One of the biggest reasons people learn to dive is so that they can get even more enjoyment from their vacations. If you think that just because you're a new diver, you cannot experience some of the world's most exciting dive destinations, we're here to help you change your mind. One of Just Gotta Dive's favorite destinations for beginning divers is Africa - an enormous continent filled with wonders both topside and beneath the waters that surround it. Here, we'll take a look at three African dive locales which are ideal for newer divers - and fun for those with more experience, as well.
Egypt
Just off the coast of Egypt, the Red Sea beckons. Offering warm waters, gentle currents, and an abundance of dive sites, it has one of the richest and best developed marine ecosystems the planet has to offer. At Sharm El Sheikh, which sits just off Sinai Peninsula, you'll find as many as 500 varieties of hard and soft coral, along with approximately 1,000 different fish species, innumerable invertebrates, and even sharks, rays, and sea turtles. With its shallow reef sites and coral gardens, Sharm El Sheikh is not just a great place for novice divers to use their newly learned skills, it is also a famous destination experienced divers love.
Seychelles Islands
The clear, blue waters of the Indian Ocean surrounding the Seychelles Islands are filled with life; in addition, the topography of the reefs, pinnacles, walls and canyons is simply stunning. In the inner island areas, there are many dive sites to choose from; some offer depths as shallow as just about 8 meters. Schooling butterfly and angelfish, loads of nudibranchs, and plenty of other creatures, including lionfish and mantis shrimp, moray eels, and octopus can be found at various Seychelles dive sites, along with the occasional juvenile reef shark. Once you've logged some bottom time and are ready to take on deeper sites, you'll find large marine life is abundant - manta rays, bigger sharks, and turtles are commonly encountered in the Seychelles Islands. Between October and April, it's even possible to encounter whale sharks!
South Africa
With about 3,000 kilometers of coastline, it's no surprise that South Africa is a top destination for divers from around the world. Here, you'll find coral reefs to the north of KwaZulu-Natal, Kelp forests near Cape Town, some outstanding shark activity around Maputaland. Dive sites suitable for beginners can be found in all South Africa's coastal regions, and if you're interested in cage diving with Great White Sharks, you should know that you don't have to be an expert - in fact, even non-divers can enjoy a cage dive!
As a rule, Africa's dive operators are well-equipped and very knowledgeable; and, as time goes by, diving is becoming more and more popular. No matter what your level of experience, you will find no shortage of sites to explore. So, whether you want to dive the Red Sea, immerse yourself in the beauty of the Indian Ocean, or explore the Atlantic, you can do just that when you take a dive holiday in Africa - you'll quickly discover why Scuba Divers Travel Network recommends this destination as one everyone is certain to love.