| What makes an excellent dive site? It is hard to | | | | immense coral gardens, inhabited by thousands of |
| pinpoint precisely, since the best scuba diving sites | | | | tropical fish species, make it a must-see for |
| in the world are as varied as the individuals who | | | | first-time and experienced divers alike. |
| dive them. Here is a list of some of the best and | | | | 4. Morehead City, North Carolina, U.S.A. The ocean |
| why each is so unique. | | | | floor here is perhaps the best wreck site in all of |
| 1. Cozumel, Mexico. This is a perfect site for | | | | North American. You will be amazed by the |
| laid-back divers. In fact, you can just lie back and | | | | number of sunken ships to be found here, many |
| let the swift currents take you through all there is | | | | of them merchant ships downed by U-Boats in |
| to see: a spectacular reef scene full of colorful | | | | the early days of World War II. In the summer |
| sponges and a large variety of fish, including the | | | | months, the Gulf Stream also brings a number of |
| whiskered Splendid Toadfish that is particular to | | | | warm-water fish to the area. |
| these waters. | | | | 5. Red Sea, Egypt. Sharing a border with the |
| 2. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. This is not only the | | | | eastern edge of the Sahara Desert is the biblical |
| place that inspired Darwin's theory of evolution; it | | | | Red Sea, which the Egyptians are said to have |
| is also one of the best scuba diving sites on the | | | | chased Moses to and been swallowed by. Even |
| planet. You will be inspired, too, by the astonishing | | | | though it is highly improbable that you will not find |
| life forms, such as swimming iguanas and | | | | any ancient chariots while diving here, the Red |
| equatorial penguins, that will arise out of the blue | | | | Sea does contain a great deal of other wreckage, |
| to meet you. | | | | in addition to a striking reef system that houses |
| 3. Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The biggest living | | | | some of the most abundant marine life in the |
| thing on Earth, the Great Barrier Reef is 1,200 | | | | region. |
| miles long and can be viewed from space. Its | | | | |