Here is the ultimate rundown of the top 100 dive sites in the world, as voted for by scuba divers. How many have you dived? The list is predominantly composed of warm water diving locations, with only a few cold water spots, such as in the Galapagos and New Zealand. Sadly only one European entry survives in the 2023 list – Silfra in Iceland is the sole representative.
Cast your vote here
- Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island, Malaysia
Wall of coral where sharks come cruising by and barracuda surround you. You are guaranteed to see big stuff here and lots of it. Occasional strong currents blast over an underwater prairie that’s home to white tips, turtles, grouper, jacks, bumphead parrotfish and of course the barracuda that give it its name.
- Blue Corner Wall, Palau, Micronesia
An upwelling means this splendid wall dive is favoured by pelagics. Expect to see sharks, barracuda, eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse, snappers, jacks…if you can tear your eyes away from the fish the wall hosts thick coral with morays, nudibranchs and mantis shrimps being just a few of the attractions. Getting there
Daniel Lamborn/DepositPhotos - Yongala, Australia
The Yongala is a shipwreck off the coast of Queensland. Full of marine life you may see manta rays, sea snakes, octopuses, turtles, bull sharks, tiger sharks, clouds of fish and spectacular coral. How to dive it.
Shutterstock - Thistlegorm, Egyptian Red Sea
A large wreck which needs several dives to do it justice. A British vessel, the Thistlegorm (Blue Thistle) was attacked from the air and sunk in 1941 whilst carrying a cargo of war supplies: rifles, motor bikes, train carriages, trucks. Currents can be strong, and in different directions at the surface and at the wreck. How to dive it.
Motorbikes on the Thistlegorm by Tim Nicholson - Shark and Yolanda Reef, Egyptian Red Sea
Three dives in one: anemone city, shark reef with its spectacular drop off and the wreck of the Yolanda. Currents make this good for drift dives and for pelagic fish. A popular dive starts at Anemone City before drifting to Shark Reef and its drop off. Finish up on the wreck of the Yolanda with its cargo of toilets. Dive Shark and Yolanda.
Image: Tim NicholsonTim Nicholson - Manta Ray Night Dive, Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Underwater lights placed on the ocean floor attract infinite amounts of plankton, which in turn attract the huge, yet beautiful manta rays of Kona Hawaii. The rays get so close to you, that you often have to move to avoid them accidentally hitting you. An amazingly wonderful and unforgettable time with one of the most beautiful animals in the world.
Dive Dog/DepositPhotos - Great Blue Hole, Belize
Very deep, wide, hole outlined by coral reef and inhabited by sharks. Is there another sight like it? 30 m visibility coming over the bathwater warm reef of vibrant colours, descending into a cool, deep blue hole where the water begins to waver and shimmer as you enter the transition from salt to fresh water at about 15 m. Dive the Blue Hole.
- Liberty, Bali, Indonesia
This wreck is very popular with photographers as it is totally encrusted in anemone, gorgonians and corals. Look for the hawksbill turtle which practically lives on the Liberty and interesting small stuff like the beautiful purple Scorpion Leaf Fish and Ornate Ghost Pipefish. Larger fish you might see there include Great Barracuda and Flapnose Ray. The wreck is quite broken up but you can go in the cargo hold. You dive it not so much for the experience of wreck diving but for the fabulous sealife. Usually dived from the shore, the Liberty is also on some liveaboard itinaries.
Image: Shahar Shabtai/ShutterstockShahar Shabtai/Shutterstock - Navy Pier, Western Australia
Extending 300 m from shore, the T-shaped structure is 300 m wide, including two outlying “dolphins” (platforms for larger ships to tie up to). Although a very defined and somewhat compact site, you could spend 5 days diving there and not be bored, particularly at night.
Loggerhead turtle. DepositPhotos - Richelieu Rock, Thailand
A horse shoe of rocky pinnacles, just breaks the surface at low tide. Famous for whale shark sightings, but also great for big schools of pelagic fish such as jacks, barracuda and batfish. Mantas are also seen, and it is a superb spot for Macro photography with such creatures as ghost pipefish, harlequin shrimp, frogfish and seahorses. Currents can be strong. Needs several dives to see the whole area. Best dived from December to April. How to dive Richelieu Rock?
Image: Zeamonkey/DepositphotosHarleqin shrimp. Zeamonkey/Depositphotos - Darwin Arch, Galapagos
Darwin Arch would now more accurately be called Darwin Pillars, as in 2021 the arch collapsed into the water. However, the diving there is still spectacular with whale sharks, hundreds of hammerhead sharks, galapagos sharks, turtles, eagle rays, dolphins. Do I need to go on? Go there.
