When it comes to the ultimate thrill in diving, there’s nothing quite like seeing huge pelagic fish. They can be hard to find, though, especially in diverse variety. There’s a huge demand to see them in their natural environment, leading to a lot of discussion about the best dive destinations for large pelagic species. Below are three of the best, known for the diversity of their pelagics and the likelihood of seeing them.
Palau
A popular dive destination that finds itself frequently listed as a favorite of divers of all types, Palau offers a huge assortment of large fish. Principally known for its sharks, large fish, barracudas, bumpheads, Napoleons, turtles, mantas, and coral, people seeking small fish may be disappointed. Blue Corner and Jellyfish Lake are two beautiful, well known dive sites considered must-see. One small downfall to Palau, though, is how far away most dive sites are from land; because of this, many divers prefer to do liveaboard dives, rather than spend most of the day on the boat ride in and out.
Cocos Island
Cocos Island, off the coast of Costa Rica, is another renowned dive destination. With approximately 20 dive destinations all grouped closely together, Cocos is an ideal liveabord diver’s playground. Though perhaps most known for its schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks, Cocos is not lacking in other large pelagics, especially sharks and mantas. Shark species commonly found here include whitetip reef sharks, Galapagos, silky, tiger, blacktip, silvertip, and guitar sharks, with mobula, marble, manta, and eagle rays also in frequent attendance.
Utila
Located in Honduras, Utila is a must for any diver looking for the ultimate sighting: whale sharks. Every year the north side of Utila is home to an annual rendezvous of migrating whale sharks, making diving here one of the most surefire ways to see the world’s largest fish. Hundreds of other sites around the island are home to other pelagics as well, including stingrays and moray eels.
These three places are a some of the greatest dive destinations for large pelagic species. They offer diverse ecosystems, multiple gorgeous dive spots, and a high possibility of seeing some of the most amazing creatures the ocean has to offer.
