5 Unbelievable Diving Locations to Visit in your Lifetime

Last week we looked at the World’s most luxurious yoga retreats, as a way to re-energise your body and mind. But whereas yoga is all about envisaging tranquillity, this week we’re looking at a more ‘physical’ form of escapism; scuba diving.

The ocean remains the most unexplored area on earth, with only an estimated half a percent having been chartered. As such, its beauty is still very much intact. A dive into the blue is considered one of the most exhilarating opportunities available, and we strongly believe that everyone should experience it at least once in their lives. To that effect, Be An Athlete presents 5 of the World’s best diving locations currently known to man.

1. SS Yongala Wreck Dive Site, Australia

The SS Yongala was a 110m freight steamer that sank in 1911 on the coast of Queensland. Due to having no telegraph facilities, it sailed unknowingly into a tropical cyclone, killing 122 people, a Red Lincolnshire bull, and a racehorse called Moonshine (let’s just hope the latter wasn’t named after the crews’ drinking habits...).

Discovered in 1958, the wreck has since been awarded official protection under the Historic Shipwrecks Act, and is widely considered one of the most beautiful diving locations the ocean has to offer. With manta rays, sea snakes, octopi, turtles and ball sharks all calling the ship home, you’re guaranteed an unforgettable experience.

2. Great Blue Hole, Belize

One of the few diving locations that looks just as breathtaking above the sea as it does below it, the Great Blue Hole of Belize is a remarkable plunge into the depths of the earth.

Measuring approximately 400m across, it is the largest sea hole in the world. Its circumference is marked by dizzying and vibrant display of coral, but it’s the sites ancient stalagmites and stalactites for which people flock from afar.

3. Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island, Malaysia

Named after the stretching shawls of barracuda that inhabit the area, the ray-finned fish often gather in astounding, tornado-like formations. The area attracts a variety of other sea life, too, including grouper fish, black jacks, bumphead parrotfish and white tip sharks, which are not only all on the rather large side, but also sound as if they’ve been reeled off the menu of a gourmet seafood restaurant...

4. Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia

Also called Truk Lagoon, during World War II it was the Empire of Japan’s main base in the South Pacific Area. However, following a US airstrike in 1944, dozens of ships were sunk, and military aircraft downed, left to rust at the bottom of the ocean. It is now a haunting reminder of the devastation of war, but remains a remarkable sight and is quite possibly the largest display of shipwrecks across the globe.

5. Manta Ray Night Dive, Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Scuba diving isn’t often associated with the night, but the Manta Ray Dive is at its most spectacular during the twilight hours. Underwater lights have been arranged on the ocean floor to attract plankton, which in turn attracts the area’s resident giant mantra rays. Supposedly the winged beasts flock in greatest numbers during a full moon, but beware, such nights are widely alleged to have a funny effect on nature...

If you know about any other great diving sites, let us know about them in the comment box below. And next time you ascend from the depths, why not slip out of your wetsuit and into a Be An Athlete premium tracksuit for instant comfort and warmth following the ravages of the sea.

Image Credits

1 - Wikipedia
2 - Yongala Dive
3 - National Geographic
4 - Stephen Masters, Flickr
5 - Wikipedia