Goa is one tourist destination that defies any traditional categorization. It is an absolute treasure trove for travelers. The sheer variety of experiences that this small coastal state offers is mind-boggling. Beach hopping and partying are the best-known activities that Goa has to offer, but the real connoisseur knows that there is much more you can do. From wine tasting to spice plantation visits, from water sports to trekking, from surfing to crocodile farm visits and trekking – if you can imagine it, Goa has it. One of the lesser-known but much-loved activities that Goa has to offer is scuba diving.
Adventure you’ll keep coming back for
Staying at one of the hotels near Goa Airport and looking for adventure activities? All that you need to experience the wonders of scuba diving is an appetite for adventure and the willingness to try something out of the ordinary. Most scuba diving packages in Goa are designed for non-swimmers and beginners. Professional instructors offer pre-dive training before taking you to the dive spot and diving with you. The waters of the Arabian Sea are full of a multitude of colorful fishes and aquatic creatures. Underwater diving is an incredible experience that allows you to study them from close quarters.
Scuba diving destinations in Goa
If you’re wondering where to stay in Goa, look for pick up points on offer by your Suba diving operator. The operators offer to transfer to and from the diving destinations in Goa.
Grande Island (Ilha Grande), off the coast of Goa, is the most popular scuba diving destination in this state. It is preferred by scuba tour operators and by visitors who like the seclusion of the island over more crowded off-beach spots. Here are some of the more popular scuba diving destination in Goa. Some of these are off the mainland and some off Grande Island.
- Ummagumma Reef – Diving at the Ummagumma Reef can be a spectacular experience. The 14-meter diving spot is preferred by more experienced divers, but the presence of numerous species of fishes and hard coral makes it worth the effort.
- Shelter Cove – Shelter Cove is another very popular diving spot because the depth is only about 8 meters and the varieties of fishes make it popular with beginners.
- Suzy’s Wreck – Suzy’s Wreck is a rather shallow dive but is preferred by adventure enthusiasts. It is the spot of a 30-meter-long WW II shipwreck exploring which is made difficult by strong undercurrents.
- Bounty Bay – Bounty Bay is perfect for the novice and the beginner. The depth of the bay is just about 6 meters and a number of small colored fish can be spotted here.
- The Jetty – The Jetty on the northern tip of Grande Island is perfect for a slightly experienced diver with a huge appetite for adventure. This 6 to 8-meter dive will help you find lionfish and baby mullets along with other fishes and occasionally a shark too.
- Davy Jones’ Locker – Davy Jones’ Locker is sailor talk for a shipwreck. Sure enough, there is a wreck to be explored at this spot but the 18-meter dive is solely reserved for the expert diver.
- The Turbo Tunnel – A narrow channel between Grande Island and a rocky outcrop in the Arabian Sea, Turbo Tunnel is preferred by both the novice and the experienced diver. This spot has a bounty of exotic fishes.
- Sail Rock – The depth at Sail Rock can vary between 8 and 24 meters but it is preferred only by the expert scuba divers due to the presence of strong undercurrents. It is also the most prolific when it comes to the variety of marine life found here. In the greater depths, you are likely to spot the Giant Barracuda, Sharks, Eagle Rays, and even Red Snappers.
