Discover a lost city in the Bahamas

Click the image above to watch a video
Turquoise Bahamian waters make a rich playground for diving enthusiasts, with a surfeit of underwater caves, forest-like coral reefs and technicolour marine life. Scuba classes at Atlantis Paradise Island will prepare you for iconic dives, including Lost Blue Hole and Tongue of the Ocean, while snorkelling fans will love the hotel’s Ruins Lagoon – a 2.7 million-gallon marine exhibit adorned with artefacts inspired by ancient Atlantis.
For the best of both worlds, try ‘snuba’ – where you dive with your air supply attached to a support raft on the surface of the water. 

British Airways Holidays offers seven nights from £1,499 per person, including return flights from London Heathrow.

Get Zen in Bali

Amid the marine-rich waters off the east coast of Bali, Alila Manggis offers a holistic approach to diving with its Zen Harmony Experience. The package includes the basics of a PADI Open Water Course, along with rejuvenating massages and yoga designed to release muscle tension and relax the mind.
Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, dive in and look out for mola mola (ocean sunfish) and tiny creatures with unlikely names, including the ornate ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorse and flamboyant cuttlefish. Snorkelling opportunities at nearby Padang Bay make it ideal for families. 

From £1,250 per person for the five-night Zen Harmony Diving Experience

Treasure hunting in Puerto Rico

With water temperatures of 27°C and visibility up to 130ft, Puerto Rico is a diver’s heaven. You’ll find the waters around Copamarina Resort and Spa pleasantly quiet (only one dive operator uses them on a regular basis), so enjoy mastering areas once dominated by the Spanish Conquistadors. Recent historical finds have included muskets, cannons (pictured) and gold coins. And the wildlife is just as rich: nearly 700 fish species call the reefs home.

Rooms from £110 per night (plus taxes and fees)

Late-night diving in Australia

Perched on the Great Barrier Reef, Lizard Island Resort, Australia is just a short boat ride away from diving sites that professionals rave about. A trip to the inner reef lets you explore patch coral teeming with tropical fish, while an outer reef excursion takes you to Cod Hole for a chance to spot its famous inhabitants. Once the sun goes down, try a night diving trip to spot nocturnal creatures, including black-spotted puffer fish and reef sharks.

Go pro in the Maldives

Spy gentle green turtles, barracudas on the hunt and clownfish making themselves at home on sea anemones (pictured) in the Lhaviyani Atoll. At Hurawalhi (opening in November 2016) you can become a PADI-certified diver in three days, or progress your skills with an Advanced Open Water qualification.
Explore two dramatic, coral-encrusted shipwrecks nearby, and prepare to be wowed by the area’s majestic manta rays – the Maldives is the only place in the world with a year-round population.

Villas from £496 per night