Best Places to Go Scuba Diving
By NomadicMatt | Published: February 8, 2009Scuba Diving is one of the best activities to do when you are on a nice tropical island. Under the sea, down where it’s wetter, you’ll find coral reefs teeming with life, Nemo’s cousins, lots of fish, plants, and beautiful colors. Whether you are looking to start or looking for new places to go, here’s a list of some of the best places to go diving in the world:
The Blue Hole
The Blue Hole in Belize is one of the most famous dive sites in the world. This site was made famous by Jacques Cousteau who declared it one of the top ten scuba diving sites in the world. You can dive in crystal clear water and see several types of reef sharks as well as the bull shark and hammerheads.
Thailand
Thailand has a number of famous dive sites: Phuket, Ko Tao, Similan Islands, and the Surin Islands. In fact, you can pretty much dive anywhere in the country, though the best diving is near Ko Tao and up near the Similans. Moreover, Ko Tao is a cheap place to learn to scuba dive.
Gili Islands
The Gilis in Indonesia is the new hot spot, with people flocking here in ever increasing numbers. With good reason- the reefs and waters here provide some amazing visual sights. And with the island cheaper than its neighbor, Bali, there is even more reason to come here.
Sipadan
Located in Malaysia, Sipadan is possibly one of the best five dive sites in the world. The place is teeming with life. You will see turtles, cave systems, sharks, dolphins, schools of fish, bright coral, bright fish, and everything in between in such sheer volume, your head will explore.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef needs no introduction. Everyone knows about it. Located off Australia, the world’s longest reef has all the tropical sea life and coral you could ever imagine. No visit to the country is complete without a visit to the reef.
Hawaii
Hawaii has some great scuba diving. The islands are ringed with reefs and wildlife. The area north of the islands was just made into the largest marine reserve in the United States, ensuring great diving for years to come.
Micronesia
Tropical islands as beautiful as Micronesia always have one thing in common: they are encircled by vibrant coral reefs. Sites like the Blue Wall make Micronesia one of the top destinations in the South Pacific. It’s out of the way, inexpensive, and pristine.
Boracay
Located in the Philippines, this tropical paradise is also diving paradise. You’ll find all the usual suspects here, as well as abundant reef systems. When you are done swimming below the sea, you can enjoy the beaches above the water.
Fernando de Noronha
This off the beaten path place is in Brazil. Here you will find lots of life among the blue waters that circle these islands. You’ll be able to swim with turtles, dolphins, and much more.
Egyptian Red Sea
The Red Sea, with its clear turquoise blue water, has some excellent dive sites. The best of the reefs are absolutely stunning with a real diversity of life. From Sharm El Sheikh to the wrecks at Sha’ab Abu Nuhas to the Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed, you’ll find excellent diving all over the Red Sea.
So whether you are a beginner or an expert, make sure you visit these dive sites for some excellent scuba diving. They will take your breath away.
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Having just gotten my open-water certification, and ready to give up the life of “ski-bum” in favor of “beach bum”, this list is sure to come in handy. Thanks!
Hi Matt,
These all look great. For something a bit cooler check this out (it’s on my wishlist)
http://www.ice-diving.co.uk/
Cheers,
Chris
Ooh, now I have some new places to add to my to-dive list! So far, I’ve only done the Bahamas (which is totally underrated when it comes to diving…the Abacos, for one, are STUNNING, and Andros, too, is supposed to have amazing marine life and the second blue hole to Belize’s), Roatan (only eh), Great Barrier Reef, Dominican Republic, Maldives (which SHOULD go on your list).
Where have you dived in Hawaii? And have you ever done Cook Islands? That’s up next for me next month.
Another place, is Akumal, about 2 hours south of Cancun. It’s where Cousteau discovered sleeping sharks. It was a beautiful place, where the ocean was on one side, and the jungle on the other.
Fantastic post! I’m going SCUBA diving on the Great Barrier Reef in April on my honeymoon. You don’t mention where on the reef you think is best. I’ve heard Lizard Island is amazing, but we are going to Heron and Wilson Islands – hopefully that will be wonderful too.
