See full version: World; s Best Destinations for Diving with Big Animals
Why do the Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, now in their 23rd year, still matter to divers? Because these are your picks, based on thousands of votes from the most experienced dive travelers on the planet. Why do they matter to us? Because every month you hear from our editors on what we think matters in the world of dive travel. For the January/February issue of Scuba Diving we get to listen to you, and we’re taking notes.
Best Big Animal Encounters in the Caribbean and Atlantic [links]
Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Big Animal Encounters category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below. [links]
“The last time we saw dolphins, they were showing off for my camera so much that it just took my breath away,” says Mohamed “Modex” Ali, dive leader on the Four Seasons Explorer liveaboard. [links]
That bigger mix of big animals includes silver-tip and gray reef sharks, sea turtles and giant Pacific manta rays. To ensure even more encounters, the team aboard Spoilsport conducts weekly shark-feed dives.
Our advice for those traveling to the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador: Get your priorities straight before you go.
In other words, decide if your diving focus is whale sharks, mantas, schooling sharks, rays or even more unusual pelagic finds. Otherwise, you will find yourself underwater, conflicted about whether to enjoy the lazy gliding of a 2,200-pound oceanic sunfish or the school of dozens upon dozens of scalloped hammerheads. The good news: There is no wrong answer.
“Everything is bigger and better as you head north—the continental shelf is deeper, and there’s a bigger mix of big animals,” says Craig Stephen of Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, an operator specializing in Great Barrier Reef trips departing Cairns.
Plus, the Nautilus dive staff are experts in identifying who’s who and filling guests in on the stories of the animals they’ve seen before. Says Lever, “What’s spectacular is the sheer number of animals. We’ve identified 205 different individuals in the bay we go to.” here
POTATO COD | GREAT BARRIER REEF, AUSTRALIA here
CARIBBEAN REEF SHARKS | NEW PROVIDENCE, BAHAMAS more
Dive Conditions: 80°F water temperature, 80 feet average visibility
Dive Now: Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas here
GREAT WHITE SHARKS | ISLA GUADALUPE, MEXICO
Underwater lights placed in the sand near Garden Eel Cove set the stage for one of the world’s greatest night dives. Swarming plankton arrive first, and they are followed by huge manta rays that immediately start loop-the-loop feeding somersaults. “This is the only dive where the animals are performers and the divers are both the audience and the stage lighting,” says Byron Kay of Kona Honu Divers. “The mantas are like graceful alien ships dancing in an underwater rave.” [links]
Isla Mujeres sits at the join of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. As such, it is home to plankton rich waters that attract hundreds of Whale Sharks from June to September every year. Some argue that this is the largest gathering of Whale Sharks in the world, ensuring you the opportunity to swim with at least one if not many more during your visit. [links]
Shark diving in North Carolina, on the other hand, leads to some of the best Sand Tiger Shark encounters worldwide. Long known for wreck diving, the area is gaining a reputation as the East Coast’s best all-around shark destination. In addition to dozens of Sand Tiger Sharks stalking plentiful wrecks, divers can also happen upon Nurse Sharks, Thresher sharks, Hammerheads, Bull Sharks and Dusky sharks. May to October is peak shark season in these waters. here
Famed for deadly encounters of both the terrestrial and marine kind, Australia graces our list for the best places to dive with sharks. Don’t believe everything you read or see on TV, sharks and humans coexist peacefully with curiosity in this habitat. In fact, it is the birthplace of cage diving with Great Whites. Ready for a shark adventure? Head to the Neptune Islands in South Australia.
This article was written by Mario Passoni and Luca Saponari - two marine biologists involved in several projects concerning ocean conservation and education.
With coastline on the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, it only makes sense that Mexico dishes up fantastic shark diving. Although the diving locations in Mexico are numerous, two names stand out for shark enthusiasts. Isla Mujeres is a well-known Whale Shark hub while Guadalupe offers world-famous Great White Shark encounters. [links]
Photo credit: Sandro Lonardi [links]