11 Dives With Sea Turtles Worth Flying For

1.Beginner Scuba Diving with Turtles and Videos, San Juan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,743 reviews · from $109Our pick

Walk into the Caribbean from Escambrón Beach for a beginner scuba session with no certification required. Your instructor teaches basic skills on land and in shallow water before guiding you toward fish, turtles, and an underwater park. Guides such as Jordan, Andrew, Matt, Scott, and Daniel are praised for patient instruction. Gear and videos are included.

“None of us had ever scuba dived before. The instructor was excellent. All five of aged 13 - 71 had a great experience.”

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2.Tenerife: Your First Scuba Diving Experience in Turtle Area

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,679 reviews · 3 hours · from $84

Meet your PADI instructor in Costa Adeje for a 30-minute safety briefing, then take a 15-minute speedboat ride to a beginner-friendly underwater site. You’ll spend about 25 minutes breathing underwater to a maximum of 12 meters, followed by guided snorkeling. Instructors including Max, Ramona, Tobi, Elena, and others are praised for calm, patient support.

“Was an amazing experience. Elena is a great guide. She was super friendly good vibes and also showing us lots of fun poses to do underwater. Would definitely recommend😊 She's also really good at spotting sea animals!!”

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3.Tenerife: Beginner’s Dive at a Spot with Turtle Sightings

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 627 reviews · 2 hours · from $82Best value

Meet the Zero Gravity Tenerife team at Puerto Colón for a first-time scuba session in a small group. After a 30-minute safety briefing, ride 15 minutes by speedboat to a sheltered bay and explore to a maximum of 10 meters with an instructor for every two clients. Look for rays, octopus, moray eels, fish, and possibly sea turtles.

“The experience was absolutely amazing and I would definitely recommend it. The instructors are very professional and attentive which makes it very easy and enjoyable”

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4.Tenerife First Time Scuba Dive – Turtle Habitat, Small Groups

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 456 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Start at Puerto Colón with a safety lesson, then take a short boat ride to a sheltered Tenerife site. A PADI instructor guides your 25 to 30-minute beginner scuba session to a maximum of 7 meters, followed by 30 minutes of snorkeling. Turtles are possible, not guaranteed.

“It was my first time trying snorkeling and scuba diving, and it turned out to be an incredible experience. Special thanks to Romana, my instructor, for patiently guiding me through the process and being so friendly. In a way, she even inspired me to consider becoming an instructor myself! :)”

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5.Incredibly Fun Coral Reef Giant Sea Turtles 4hour Boat Scuba Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 300 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $299

Meet at Waikiki Dive Center for a four-hour ocean scuba session with PADI-certified instructors such as Josh, Chad, Olga, and Red. Beginners receive training before two shallow boat outings, while certified divers get a refresher and reef time. Expect turtles, tropical fish, eels, rays, and possibly octopus or sharks.

“Jared and Phil were absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend diving with this company. If we ever come back to Hawaii I will be using them again. And I also wanted to mention Grace she was working in the shop when I came in and she was so pleasant and kind. Loved listening to all the places that she has dived at.”

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6.Small-Group Shark and Turtle Dive for Certified Divers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 219 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $135

Meet at 7:30 a.m. in Lahaina for a small-group SCUBA excursion at Mala Wharf. With a PADI professional such as Joe, Abbi, or Matt, you may see turtles at a cleaning station, white-tip reef sharks, octopus, eels, nudibranchs, frogfish, and large schools of fish. Equipment is provided, but you must carry it over the shore entry.

“By far the best dive I have ever done in all the years I have dove in Maui. I would definitely do this dive again.”

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7.Try Scuba Diving in a turtle area (boat)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $84

From Costa Adeje, you’ll take a short boat trip to a calm, shallow site for your first scuba session. Zero Gravity assigns one instructor to each participant, with equipment, insurance, and guidance included. Expect fish, octopus, cuttlefish, rays, and possibly turtles, plus time for snorkeling.

“First time scuba diving with my husband and we loved every minute of it thank you. Gay couple and both felt very comfortable with the guides.”

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8.Maui: Small Group Shark & Turtle Scuba Dive from Shore

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 2h 30m · from $128

Meet your PADI-certified guide at 1223 Front St in Lahaina, walk five minutes to Mala Wharf, and spend up to an hour underwater among turtles, white-tip reef sharks, schooling fish, eels, octopuses, nudibranchs, and possible frogfish. Groups are limited to four, and Joe may be your guide.

“Small group, fair price, we did get to see a lot ! joe was a great guide !”

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9.Cebu: Moalboal Scuba Diving with Sardines and Turtle Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 11 reviews · 11 hours · from $115

You’ll travel from Cebu to Moalboal for a guided scuba session with millions of sardines, then snorkel with green sea turtles in shallow water. Certified instructors provide equipment and safety guidance. Hotel or airport pickup, transport, fees, and turtle snorkeling are included, but meals are not.

“The sardines dive was such a magical experience! The crew was great, very helpful and intuitive. It was a little windy when we went to the coral reefs in Pescador Island but the drift dive with the sardines I’d say for me was fulfilling enough lol Moalboal looked like a fun little island too, lots of cute little coffee shops and dive shops. Definitely a must see when in Cebu.”

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10.Diving course for beginners in turtle area Tenerife

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 3 hours · from $100

Meet your instructor at Magilu restaurant on Abades Beach for a three-hour private beginner scuba session. Learn the basics, practice in shallow water, then explore Tenerife’s Atlantic sea life with an English, German, or Spanish-speaking instructor. Equipment, insurance, photos, videos, and a certification card are included.

“Het was de eerste duikles ooit voor mij. Kreeg eerst een duidelijke uitleg in het Engels waar ik voor gekozen had. De dive instructeur sprak matig Engels al is dat voor onderwater ook niet nodig. Hij begeleide me erg goed en hielp mij waar nodig, een echte leuke ervaring!! Zeker aan te raden voor jong en oud!!”

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11.Try diving for the first time in turtle area

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $100

Meet Natalie and Andrés near Café Magilu for a 2.5-hour private first scuba session in Tenerife. You’ll learn basic skills on shore, enter calm water with an instructor, and explore among fish, reefs, starfish, and possibly turtles or octopus. Equipment, insurance, photos, and videos are included.

“La mejor experiencia de mi vida, un trato tan cercano que parece que estás buceando con un amigo. Sienten pasión por el mar y saben transmitirla. No había hecho buceo nunca y desde que nos sumergimos me sentí segura.”

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