Is there scuba diving or snorkelling in Morocco?

Let me be honest up front: Morocco is not a world diving destination on the level of the Red Sea or the Mediterranean hotspots, and most people do not come here for the water. But it does have genuine diving and snorkelling if you know where to go, and the standout is the Mediterranean north. Al Hoceima National Park, on the Rif coast, protects rocky reefs, drop-offs and walls in clear, warm-ish water, with grouper, barracuda, octopus, moray and good seasonal visibility — it is the most rewarding diving in the country and a lovely, low-key place to do it.

Elsewhere on the Mediterranean side, the coast around Saidia, M’diq and the Tangier area has dive operators and accessible sites, and the water is markedly calmer, warmer and clearer than the Atlantic. In the far south, the Dakhla lagoon and peninsula — famous above all for kitesurfing — sits in a marine-rich zone where the cold Atlantic upwelling brings abundant life, and there is diving and snorkelling for the adventurous, though it is remote and the infrastructure is modest.

The Atlantic coast that most tourists actually visit — Agadir, Essaouira, the surf beaches — is the weak spot for diving. The water is cold thanks to the Canary Current, the swell is often big (great for surfers, bad for visibility), and the underwater clarity is generally poor. You can snorkel in sheltered rock pools and there is a little diving, but I would not plan a diving holiday around the open Atlantic coast. Manage your expectations and head to the Mediterranean instead.

My honest summary: come to Morocco for the desert, the mountains and the cities, and treat diving as a niche bonus best enjoyed on the Mediterranean north in summer, when the water warms and the sea calms (roughly June to September). Use a properly certified dive centre, check your insurance covers diving, and do not expect Red Sea polish — the charm here is uncrowded, unhurried sites rather than slick resorts. Confirm operators, certification and seasonal conditions before planning a diving trip.