Hammerhead sharks. DepositPhotos - Elphinstone Reef, Egyptian Red Sea
Elphinstone is is a fabulous dive site. It is just 300 metres long with sheer sides. In it’s centre is a shallow plateau, just 1 m deep, but the walls drop steeply down to the depths. The current here can be very strong, which is good as it means plenty of fish life. The reef top is one of the few places that you can see Oceanic Whitetip sharks in shallow water. They are curious animals and will come to look at divers. Elphinstone also features many very beautiful corals. If that isn’t enough look out for its resident hawksbill turtle, the bottlenose dolphins that might whizz past above your head and hammerhead sharks out in the blue.
Oceanic whitetip shark on Elphinstone Reef. DepositPhotos - Tubbataha, Palawan, Philippines
- Aliwal Shoal, South Africa
- President Coolidge, Vanuatu
- Big Brother, Egyptian Red Sea
- Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa, Polynesia
- Ras Mohammed, Egyptian Red Sea
- Great white wall, Tavieuni Fiji
- Gordon’s Rock, Galapagos
- Osprey Reef, Coral Sea, Australia
- Bloody bay wall, Little cayman
- Sodwana bay, South Africa
- Castle Rock – Komodo, Indonesia
- Manta reef, Mozambique
- Sha’ab Rumi South, Sudan
- Ulong Channel, Palau
- Wolf Island, Galapogos
- Maaya Thila, South Ari Atoll, Maldives
- Blue Hole, Dahab, Egyptian Red Sea
- Verde Island or Drop Off, Philippines
- Poor Knights, New Zealand
- Bikini atoll, Marshall Islands
- Blue Magic, Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia
- Palancanar Bricks, Cozumel, Mexico
- South Point, Sipadan, Malaysia
- Jackson Reef, Egypt
- Bunaken, Indonesia
- Magic Mountain, Raja Ampat
- San Francisco Maru, Chuuk Lagoon
- Apo Reef, Philippines
- Daedelus, Egyptian Red Sea
- Similans, Thailand
- Cod Hole, Northern Great Barrier Reef
- Dos Ojos (Los Cenotes), Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Straits of Tiran, Egyptian Red Sea
- Fish Rock, Off South West Rocks in NSW, Australia
- The Boiler, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico
- Mnemba Island, Tanzania
- Punta Sur / Devils Throat, Cozumel, Mexico
- Scotts head pinnacle, Dominica
- Sipadan Drop Off, Malaysia
- Puerto Galera, Philippines
- Batu Bolong, Komodo, Indonesia
- Canibal Rock, Komodo, Indonesia
- Garuae Pass, Fakarava Island, French Polynesia
- The Zenobia, Cyprus
- Silfra, Thingvellir, Iceland
- Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon (Chuuk Lagoon)
- Blockship Tabarka, Scapa Flow, Orkney
- Malpelo Island, Colombia
- Molokini Crater Wall, Hawaii
- Grand Central Station, Gizo, Solomon Islands
- Alcyone, Cocos Island, Costa Rica
- East of Eden, Ko Similan, Thailand
- Sangalaki Island, East Kalimantan, Borneo. Indonesia
- Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi
- Dirty rock, Cocos Island, Costa Rica
- Neptune’s Arm, Vamizi Island, Mozambique
- Cirkewwa, Malta
- USS Saratoga, Bikini Atoll, Marshall Isles
- St Johns, Egyptian Red Sea
- Perpendicular wall, Christmas Island, Australia
- Half Moon Wall, Belize
- Hin Muang, Thailand
- Peleliu Express, Palau
- Ghiannis D, Egypt
- Pixie pinnacle and pixie wall, GBR, Australia
- Stingray City, Grand Cayman
- Roca Partida, Revillagigedo Islands, Baja California, Mexico
- Protea Banks, South Africa
- Barra Reef, Mozambique
- Split rock, Kadavu Isle. Fiji
- Pedras Secas, Noronha, Brazil
- Shark Alley, Grand Cayman
- Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
- Holmes Reef, Coral Sea, Australia
- Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, Australia
- Canyon, Thomas Reef, Egypt
- Los Roques, Venezuela
- 7 Mile Reef Sodwana Bay
- Balls Pyramid, Lord Howe Island, Australia
- Rainbow Reef, Taveuni, Fiji
- Dos Amigos Pequeña (Small Dos Amigos), Cocos Islands, Costa Rica
- Landslide, Wolf Island, Galapagos
- Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles
- Cathédrale, Hienghène, New Caledonia
- Paradise point, Milne Bay PNG
- Manta Ray Night Dive, Fesdhoo Lagoon, North Ari Atoll, Maldives
- Seaventure House Reef, Mabul
Image credits:
- Red Sea coral Reef by Tim Nicholson of SCUBA Travel: Tim Nicholson
- liberty, Bali: Shahar Shabtai/Shutterstock
- harlequin shrimp: Zeamonkey/Depositphotos