I’m surprised you don’t mention the wrecks in the South Pacific – Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, for example.
And I’ve heard that Papua New Guinea is pretty much the ultimate for diving, on the north coast near Medan.
I actually think the Great Barrier Reef is a bit over-rated these days especially with the amount of die back. I prefer the reef off Western Australia – at Exmouth. The reef is within reach of the beach and the water is very clear – and there are hardly any people there
I agree 100 percent…Ningaloo is much nicer than the GBR.
PS it would be cool to have some cool water dive sites on the list too. Or maybe on a separate list?
I’d probably add French Polynesia. I loved diving in Bora Bora and Moorea. Awesome coral life and big animals. Diving with mantas on Bora Bora has been one of the best experiences.
Living in Chicago, I’m also very fond of the shipwreck diving in the Great Lakes.
Matt – a great list indeed – some places to add to my ‘must go’ list. Out of all of these I am ashamed to say I have only visited one – the Red Sea.
I would also like to recommend diving near Zanzibar – you can dive from the north of the island but if you go a little further and get a boat to Pemba it gets even better.
Roatan – Honduras ain’t bad either.
Barrier reef is king though!
These photos are amazing. I’ll have to take your word for the quality of scuba – I’m terrified.
However, snorkeling I can do. Would love to see a top 10 list for snorkeling too!
Maldives Islands is seen by many scuba diving lovers as one of the best diving locations in the world.
Ellaidhoo Reef and Fesdhu Wreck in the Maldives are rated as top class diving spots where divers will be treated for reef fishes, jacks, eels and Groupers..just to name a few.
To appreciate what Maldives has to offer for Scuba Diving enthusiasts, one has to see the true beauty of these locations.
as mentioined before, Wreck diving in Solomon Islands is a great plan too! Great Barrier Reef is probably a bit expensive to go diving, the west coast of australia has some nice diving sites too and is a lot less touristy.
Hi Lissie again – I just tagged you over on my blogs – 7 things about you and 7 blogs you like
No Catalina Island?
Catalina?!?! I’m from the area and don’t get me wrong, Catalina is great, but I can’t see how it can compare to most of those places. Maybe I need some tips on where to go!
Ahh, so many great places. I know Hondorus, the west of Australia (whale sharks!), Bora Bora, and more are all great. I only wanted to pick ten but lets be real- there are way more than 10 great diving sites in the world!
Thank you all for your recommendations and lovely comments!
Wow, really nice places. I liked the Egyptian red sea. BTW how much would it cost for scuba diving ?
Boracay is not deserving to be on your list. It is a great vacation place but the diving is lousy. YOu have to dive to 90 feet before you see a wall or anuthing interesting.
There are far more interesting places in the Philippines to dive such as Tubataha Reef which is a candidate to be a World Heritage site. It’s a live aboard experience, and many divers will say it is better than anything in Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia.
You can also go to Anilao or Bohol.
Every were very nice shot one of the best is that in Boracay…I really love that place…one of my dream place especially for scuba divng…..
i want to go!!!
Your picks are right on! I love Boracay in the Philippines. Sadly, the island had become over commercialized…but the Boracay I remember is the laid back enclave of the 80’s and early 90’s (where there were only 2 clubs, a few restaurants on the beach, and maybe 3-4 beach hut hotels. I heard that nowadays, semi high rise hotels/resorts are lined side by side with clubs, themed eateries, spas, etc.
This list is now my travel wish list! I just got scuba certified a few days ago, and I can’t wait to dive again.
Thanks for the photos – but when it comes to dive sites, it’s like talking about your favorite food: Everyone has a different “hot spot”.
Tubataha in the Philippines is definitely a great spot – if the Taiwanese fishingboats didn’t take out all of the grouper.
