13 Famous & Best Place for Scuba Diving in Goa

You may be lured by the beaches of Goa, but there’s a vast marine world that’s waiting to be explored right under the waves itself. And this magical underwater kingdom is far more exciting than the beaches, only if you would dive a few meters below the surface. The shallow waters around the islands in Goa are perfect for scuba diving. These are some best place for scuba diving in Goa, which will give you an experience of a lifetime.

13 Excitingly Best Place for Scuba Diving in Goa

Scuba Diving in North Goa

1. Calangute Beach

A number of operators conduct scuba diving courses at Calangute Beach. The dive is backed by expert divers and adequate safety equipment. Students are given training in diving along with certification. They can engage in parasailing, jet skiing, kayaking, and other water sports too. Students can take underwater photographs and record videos of marine life.

2. Baga Beach

Enjoy the joys of scuba diving in Baga Beach in North Goa. You can come across a rich variety of marine life and coral formations. Besides, you can also spot dolphins playing along in the deep waters. You are equipped with proper scuba diving gear and trained experts, who will make your dive a safe experience.

Scuba Diving in South Goa

1. Grande Island

Also referred to by other names like Bat Island, Grande Island is the best place for engaging in adventure water activities like scuba diving, snorkelling, diving, fishing, and other water sports. Situated a few kilometres from Vasco da Gama in South Goa, this island can be reached easily by sailing aboard a yacht from Bogmalo Beach.

Going to Grande Island is as exciting as being there itself, as you get to see dolphins splashing about in the waters. You can try fishing and swimming too, but the wonders that scuba diving can give you in Grande Island is beyond anything that you’ve experienced in Goa.

The conditions are perfect for scuba diving. The shallow waters are easy to dive by expert divers and also by beginners. Clear visibility of the waters allows you to see the ocean life at close range. You can come across colourful fishes, coral reefs, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, lobsters, turtles, and other forms of aquatic life. Besides, you can explore the ruins of WWII warships and sunken vessels that lie submerged on the sea floor.

2. Suzy’s Wreck

All that remains of SS Rita, a British cargo vessel, built 50 years ago, is the wreck lying on the sandy bottom near Grande Island. Famous among divers as Suzy’s Wreck, the site begins to appear just 2 meters from the surface and can reach a depth of 12 meters.

The hull of the ship is now overgrown with corals, and as is common to all shipwrecks, marine life has found a new home in the wreck, where they flourish in the metal ruins. Divers can come across such tropical fish like Barracuda, Batfish, Angelfish, Snappers, Lionfish, Sweetlips, Scorpionfish, Parrotfish, Moorish idols, Bannerfish, Groupers, Moray Eels, Puffers, Boxfish, Flounders, Stargazers, Squid and Rays.

The site can be accessed by an expert as well as beginners alike. There are no strong undercurrents, which further makes your dive much easier.

3. Sail Rock

Located 1 km from Grande Island, Sail Rock is a rock pinnacle jutting out of the surface of the sea. Diving off the rock pinnacle and plunging below can open up a wonderful world of aquatic life, thriving in the waters of Goa. Here diving can bring you closer to the bigger fishes like Giant Barracuda, Tuna, Sharks, Eagle Rays, and Red Snapper.

The sloping walls are homes to smaller fish like Bannerfish, Blue Ringed Angelfish, Moorish Idols, and Yellowtail Snappers. The site can range from a depth of 8 to 24 meters. Due to strong undercurrents in the depths, diving in this site is advisable for expert scuba divers.

4. Davy Jones Locker

Just 14 meters in water, this site is a delight for scuba divers. Only the hull and the propeller of this metal wreck can be seen. You can swim with tropical fish like barracuda, schooling jacks, tuna, mullets, and moray eels. Due to strong currents, only experienced divers can dive here.

5. Uma Guma Reef

Just 14 meters below the surface, this site is yet another splendid site for scuba diving. You can swim with barracuda, big groupers, parrotfish, tuna, anglerfish, surgeonfish, triggerfish, angelfish, porcupine fish etc. Beautiful coral formations make it a delight for underwater photography. Both beginners and experienced divers can go to this site.

6. Turbo Tunnel

This narrow channel between the island and a rock is another wonderful diving site in Grande Island. At just 8 meters. of depth, this site is ideal for beginners and experienced divers to explore the underwater beauty.

The strong force of waves will take you to an underwater paradise of Surge City – an area of giant boulders and sands, where exotic fish like parrotfish, triggerfish, angelfish, stonefish, porcupine fish, small barracuda, can be seen swimming.

7. Bounty Bay

At just 6 meters below the surface of the water, Bounty Bay is yet another spectacular dive site, ideal for fresh or experienced divers. A number of small fish, lobsters, crabs, and corals can be found here. Cuttlefish, stingrays, and nurse sharks have also been spotted here occasionally.

8. The Jetty

Another beautiful dive site, situated on the northwestern tip of Grande Island, The Jetty has a shallow depth of 8 meters. This site is perfect for all divers and is abundant in marine life like mullets, Lionfish, and underwater vegetation. Coral reefs can be found here, and if you are lucky, you can also spot the occasional shark.

9. Shelter Cove

To the northeast of Grande Island, Shelter Cove has a maximum depth of 6 meters. You can experience all the fun of scuba diving here, as there are minimal undercurrents. You can view stonefish, lionfish, triggerfish, angelfish, parrotfish, and also a variety of corals.

Hawksbill Turtles have also been spotted on some occasions. Watch out for lobsters too, and also the sandy bottom where squids and cuttlefish come to lay their eggs.

10. Grande Banks

This dive site is located between Grande Island and Sao Gorge Island. You can see beautiful coral formations everywhere. Presence of Butterflyfish, Bannerfish, Puffers, Groupers, Blenny fish is quite common here, along with many other large and small fish.

11. Lobster Avenue

At a maximum depth of 10 meters, Lobster Avenue is a rocky bottom interspersed with sandy stretches, where you will find colorful tropical fish like Parrotfish, Snappers, Sergeant Majors, Nurse Sharks, Dogfish, Groupers, Triggerfish, Flounders, and many others.

You can also spot lobsters, Moray Eels, Rock Cod, hiding away among the rocks. Turtles and Reef Rays do come here too. There are no strong undercurrents, which makes it a favourite spot for scuba diving for all divers.

If these places seem exciting to you, then what thrill it would be to experience the real thing? On your next trip to Goa, make it a point to indulge in some scuba diving adventure yourself.

If you have experienced scuba diving in Goa, share your experiences below, or tell us of some sites which you know of yourself. Drop your comments below to enable us to reach out to travellers sharing the same passion as yours.