Keen to dive amid colourful corals and swaying seagrass? Your wish is our command. With the help of our diving experts, we've put together a list of our favourite coral gardens. From Little Cayman's underwater meadows to Fiji's cabbage-shaped corals, these complex ecosystems are brimming with life. Spot starfish in Gozo, scorpionfish off Pemba Island and Halmahera walking sharks in Indonesia. Read on to discover your next coral garden escape...
Big Bear and Coral Gardens, Gozo
Malta
Gozo's Big Bear and Coral Gardens is proof that there's abundant reef life close to home. Tucked away in Dwejra Bay, on the island's west coast, the winding underwater route to this secluded scuba diving spot is half the adventure. Swim through the famed Blue Hole arch, drift to the left and squeeze through the narrow fissure (just wide enough for one diver) before reaching the open, shallow section of the dive site. Admire the illuminated limestone amphitheatre only 10m beneath the water's surface and marvel at the dazzling corals - an excellent spot for underwater photography. Or, veer south along the reef to discover sand-swallowed boulders teeming with urchins and starfish.
Little Bluff Reef, Little Cayman
Cayman Islands
Little Bluff Reef in Little Cayman is - you guessed it - little. But with its flourishing underwater meadows, this coral garden proves that it's quality over quantity. Wade through up to 12m of feathery, swaying branches alive with hamlets, before taking advantage of the clear conditions and capture some underwater pictures. You can even venture north to the deeper sections of the site for an adventurous dive and the chance to spot the more elusive masked, indigo and golden hamlets.
Scorpions Secret, Pemba Island
Tanzania
Just a two-minute boat ride from Pemba Island's Manta Resort, Scorpions Secret boasts one of our favourite coral gardens. With clear waters and gentle currents, this site is ideal for novice divers and seasoned snorkellers alike. Glide along the sloping underwater wall, reaching depths of up to 18m while looking out for leaf fish, lionfish and giant frogfish lurking amid the seagrass. Fancy a challenge? Play hide and seek with the resident scorpionfish - known for their camouflaged exterior, they won't be easy to spot.
Cabbage Patch, Kadavu Island
Fiji
Next up is Fiji's Cabbage Patch. True to its name, the sloping reef extends to a large garden of layered coral plates resembling cabbage leaves. Admire the pristine, green-tinged corals carpeting the seafloor from depths of 30m to shallows of eight. Keep an eye out for unicorn fish, arc-eye hawkfish and scalefin anthias, and if you're lucky, slithering banded sea kraits might make an appearance. Over in the sandier areas, you'll likely see pairs of fire dartfish and spiky sea cucumbers (think Thelenota anax and Bohadschia graeffei).
Sali Bay Resort, Halmahera
Indonesia
A list of our favourite coral gardens wouldn't be complete without mentioning Sali Bay Resort's house reef. Ideally located in South Halmahera's biodiverse Coral Triangle, this 600m long reef features myriad marine life. During the day, prepare for run-ins with blacktip reef sharks and longfin spadefish, while after dark, spider crabs and crinoid squat lobsters scuttle across the seabed (gulp). Night dives might also reveal Halmahera walking sharks (Hemiscyllium halmahera), recently discovered in 2013. The shallow waters are just as impressive. At high tide, drift over branching Acropora and textured finger corals surrounded by flitting sergeant majors and darting mackerel.