If you can afford it: PNG (Papua New Guinea) offers the most fascinating spots I’ve ever seen (and I have been to almost every country between Singapore and Micronesia). Commercial dive operations are costly but if you have the chance to go on your own sailboat, you can go further then they can. We found a reef between two uninhabited islands – the top about 15 ft deep, where fish still wascurious and came to check you out. We anchored in 140ft deep water where you could see the bottom and I had to abandon the anchor dive because the sharks were too big an curious.
PNG is tiger shark country, so keep your eyes open and play it safe. Because it is out of the way for the big fishing fleets, there is still an abundant fish and coral life to find.
And the country and people are just wild.
Go before it’s gone….
Mi laik i go long Papua Nuigini
Saba anyone? Better than Roatan and Yucatan IMHO.
I love the ideas but I really do think that Bonaire of the Netherland Antillies should be up there. Cozumel is beautiful as well.
Bonaire is gotta be up there as well, the entire island is based around diving. If you stayed near the water (which is everywhere) you can literally walk from into the ocean from the boardwalk and you’ll be at the wall in 20ft. Our boat was anchored there for several weeks and you’ll see the guys diving right under you, the water was so pristine. Also alot of turtles makes it fun just to free dive as well!
I think I’ve just added 7 places to my must-see list. Culling the list to just ten must have been a job. The photos are spectacular. Thanks!
Totally facinating ! ! ! !
Wakatobi is by far the most amazing diving in the world. I have been all over the world diving -including most of the places listed above and the diving at Wakatobi is pristine!
Right on Dante.
Sadly too many of these beautiful places are degraded as humans over exploit this precious resource.
Some places are dying and many of the neighbouring sites have “died” some years ago.Tragic.
Greed and self interest about amongst the beauty
Cozumel is beautiful!!… You should go … its really fascinating!! =)
Diving is great hobby! This is an interesting site with all kinds of interesting pictures. You will find you can really spend time here.
really amazing photos.
thanks matt
This is an interesting activity with all kinds of interesting places. You will find you can really spend time there especially the blue hole.
There are many diving sites in the Philippine Islands that are spectacular full of fishes and corals. The Palawan Islands in the Philippines have the best diving sites. Tubbataha is also one of the best in the world. Boracay Island is a good pick as well. It is also one of the best beaches in the world, so it has a lot to offer.
Great Barrier Reef
Port Douglas is about 100% touristy. Boy were you trapped. Not cheaper than Cairns though I recommend many other places, not the only two options. Stay in the rainforest is the best way to enjoy the area as it supposed to be nature tourism though tourists seem to forget this and want resorts all over and this destroys our home.
The Great Barrier Reef is not dying travel over 30! Why do people make these things up.! They sustain some damage, as does every reef, on occasion from storm, coral bleaching etc but these events have been more recent on the Western Australian reefs. They recover. The reason it is a World Heritage site is due it’s pristine condition and lack of substantial population centres onshore.
For serious diving in the Great Barrier reef beware many operators cater to intro dive market and this is the tourist trap one must avoid. The best way to experience the reef on day trips is to snorkel. For divers you need to head to the ribbon reefs, cod hole, northern reefs and coral sea reefs like Osprey. This requires a liveabaord and some $$. The next best option is at the outer barrier reefs trips conducted by dive operators. Some are bad so reef research required.
When done you can venture to the outback close by and see the caves at Chillagoe which are coral reefs from 400 million years ago. They found the fossilised remains of the megafauna Giant Killer Kangaroo there. You can white water raft down the North Johnstone River where access to start point is by helicopter it is so pristine, no trails or track.
Discover the Mission Beach parts away from the little township and feel a million miles away with the areas most stunning beach on your doorstep.
So next time prise yourself away from the tourist trap Port Douglas and have the journey of a lifetime. Plus then be qualified to say where to avoid the tourist.
Great site! This is simply an amazing list. I’d definitely be afraid to go scuba diving in some of those places, but that’s definitely the point!
Everyone should get a chance to see the Great Barrier Reef in person
very nice collection and very nice Places to Go Scuba Diving. i like all
thanks for making this nice and informative blog
Monterosa
Great places, Maldives is one of the best diving destination because of its beautiful coral reefs and multiple coloured tropical fish.
