Few travel experiences hold the same majesty and splendor that one feels when discovering the world below crystal clear tropical waters; a world blessed with colorful marine life, including coral reefs, which are amazing underwater gardens that make a perfect base for an ideal scuba diving holiday. A trip to see a coral reef is a worthwhile excursion but if you can’t afford it, never mind. Simply strap on your fins and let’s explore some of the most beautiful reefs around the world.
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Belize Barrier Reef in Belize certainly top the list of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world, but as far as we’ve described them in our previous posts, today we’ll miss them out, introducing other no less beautiful reefs that are nothing but a diver’s and photographer’s paradise.
The Palancar Reef, Mexico
A large coral reef ideally nestled on the southwest side of Cozumel Island off the Yucatan Peninsula; the stunning Palancar Reef is a star attraction of the Cozumel Reefs National Park. Known for its enormous coral heads which can reach the size of an apartment building, the reef is actually made up of four separate coral reefs, housing to a wide variety of sea life from sea turtles and rays, to nurse sharks and barracudas, to moray eels and lobsters, not to mention the kaleidoscope of colorful fish. The reef is the second longest reef in the world. The site is very popular with scuba divers with dive depths ranging from 50 to 110 feet. The best months for diving here are March through August.
Grand Central Station and Chimneys, Fiji
Known as the ‘soft coral capital of the world,’ Fiji is home to some of the best diving sites in the world. The Grand Central Station and Chimneys are two such locations housed in the Namena Marine Reserve. These sites are famous for their coral towers with soft corals teeming with colorful fish and experience fantastic visibility, about 50-60 feet in the wet season and up to 100 feet in the months from May to August. Extensive mangrove forests and sea grass beds feed the reef and the vertical walls dominated by sea fans, sponges and crinoids create a habitat that never fails to lure divers from around the world. Common species you can spot in these sites include: manta rays, snappers, tunas, banded pipefish gray and whitetip reef sharks, as well as ribbon eels, pipefish, and leaf scorpion fish.
Raja Ampats, Indonesia
Indonesia is a diverse country with over 17,000 islands, all majestic and with great opportunities for land and water adventures. Located in the northwestern tip of Indonesia is Raja Ampats (literally translated as ‘The Four Kings’), a group of amazing islands offering breathtaking diving opportunities and a great diversity of habitats to explore. Divers will find an amazing range of soft and hard corals, along with seagrass beds, shallow reefs, drop offs and caves. Just one dive will help you realize that Raja Ampats diving is truly the paragon of diving in Indonesia.
Andaman Sea Reefs, India
Located in the northeastern corner of the Indian Ocean, the Andaman Sea region is one of the most studied areas of coral reefs in the world. The Andaman Sea reefs in India are among the most varied, boasting a wide biodiversity of marine life. Most Andaman Sea reefs are fringing, with two of them having Andaman Sea have Marine National Park status, providing protection for wildlife living in the area. Divers from around the world come to see the beauty lying below the waters of the Andaman Sea and swim alongside turtles, dugongs (sea cows) and even manatees. Cinque Island and Corbyn’s Beach are a couple of Andaman hotspots that never fail to amaze divers of all levels.
The list of the most beautiful reefs in the world is not limited by the above mentioned ones. Also beautiful are the Magic Passage and Planet Rock in Papua New Guinea, Tubbataha Reef in Philipines, and Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles among many others. One thing you should do is to leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life and plan a trip to any of these amazing sites to experience ultimate adventure full of memorable moments.
