The Dominican Republic's East Coast is spotted with spectacular walls, tunnels, and overhangs. Bavaro/Punta Cana features a 19-mile reef where divers find cactus coral, sea rods, squirrelfish, damselfish, sea fans, yellowtail snapper, butterfly fish, blue tang, wrasse, sting rays, barracuda, and a family of manatees. Another remarkable site is Laguna Pepe, a freshwater cavern, reminiscent of a cathedral, which spans an area 160 feet wide by 65 feet high in the center of a golf course near the beach. The currents nurture and add vibrancy to the reefs and make for fabulous photographic backdrops. An impressive array of blossoming coral archways and towering reef pinnacles are separated by narrow swim-throughs. Explore Astro Wreck, which is home to an immense "beehive" display of yellowtail snapper, grunts, tang, and black dragons. At 300 feet in length, swim through a labyrinth of narrow passages that lead deep into Astro, where divers view phantoms at the farthest margins of sight. Also, popular sites recommended to beginners and certified divers, El Nie, El Parque, and El Shallow, reaching no more than 40 feet, are convenient to resorts.

• Instructors are PADI and SSI certified; Logbooks and materials are included in certification courses
• Daily dives are scheduled to convenient locations only minutes away
• Equipment, wet-suits, and underwater rentals available and underwater cameras for sale