Many many tourists come to the islands to do some warm Caribbean diving. Well, you can't spend all day sitting on the beach. Just strap on that gear and spend your day underwater, with the yellowtail, parrotfish, sea turtles and a number of colorful species dart around the many miles of coral reef stretching into infinity. You can even find stingrays, electric eels and a shark, if you are lucky (all are harmless, well, relatively). Though you obviously must be a certified diver to explore the water below, many travelers who take part in a Caribbean scuba diving vacation package are ready to go by the time their plane lands.

Caribbean diving is certainly a bit harder than snorkeling – but it is arguably far more rewarding. Not limited by the need to stick to the surface, as the ocean floor demonstrates an ecosystem that is endlessly fascinating. If you want to get the best of both worlds, you can go snuba diving. A mixture of snorkeling and scuba diving (your air is left on a raft, remaining on the water's surface, allowing you to dive 15-20 feet below), as you have no need to be a certified diver, though you will have to dive under the supervision of trained personnel. But snuba is offered in many Caribbean scuba diving packages anyway, for those traveling with a certified diver, but not one themselves.

Caribbean diving is envied all across the world. The water is immensely clear, and the calm water on the western side of the islands is good for both novice and advanced divers. Water on the Atlantic is often choppier and occasionally cloudy, and while that is good for surfing, not so much for scuba diving and snorkeling. Though scuba diving in the Caribbean is like picking a beach in that it's hard to go wrong, there are specific islands world renowned for their diving, often offering a variety of Caribbean scuba diving vacation packages.

Caribbean Map

The Cayman Islands are often the first word in Caribbean diving. Bloody Bay goes on forever, the ocean floor eclipsed by darkness. The shallower waters mean that you can mix with the feeding stingrays and plenty of other species of fish. If turtles are more your kind, St. Kitts is the place to be. Here you'll find more of them than any other Caribbean island. You can also dive amongst the skeletons of freighters that sunk more than 20 years ago. Tobago offers the enigmatic Manta Ray, St. Lucia boasts of squid and Dominica has a number of volcanic craters that bring thousands of divers to the tiny island every year.