Certified divers have at least one thing in common with the world’s most famous secret agent — scuba diving. There are more than two dozen James Bond movies and at least 10 of them feature scuba diving. If you love 007, diving (or both), there are three James Bond scuba diving destinations you should visit — but please don’t start any speargun fights.
This article also includes links to watch James Bond movies on Amazon. If you click one of the links and buy or rent one of the Bond films, the Amazon Associates commission earned will be donated to The PADI AWARE Foundation™.
Jamaica
Dr. No and Live and Let Die
Agent 007 may be Britain’s most famous spy, but he was born in Jamaica. British novelist Ian Fleming created James Bond (codename 007) at his Goldeneye estate on Oracabessa Bay.
For the ultimate Bond experience, you can rent The Fleming Villa. Be forewarned: the price isn’t listed on the website, so you may need a secret agent’s salary to afford it.
Even if you’re on a budget, Jamaica is arguably the best destination for James Bond fans. The very first James Bond film, Dr. No, was filmed there as was the eighth film, Live and Let Die.
The island is peppered with filming locations including:
- James Bond Beach
- The Crocodile Farm
- Widowmaker’s Cave
- The Liguanea Club
- Ocho Rios and Montego Bay
Ocho Rios and Montego Bay are also excellent places to scuba dive in Jamaica. When you’re ready to book your flights, start by typing in OCJ — the code name for Ian Fleming International Airport!
The Bahamas
Thunderball, Never Say Never Again, For Your Eyes Only, The Spy Who Loved Me, You Only Live Twice and Casino Royale
Agent 007 has visited the 700-island-and-cay nation known as the Bahamas five times, but the Bahamas are often…in disguise. For example, in You Only Live Twice, Bond’s at-sea burial supposedly takes place in Hong Kong. But divers retrieve his “body” in the Bahamas.
Similarly, most of the underwater scenes in For Your Eyes Only were filmed near New Providence, but the film is set in the Mediterranean.
FUN FACT: many of the underwater close-ups in For Your Eyes were shot on a dry soundstage. The actors weren’t even underwater!
Clear water, colorful marine life and abundant shark diving opportunities make The Bahamas an idyllic diving destination. If you want to follow in 007’s finsteps, book a dive on the James Bond Wrecks from Thunderball and the quasi-remake Never Say Never Again.
Topside Filming Locations
The Bahamas also has picturesque topside filming locations including:
- Clifton Pier (Thunderball)
- The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island (Casino Royale)
- The One and Only Ocean Club (Casino Royale)
What about the submarine car?
In The Spy Who Loved Me, Bond drives a Lotus Esprit into the water, and it transforms into a sporty submarine. The submersible car is complete with louvers (because: the 80s) and missiles (because: Bond). The underwater shots were filmed in The Bahamas, but when the car finally rolls back on land, it’s in Sardinia.
Thailand
The Man with the Golden Gun and Tomorrow Never Dies
Two James Bond films were shot in Thailand, but only The Man with the Golden Gun has scenes set in The Land of Smiles. In Tomorrow Never Dies, Thailand is a stand-in for Vietnam.
One of the most iconic James Bond filming locations in Thailand is Ko Tapu, also known as James Bond Island. The site is notoriously touristy, but it’s close to Phuket — one of Thailand’s many spectacular diving destinations.
There’s one important James Bond scuba diving location I haven’t mentioned: England. Most of 007’s underwater fight scenes have been filmed at Pinewood Studios, near London. Filming takes place in a 1.2 million liter/317,000 gallon pool that’s 6 meters/19.5 feet deep. Unfortunately, it’s not open to the public.
The video above features Daniel Craig as James Bond, but Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan also did scuba scenes (or their stunt double did).
If the world is not enough to satiate your thirst for adventure, learn to scuba dive and start exploring the other 2/3rds of our ocean planet. The next time you watch a spy thriller or action film, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing, “Yeah, I can do that too.”
