Florida·United States
Photo: Matt Kieffer from London, United Kingdom · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Florida Keys curve for over 200 km off the tip of Florida, fringed by the reefs of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Key Largo offers easy, fish-filled reefs such as Molasses Reef and the underwater Christ of the Abyss statue, while the 155 m USS Spiegel Grove is one of the largest wrecks ever sunk for divers.
In season: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov · Peak: May–Jun
Warm, mostly calm water with easy shallow reefs for beginners and deeper wreck dives with currents for advanced divers. Summer brings heat and the risk of hurricanes.
The busiest and healthiest coral in the sanctuary
Spur-and-groove reef in the lower Keys
A 510-foot ship sunk as an artificial reef off Key Largo
Base in Key Largo and dive the shallow reefs with a local operator first. Get your advanced certification before the Spiegel Grove, and head to Looe Key in the lower Keys for spur-and-groove reef.
Cave diving3 routesUnited States
Crystal-clear spring caves under the forests of North Florida, the training ground of cave divers worldwide.
Snorkelling3 dive sitesUnited States
Floating beside wintering manatees in the warm springs of Kings Bay, the one place in North America where it is legal.
Diving3 dive sitesUnited States
Remote reefs and wrecks around a brick fort, 110 km west of Key West in a national park reached only by boat or seaplane.
DivingIndonesia
Ten days on a liveaboard in West Papua, over reefs holding more coral species than anywhere else measured.
Diving3 dive sitesUnited States
The famous manta ray night dive, where mantas swoop through the lights a few metres from your mask.
Diving4 dive sitesSpain
The clearest water in Spain, over the Mar de las Calmas volcanic reserve.
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