Grand Cayman boasts numerous world-class dive sites, and many of the best-known spots are also its most family friendly: Stingray City, Sandbar, Mermaid and the super-accessible Oro Verde wreck. Even better, the local Kids Sea Camp at Cobalt Coast Resort will help your family explore all of these sites. Grand Cayman’s Kids Sea Camp offers tons of thrilling activities for kids of all ages, including underwater scooter races, digital photography classes, night dives, beach bonfires and private tours of a local turtle farm, to name just a few. There are so many fun things for your kids to do and see in Grand Cayman, there’s no way to do them all in one trip — but that’s okay, because after visiting once, your family is sure to return again and again.

David Benz

Many of the same factors that make Bonaire a favorite trip among adult divers — ultra-accessible shore diving, tons of unique topside attractions and a bounty of marine life — also make it perfect for family dive vacations. All of Bonaire’s reefs were designated a protected marine park in 1978 — and the sea life seems to know it! The island’s signature shore-diving buffet is open 24/7, when and where you want, making it a super-easy place to dive on your family’s own schedule. If you’re looking for something more structured, you can’t go wrong with the Kids Sea Camp at Buddy Dive Resort, where the staff will keep your family enthralled from dawn till dusk. Above water, Bonaire is kid heaven, with its thrilling Blokarting — a wind-driven go-cart — famed donkey sanctuary, as well as world-class windsurfing and swimming beaches.

Courtesy Wikipedia

While Palau might seem a bit too exotic for kids, it's actually loaded with the kind of fun dives and cool culture they’ll love: A lake filled with non-stinging jellyfish, tribal dancers performing a fantasy show of color and movement and reef passes where big animals parade by like an underwater circus. On top of all that, Palau is home to one of the best Kids Sea Camps in the world. The camp’s dive operations are run by Sam’s Tours, a PADI Five-Star National Geographic Center and the most award-winning dive center and eco-adventure company in Palau. With such a first-class operator running the show, a dive trip to Palau is guaranteed wow travelers of all ages and divers of all skill levels.

Tom Morrisey

The Bay Islands of Honduras feature fringing coral reefs and deep walls, making both Roatan and Utila lsland meccas for divers of all ages. Tucked away and unassuming, with activities that range from hiking to kayaking in addition to scuba diving, Roatan has become truly a perfect destination for families. It is renowned for its beautiful white-sand beaches, turquoise waters and breathtaking sunsets. Mayan Princess now hosts a Kids Sea Camp week.

Courtesy Wikipedia

If your family is into eco-adventures, there are a couple of Kids Sea Camp weeks that will appeal to you. The Galapagos and Philippines are two destinations that are a once-in-a-lifetime chance for you to share the bounty of the ocean with your entire family. In the Galapagos, you will encounter many species of sharks, rays, massive whale sharks, giant manta rays, wild dolphins, sea lions, marine iguanas and swirling schools of fish. Diving in the Philippines offers muck diving, macro diving, whale sharks and unique species of frogfish.

Chris Fertnig / istockphoto

Yap is a lush tropical island located just 9 degrees north of the equator in the south Pacific Ocean. Unlike many South Pacific islands, Yap is an uplifted portion of the Asian Continental Shelf, surrounded by a broad shallow lagoon and nearly 90 miles of barrier reef. Famous in the diving community for its manta rays, the island is also famous for its indigenous culture and large stone money, which is still used today. A Kids Sea Camp vacation at the aptly named Manta Ray Bay Resort includes kayaking and tours of the island's culture in addition to amazing dive sites.

Tobias Helbig / istockphoto