By Kathryn Curzon
Some of the most impressive underwater landscapes and aquatic life you will ever see are at the world’s marine reserves. These vital havens offer a glimpse into how full of life the ocean used to be and how well it can recover when it is protected. As well as hosting incredible biodiversity, marine reserves create eco-tourism opportunities and provide sustainable income for remote communities. Most importantly, they help protect the ocean from the impacts of humans and climate change. Are you ready to experience the magic of the underwater world whilst supporting eco-tourism? Get inspired with our round-up of 10 great marine reserves to visit.
- Fakarava Atoll Biosphere Reserve, French Polynesia.
Fakarava is an enormous atoll, the second-largest in French Polynesia, and has been classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is stunning above and below water, with remarkable landscapes and rare marine life.
People visit from around the world to experience Fakarava’s many treasures, including diving with hundreds of grey reef sharks, barracudas, tunas, manta rays, and dolphins. The snorkelling is also fantastic, with warm lagoon waters and thriving shallow coral reefs.
- Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand
A short boat trip from the sunny Tutukaka coast will take you to New Zealand’s most popular and famous marine reserve, the Poor Knights Islands. Brought to the world’s attention by Jacques Cousteau, these special islands are considered one of the world’s top 10 dives.
Washed by warm-water currents from the north, the Poor Knights Islands host both subtropical and temperate marine life, resulting in extraordinary biodiversity. There are huge shoals of fish, stingrays, colorful sea slugs, sponges, sea fans, and beautiful soft corals.
If you’re really lucky, you might even spot a visiting manta ray, orca or sea turtle, which are known to cruise by during the summer months.
- Alonnisos Marine Park, Greece
The largest marine park in all of Europe, the Alonnisos Marine Park is a nature reserve for terrestrial and marine species in the Mediterranean Sea. Established in 1992, it was the first of its kind in Greece and protects many breeding birds and cetaceans, including more than 7 different dolphin and whale species.
By far the most famous residents of this marine park, and the ones most in need of protection, are the Mediterranean monk seals. There are fewer than 700 of these seals left. Take a trip to Alonnisos to explore the islets around the marine park, meet the seals, and spend a day walking among the island’s picturesque olive groves and orchards.
- Silver Bank Sanctuary, Dominican Republic
The Silver Bank Sanctuary is a submerged bank in the Atlantic that provides a safe winter haven for the North Atlantic humpback whale population, which gathers to mate, calve and raise their young there.
Various operators offer multi-day safaris dedicated solely to learning about and swimming with these charming whales.
- Namena Marine Reserve, Fiji
Fiji is known as the Soft Coral Capital of the World and hosts a jaw-dropping array of vibrant corals at its many reefs. The Namena Marine Reserve has been a no-fishing zone since 1997 and is one of the best places to experience Fiji’s corals in all their glory.
This well-known marine reserve is rich in biodiversity. The dive sites are bustling with colourful reef fish, crustaceans, reef sharks and schooling pelagic fish – all surrounded by bright blue, warm waters. If you only ever visit a coral reef once in your lifetime, make sure it is in Fiji.
- Palau National Marine Sanctuary, Palau
The people of Palau have always been closely linked to the ocean and have worked hard to protect their marine environment since 1956. They hit world headlines when they created the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009 and have since signed the Palau National Marine Sanctuary Act into law.
Palau is a fantastic place to go scuba diving, offering diving with manta rays, deep current-swept walls, caves and caverns for adventurous divers. There are easily accessible WWII wrecks and thriving coral reefs, with plenty of options for non-divers as well.
You can go swimming with millions of harmless jellyfish at Jellyfish Lake and spend your time above water enjoying Palau’s stunning forest-draped islands.
- Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park, Mexico
It takes more than 24 hours to reach the remote Socorro Islands (or Revillagigedo Islands), but it is their remote location that makes them so spectacular. Far from the influence of modern life, these islands are one of the best marine megafauna destinations in the world.
Known as the Mexican Galapagos, the Socorro Islands are busy with marine life, including friendly giant Pacific manta rays and 10 species of sharks year-round. These rich offshore waters also host bottlenose dolphins, visiting whale sharks and humpback whales.
This isn’t a destination for snorkelers, but if you’re an experienced diver, the Socorro Islands need to be on your wish list for 2022 and beyond.
- Hanifaru Bay Biosphere Reserve, the Maldives
With its white-sand beaches, palm-fringed shores and luxurious resorts, the Maldives is hard to beat for a relaxing vacation. The gloriously warm, calm water and shallow reefs make it a perfect destination for families and snorkelers. Get your Open Water Diver certification and you can discover why divers flock to the Maldives every year.
Maldives scuba diving has countless dive sites for every experience level, from sunlit reefs with no currents to thrilling drift dives, thriving pinnacles and deep coral-covered walls. These idyllic islands are home to two well-known marine reserves: the South Ari Marine Protected Area, a Maldives whale shark hotspot, and the Hanifaru Bay UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Hanifaru Bay is one of the most famous manta ray destinations in the world and hosts hundreds of feeding mantas from May to November each year. Hop on a boat and you can go snorkelling with them to your heart’s content.
- Lundy Island Marine Protected Area, United Kingdom
Lundy Island sits just 12 miles off the coast of Devon and is renowned for its exceptional marine life, which has been protected since 1973.
There is a breeding colony of playful Atlantic grey seals at Lundy, with seals dotted all around the island, rolling in the surf and lazing about in the sunshine. Snorkelling with these seals is a must-do experience.
Divers can explore a variety of reefs, pinnacles, and sea caves, all busy with Lundy’s diverse fish life. Just remember to leave time to explore the island itself. Given Lundy is derived from the Norse meaning of puffin, it’s no surprise to find Lundy is busy with these colourful birds.
- Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, USA
Not all marine reserves are in the ocean, as proven by the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This sanctuary protects almost 100 historic shipwrecks in Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes of North America.
Also known as ‘shipwreck alley’, Thunder Bay contains wrecks that date back to 1844 and sit at depths ranging from just a few inches deep to over 60 meters down. Some of the wrecks are still intact, including a 72-meter-long steamer Montana.
The DeTour Passage Underwater Preserve is ideal for every diver, with 19 wrecks in shallow waters and easy shore diving. The shallow shipwrecks in Thunder Bay can also be easily explored as snorkelled.
- More great marine reserves to visit as a scuba diver
Once you start exploring the ocean, you won’t be able to stop! The underwater world is mesmerizing and there are marine reserves dotted around the world. To make the most of these underwater treasures and visit the more remote ones, it is a good idea to start scuba diving. You will be able to get closer to marine life, go deeper, and explore for longer. Before you know it, you’ll be visiting those offshore marine reserves other divers dream of.
Ready to go diving? Here are 8 top dive destinations with marine reserves:
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia
- Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, Mexico
- Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Belize
- Galapagos Marine Reserve, Ecuador
- Jardin de la Reina National Park, Cuba
- Raja Ampat Islands Marine Reserve, Indonesia
- Tubbataha Natural Park, the Philippines
- Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the Bahamas
This article was written by Kathryn Curzon, a shark conservationist and dive travel writer for Scuba Schools International (SSI).
About Scuba Schools International (SSI)
Scuba Schools International (SSI) is the largest professional business-based training agency in the world. For over 50 years now, SSI has provided the ultimate training experience for millions of certified divers, not only in Recreational Scuba but in every training category; Freediving, Extended Range, Rebreather Diving, Mermaid, Swim and Lifeguard. Visit the Scuba Schools International website for more information.