Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria Island in Florida sits on the Gulf of Mexico and is better known as a laid-back barrier island with white-sand beaches than as a dive destination. The island itself has limited diving activity, and most scuba access comes from nearby mainland Gulf Coast spots or Tampa Bay area, where you’ll find small dive shops offering reef and artificial reef dives, wrecks, and training dives. If you’re staying on the island, plan short trips to the surrounding coastal sites for shore or boat dives; visibility and currents can vary, and marine life typically includes reef fish, rays, and occasional larger pelagics at nearby sites.