by Gabrielle Warncke, Luxury Travel Advisor

Seventy-one percent of Earth’s surface is covered by water, and hidden beneath the waves lies a boundless seascape so drastically different than any land-based habitat. Spectacular coral reefs, shipwrecks, and colorful sea creatures of all shapes and sizes come together in a fascinating, alien-like world. In my eleven years as a certified scuba diver, I’ve had the good fortune of experiencing some of the most incredible dive locations on the planet. Each site offers a unique, vast environment to explore.

When I first started diving I worked on developing my skills in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Hawaii. To reach that goal, my favorite locations were:

St Lucia: Excellent drift diving, especially down near the marine park and Piton Mountains.

Cayman Islands: Great wall diving with extreme drop-offs, shipwrecks, and a wide variety of corals and sealife.

Grenada Highlights: A mix of dive sites, but a favorite deep dive is the Bianca C. shipwreck. The underwater sculpture park is a fun, shallow dive. 

Cozumel: Rewarding drift diving for new and experienced divers alike. Warm waters, great visibility, vibrant colors, and healthy sealife.

Kona, Hawaii: A night dive here is a must! The mantas’ ballet-like movements are absolutely mesmerizing. The best night manta dive (as well as snorkel) I’ve ever done.

As my skills and confidence grew, I spread my fins to explore more remote destinations that offer some of the most untouched and unbelievable underwater adventures:

Up Next in 2022 (Hopefully): Roatan, Honduras, and Palau!