Your starting point for scuba diving: learn to dive, choose your gear, and find your next dive destination.
Region guide · 4 destinations
Scuba diving in Africa and the Red Sea ranges from warm, clear reefs and world-famous wrecks to sharks, manta rays and whale sharks along the Indian Ocean coast. Off northwest Africa, the volcanic Atlantic islands of Macaronesia offer cooler, year-round diving within easy reach of Europe.
At a glance
This region brings together three kinds of diving. The Red Sea is warm, salty and clear, with coral reefs that start right at the shore and some of the best-known wrecks in diving. The African coast, especially in the south and east, is the place for big animals: sharks, rays, whale sharks and, in season, migrations that draw divers from around the world. And the Atlantic islands, the Canaries, Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde, offer volcanic landscapes, cooler water and open-ocean visitors.
For divers in Europe, much of this region is a short flight away, which makes it the European equivalent of the Caribbean: a place to learn, a place for a week's diving holiday, and a place to come back to.
The destinations
The Red Sea has warm water, very good visibility and reefs right off the beach. Egypt's resorts give access to Ras Mohammed National Park, the remote Brothers Islands and the SS Thistlegorm, a Second World War cargo ship still loaded with trucks and motorbikes. Liveaboards reach the southern reefs and Sudan.
Red Sea scuba diving guideAlong Africa's east and south coasts, big animals are the draw. Mozambique is known for manta rays and whale sharks. South Africa has Aliwal Shoal's ragged-tooth sharks and the sardine run, when huge shoals of sardines move up the coast in winter with dolphins, sharks and gannets in pursuit. Tanzania and Kenya add warm Indian Ocean reefs.
Africa scuba diving guideSpain's Canary Islands offer year-round diving on volcanic rock: arches, caves and black-sand slopes. Angel sharks, an endangered species, are still seen here. El Hierro's marine reserve off La Restinga is a favorite. Water is cooler than the tropics, so plan for a 5 mm or 7 mm wetsuit.
Canary Islands scuba diving guideMacaronesia is the name for the Atlantic island groups of the Azores, Madeira, the Canaries and Cape Verde. The Azores are known for open-ocean encounters with blue sharks and mobula rays. Madeira has the Garajau marine reserve and its big groupers. Cape Verde has warmer water and quieter reefs.
Macaronesia scuba diving guideChoosing
The Red Sea is hard to beat for reliable, warm and clear reef diving, and the house reefs at many resorts let you dive straight from the shore. It is also a very popular place to learn. If you have not done a course yet, start with our guide on how to learn to scuba dive.
The northern Red Sea is one of the great wreck-diving areas in the world. The Thistlegorm is the best known, but there are many more. Most are dived from the outside. Going inside needs wreck training and the right equipment.
Southern and eastern Africa, and the Azores in summer, offer the region's biggest encounters. Expect surge, swell and open-water conditions, and choose operators who give thorough briefings. Our scuba diving safety guide explains what a good briefing covers.
The Canary Islands and Madeira can be dived all year, with water cooler than the Red Sea but more stable than mainland European coasts. Bring more exposure protection than you would for the tropics. The scuba gear guide explains wetsuit thickness.
Travel note: entry rules, permits and local conditions change. Check current government travel advice for any country before you book, and buy dive insurance that covers emergency treatment and evacuation.
Questions
The Red Sea can be dived all year. The water is warmest in late summer and autumn, while winter brings cooler water and stronger winds in the north. Many divers prefer spring and autumn for the balance of warm water and comfortable air temperatures.
The sardine run is a winter migration, usually around June and July, when huge shoals of sardines move north along South Africa's east coast. Predators such as dolphins, sharks and seabirds follow them, which makes it one of the most dramatic events in the ocean.
The water in the Canary Islands is cooler than in the tropics all year, and warmest in late summer and autumn. Most divers wear a 5 mm or 7 mm wetsuit, and a hood in winter.
See the Indo-Pacific, the Caribbean and the United States.