One of the great joys of diving is having the opportunity to take some underwater photography of the creatures and sights you find in your adventures. We’ve already covered a beginners guide to taking underwater photos, which highlights the basics involved in this unique aspect of diving.
If you are looking to improve your underwater photography skills even further, though, you need appreciate the part destination plays in how good or bad the shots are that you’re able to take. But where are the best dive destinations for underwater photography?
6 Best Dive Destinations for Underwater Photography
When looking at underwater cameras for scuba diving, take into consideration the following post we’ve put together that discusses some of the best locations for underwater photography and the kind of experience you can expect at each.
Get your gear and cameras ready, it’s time to look at booking that next liveaboard location and capturing those perfect underwater shots and one of the worlds best diving locations.
1. The Red Sea, Egypt
If you are heading to Southern Egypt and looking for a supreme diving experience, look no further than Marsa Alam. This is a particularly fine destination if you’re interested in capturing various sharks and other ferocious predators in their natural habitat.
Depending on the time of year you go diving here, you can expect to see thresher sharks, whitetip reef sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, hawksbill and green turtles, hammerhead sharks and dolphins. As it’s still an emerging holiday destination, it’s not especially overcrowded and remains pristine and tranquil.
2. Adelaide and Milford Sound, Australia and New Zealand
If you are planning a trip down under, you should check out at least one of the following, diving in Milford Sound and Adelaide. Head to the part of Milford Sound called Fiordland to experience one of the most breathtaking views on the planet.
It does take a drive of more than 2 hours along one of the most stunning roads on the earth that takes you through a tunnel and over a dramatic mountain pass, but it’s worth it.
The water is ice-cold and very fresh, with a slight tint thanks to the tannins of the local trees. In terms of wildlife, you can spot and snap vibrantly colored anemones, large Doris Wellingtonensis, spiny sea dragon, and spiny dogfish shark and if you are very fortunate, an octopus. One of the most famous sights is black coral.
Adelaide offers a selection of great diving options off the Gold Coast, such as shark diving where you can experience Great Whites, wreck diving and artificial reefs.
3. Bali, Indonesia
Bali is famous the world over for its long and sandy beaches and a lively nightlife with hundreds of great bars and restaurants. It also offers some superb diving sites that are suitable divers of all experience.
Its destination is close to the Indian Ocean, so will also allow sightings of shallow coral reefs, Mola Molas and sharks of all kinds, including threshers, hammerheads, and whale sharks.
4. Santa Catalina Island, North America
Although the island known as either Catalina Island or Santa Catalina Island is known for its boulder environment, the spot that is 22-miles of south-southwest of Los Angeles is still a beautiful scuba diving site.
There you will be able to spot and snap eagle rays, dolphins, blue whales, and basking sharks. There are also beautiful beaches and the whole area has a nice relaxing atmosphere despite being very popular.
5. Paphos, Greece
Paphos in Greece is easily one of the best diving spots for underwater photography in the Mediterranean Sea. Just west off the coast of Cyprus, it is one of the country’s main islands. It is also highlighted as being one of the best wreck diving sites in the world and home to a truly crucial turtle breeding region.
The astonishing wreck you can explore and take pictures of in this part of the sea is the MS Zenobia. A Swedish-built challenger-class ferry that was launched first in 1979 but capsized and then sank into the Med on its very first voyage in 1980.
6. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
If you are a big fan of hammerhead sharks and are really looking for an authentic diving experience with these alluring and intriguing-looking sharks, then Galapagos Islands should be on your list of places to dive to take some truly stunning underwater photography.
The islands include 6 small islands and 13 main islands that are found around 1000km from the coast of Ecuador. While you are there you can also take photos of marine iguanas, sea lions, penguins and giant tortoises. There are various birds, animals, and flora too numerous to mention here though.
Including whale sharks, tiger sharks, seals, seahorses, pilot whales, manta rays, humpback whales, green turtles, eagle rays, dolphins and blacktip reef sharks.
There are obviously many other destinations we could have mentioned, but we think the above options are a great start for creating a bucket list where you can take some truly awesome underwater photography.
