SIMRAN RAJPAL
Amidst the whirling fingers of sea anemones, striped clownfish dart, while silvery fish spin enormous sparkling whorls.
The Somosomo Straight, which separates the islands of Taveuni and Vanua Levu, is mostly to blame for Fiji's reputation as the world's center of soft coral.
The abundance of marine life surrounding the coral in the Maldives is what really draws divers there; it's far more than anywhere else.
The enormous ecology of the second-largest barrier reef in the world, Belize, is teeming with life.
Utila is located at the southernmost point of the Great Maya Reef, which is part of a larger system that also includes the Belize Barrier Reef, southwest of Turneffe Atoll.
These reefs are preserved and protected in part by the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. The deep waters surrounding Cinque Island are home to sharks and black coral for seasoned divers.
An abundance of amazing coral formations, including black corals, can be found clinging to the sheer vertical cliff faces, reaching depths beyond most divers' comfort zones.