Goa is quickly emerging as one of the best places in India for scuba diving. This is not a surprise as the Arabian Sea runs along the western edge of Goa. You will find several good diving spots just off the coast from popular beaches like Calangute and Baga. Then there are islands on the sea like Ilha Grande, Ilha de São Jorge, and Canacona Island where the water is clearer and so the marine life is more visible.
A magical world below the water awaits you in Goa. The underwater life in Goa is varied. You will have a chance to see sergeant-major puffers, damsels, groupers, scorpion-fish, lion-fish, barracuda, surgeon-fish, snappers, tuna, eels, blennies, gobies, lobsters, jacks, sea cucumbers, turtles, and batfish. The water around Goa has more than 65 species of fish and about 30 species of corals.
There are sites for both experts and beginner divers. If you are a beginner, you can also join a PADI course to learn diving and get certification.
How to Reach the Dive Spots
For a place like the Grand Island or Ilha Grande, you can take a speedboat. But it would be so much more luxurious to travel on a luxury yacht. You can rent a yacht in Goa for a luxury trip and arrive in style.
We recommend two boats for you.
- Bayliner Discovery 288 – The Bayliner Discovery 288 is a fast and powerful boat with a double master cabin, twin berth guest cabin, an outdoor seating area, canopy for sun protection, kitchen with utensils, music system with subwoofer, microwave, and a swimming platform.
- Sea Ray Sundancer – The Sea Ray Sundancer is a smaller cruiser sports yacht that has one air-conditioned cabin, an outdoor seating and dining area, canopy for sun protection, iced coolers, music system with subwoofer, and other advanced features. This elegant and comfortable American sports cruiser is also a great choice.
Best Places for Scuba Diving in Goa
You have a lot of choices –
The Grand Island – A beautiful island that is close to Dabolim. It is only a 15-minute boat ride from the Bogmalo Beach. There are several spots here
- Suzy – A sunken 135-meter British vessel that went down in the 1930s. You can still see parts of the cargo that the ship carried. Suzy lies on the sandy bottom of a small bay and is overgrown with corals. You will find hundreds of tropical fishes and crustaceans.
- Davy Jones Locker – This is another sunken ship. It is a good spot for the experienced divers.
- Sail Rock – This can be a challenging dive as there are strong underflow currents. You can see sharks, skates, and many species of big fish here.
- Umma Gumma Reef – The reef is a good place for the beginners. You can see snappers, angelfish, sea cucumbers, lobsters, turtles, needlefish, and even reef sharks.
Turbo Tunnel – This is a narrow channel between Grande Island and the neighboring Ilha de São Jorge Island. You can see the parrotfish, angelfish, stonefish, triggerfish, porcupine fish, and barracudas. The best place for sighting is Surge City, which has a sandy base and huge boulders. But this is only at a depth of 8 meters.
Shelter Cove – The cove is located to the northeast of Grand Island. The depth here is only 6 meters. You can see stonefish, lionfish, angelfish, parrotfish, triggerfish, hawksbill turtles, cuttlefish, squids, and a lot of corals. There is very little undercurrent here.
Grande Banks – This site too is located between the Grande Island and the neighboring Ilha de São Jorge Island. It has groupers, puffers, bannerfish, blenny fish, and beautiful coral formations.
Lobster Avenue – This rocky bottom is not just for the lobsters. You can see snappers, parrotfish, dogfish, groupers, sergeant majors, triggerfish, rock cod, moray eels, flounders, and nurse sharks.
It is well known that at different times, about 1,000 shipwrecks happened near the Goa seacoast. Different Portuguese and Spanish merchant ships and galleons have gone down. There have also been military and trade ships that have sank to the bottom of the sea during the Word War II. You can reach many of these sites on a diving trip in Goa.
What to Expect on a Luxury Yacht in Goa
Expect complete luxury and an once-in-a-lifetime experience. We will pick you up from your hotel or holiday villa and take you to the jetty. On board the luxury yacht, you will find many modern amenities and facilities. There will be a dive master or an expert who will guide you, take you closer to the marine life and corals, and help you identify the species. In many places like the Grand Island, you can enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach.
Food and drinks can be served on board on your return journey. You can even have champagne to celebrate your successful dive.
During your journey to the dive spot on a luxury yacht for rent, you will also have the chance to see bottlenose dolphins in the warm-water areas.
Best Time for Scuba Diving in Goa
The best season for scuba diving in Goa is from October to March. You will have a great chance to see a lot of marine life and corals this time of the year. The best way to reach these locations is by a private yacht in Goa, which can really make your holiday unforgettable and interesting. You can end your scuba diving trip in Goa with a sunset cruise.
