinidad, visibility is great, and there can be strong currents, especially in the sites on the north end. There is a fantastic array of sharks, rays, turtles, and pelagics, along with dolphins, manatees, whale sharks, and a few wrecks.
- Dive Season: year-round, located south of the hurricane belt and storms are not often severe
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: an average of 77°F (25°C ) in winter and 82°F (28°C) in summer
- Visibility: 50-100 feet (15-30 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: crabs, nudibranchs, garden eels, squid, lobster, seahorses, octopus, moray eels, frogfish, scorpionfish, dwarf, Queen and French angelfish, blue chromis, bicolor damselfish, jacks, rainbow runners, black groupers, porkfish, big eye, glass eye and cubera snappers, blue wrasses, African pompano, barracuda, tarpon, Bermuda chub, manta rays, Caribbean and blacktip reef sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, nurse sharks, bull sharks, tiger sharks, whale sharks, Atlantic guitarfish, southern stingrays, torpedo rays, hawksbill, green and leatherback turtles, manatees, dolphins, MV Maverick wreck, Kioto wreck.
For a fuller review of Tobago scuba diving, check out this post:
Bonaire
Just 50 miles (80 kilometers) off the coast of Venezuela, Bonaire’s 89 or more dive sites are mostly accessible from shore on the leeward (western) side. The fringing reef continues from the shoreline to depths of 200 feet (60 meters) with a great diversity of hard corals especially, along with a variety of sponges and black coral as you move deeper. The entire reef area around the island is under the protection of the Bonaire Marine Park and noted for crystal clear water year-round with Bonaire outside of the usual pathway of tropical storms and hurricanes. Macro critters and reef tropicals are diverse and while not known for its megafauna, Bonaire does have a variety of turtles, groupers, tarpon, nurse sharks, and dolphins, with less frequent sightings of eagle rays, manta rays, and whale sharks. In addition, there are also a few wrecks to explore.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 78-84°F (26-29°C)
- Visibility: 100-150 feet (30-45 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: sea slugs, fire corals, giant anemones, sea cucumbers, seahorses, octopus, squid, crabs, shrimp, tangs, sergeant majors, Creole wrasses, triggerfish, butterflyfish, trumpetfish, angelfish, 3 species of turtle (hawksbill, green and loggerhead), groupers, tarpon, jacks, snappers, barracuda, nurse sharks, pods of dolphins, eagle rays, and less frequent manta rays, or whale sharks, Hilma Hooker wreck.
For a fuller review of Bonaire scuba diving, check out this post:
St Lucia
Another great diving destination in the Lesser Antilles, this time between Martinique and St. Vincent, St. Lucia has the east coast on the rougher Atlantic and the west coast on the Caribbean with smoother conditions and milder currents. Most of the diving is done on the Caribbean side, especially in the southern half in two protected marine areas but also in the northwest section where currents and surface chop can be greater. Like Dominica, St. Lucia has volcanic subsea terrain with arches, pinnacles, trenches, and rocks, and a rich pristine reef of hard and soft corals, gorgonians, sponges, and black corals. Macro life is exceptionally rich with a good variety of reef tropicals, turtles, rays, and pelagics. Topping it off are two intriguing relatively shallow scuttled wrecks, the Lesleen M and the Daini Koyomaru.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 78-84°F (26-29°C)
- Visibility: 80-150 feet (24-45 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: fireworms, sea slugs, garden eels, frogfish, golden spotted eels, morays, slipper lobsters, crabs, tubeworms, scorpionfish, urchins, seahorses, flying gurnards, Caribbean reef squid, trumpetfish, yellowtails, cowfish, filefish, squirrelfish, tangs, Creole wrasses, parrotfish, porcupine puffers, stingrays, eagle rays, nurse sharks, schooling barracuda and jacks, turtles, Lesleen M and the Daini Koyomaru wrecks.
For a fuller review of St Lucia scuba diving, check out this post:
Photography in the Caribbean
With the colorful coral reefs, a variety of fish, marine life, sharks, turtles, shipwrecks, and beautiful and historic onshore targets, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities. For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:
Scuba Diving Trip Insurance
A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation. I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.
Feedback and Comments
I hope you found this post on the best scuba diving in the Caribbean interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. I’d love to know of any experience you have. If there is no comments section directly below, click here: >>comments<<
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