Best scuba diving in March

Best scuba diving in March The Caribbean Let's kick the winter worries with some guaranteed sunshine in the Caribbean. For the art lovers, head to Grenada's Spice Island for the chance to see the w

Best scuba diving in March



The Caribbean

Let's kick the winter worries with some guaranteed sunshine in the Caribbean. For the art lovers, head to Grenada's Spice Island for the chance to see the world's first underwater sculpture garden - Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park. Installed in 2006 by Jason deCaires Taylor, the park features 75 sculptures across 800 square meters all at depths of five to eight metres, making it accessible for divers and snorkellers alike.

For the coral lovers, head over to Bonaire. East of Grenada, the clear blue waters here and full of brain coral that extend two metres in diameter and stag horn corals that grow in dense colonies reaching one and a half meters. The fringing reefs are home to 60 different coral species, including fire, elkhorn and gorgonians and support the life of species such as parrot, reefperch and wrasse fish. Make sure to also head to the tiny island of Kelin Bonaire to see the amazing mangrove ecosystem before lazing on a secluded beach, coconut in hand.

And for the shark lovers? Bimini is calling. Located in the western chain of the Bahamas, the waters here are warm, with a flow from the Gulf Stream leading to the Great Bahama Banks, attracting marine creatures from big to small. Come for the great hammerheads and stay for the bull and nurse sharks.

Finally, for those who are seeking some extra pampering and luxury while scuba diving in March, the Turks and Caicos islands are just the ticket, with a cool face towel and pillowed sun lounger awaiting your arrival. Dive over extensive coral reefs and spy nurse sharks and turtles before relaxing on a secluded sand beach fringed by palm trees.

oranate eagle ray swimming away into clear blue water close to sandy seabed

Western Australia Over on the other side of the world, Ningaloo Reef shines. While this site is great year round, diving in March means swimming with whale sharks. The annual coral spawning in Western Australia attracts the world's largest fish to feed meaning that you're guaranteed an encounter with these gentle giants. Due to restrictions around whale shark encounters, you can only snorkel (as opposed to tanking up), making Ningaloo Reef and all of its wonders perfect for all levels of water lovers. And thanks to its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the reefs here have an untouched beauty and rich biodiversity. Within the warm waters (which hover around 24°C with visibility ranging from 15-30m, you'll find pods of dolphins, dancing manta rays around Coral Bay and coral reefs buzzing with tropical fish.