I’ve looked at a couple of “top ten” diving lists on the internet, and the Blue Hole was number one on all the lists. So is it really the best place to go diving or more of a personal preference? So far the only place i’ve had the chance to go, is Maui, which I know compared to some of these places, is minor, but it was really beautiful! Also does anyone know of any good places to go close to the US?
Hi Matt,
never easy to make lists, because it is impossible not to be influenced by personal experiences and tastes. However, as a long time diver I do not completely agree with ur list.
Fernando de Norhona is nice, but I wouldn’t consider it one of the best places
Blue Hole in Belize is unique, but the other spots are not at the same level
Among the best diving places I would personally suggest to add:
- Sudan (even better than many spots in Egyptian Red Sea)
- Indonesia: Bunaken Marine Park, Komodo
- Ecuador, Cocos Island: for thrilling dives with schools of hammerheads
- French Polynesia, Bora Bora
- Mexican Cenotes
- PNG
Cheers,
I have never thought about or had the desire to scuba dive but looking at these amazing places has got me thinking maybe I could be missing out on something special.
Hi Matt,
Am surprise to find Gili island on your list. You are right that Gili cheaper than Bali, but as for the dive sites, Bali is more more beautiful than Gili. If you’re looking for the clear viz + rich marine lifes, I agree with Waitinginthedark to dive in Bunaken or Komodo. As for now, my fav dive sites in Indonesia are Komodo and Raja Ampat. Wakatobi still in my wishlist.
Btw, am a diver and live in Indonesia.
Cheers,
really,, all picture is a wonderfull and amazing and sonder the redsee in the egypt all place is ahavenice fishes and alot of color in hurghada,, sharmelshakh ,,taba,,dahab,,marsaalam and newaiba
Awesome photos and list!
Sadly I’ve only done the Great Barrier Reef from the list, so plenty of catching up to do lol
Of course living in Malta allows me to have access to some of the best diving sites in Europe though
Cheers,
Marica
Scuba diving is my passion too! I’ve been to the Blue Hole with a friend of mine, it has been an incredible experience. As Marica said, there are some nice sites in Malta too, but I’m addicted to travelling hehe
Regards,
Milie
To leave off the “Bloody Wall” in the Cayman Islands smacks of global parochialism. A dive master that I knew from Austrialia told me that the Great Barrier Reef was over-rated and that to get to the best spots was a real hassle. I’ve since heard the same from several who have made the trip.
As a beginner scuba diver I’ll have to admit. Diving in the Atlanta Aquarium was the best place so far! We just came back and scuba dived with 4 whale sharks, manta rays, hammerheads, groupers, jacks, sand sharks, tiger sharks, and 1000s of other things bigger than us! It was much cooler then our Belize and Costa Rican dives by far! And may I suggest spending the night in the aquarium for a cool experience too!?
Belize is extreme, it’s a must see, recently i also went to Tayrona park and Taganga in the coast of Colombia, it was amazing. The water is crystal clear and you dont have to go to far to see great things. Lobsters, moray eel,mantaray, dolphins if you are lucky and lots of other colorful fish. Also it is very cheap, the equipement is not very sophistcated but for the price is good. I will say is a nice place for those budget divers. Also very safe!
My husband and I are going on a 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise where we stop at St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and the Bahamas but I don’t want to dive at all 3. Does anyone have any recommendations on which place is beter than the others?
French Polynesia is definitely the best place that I’ve been diving so far.
How does Maui compare with Turks and Caicos for diving?
I am a beginner and am planning a trip this March.I ahve an option to goto Maui or to Turks and Caicos.
Which do you recommend?
Definitely makes me want to go SCUBA diving again. It’s been awhile, but I’ve only conquered Hawaii…on this list, anyway
gili islands & fernando de noronha is the best an fabulos places….!!!!!!!!!!
the blue hole seems a mystrious one..
u can follow me on twitter.. @mona_butt
The Gili Islands are one of the sadest places I have ever dived (Gili T anyway, maybe the others are better). The dynamite fishing there is so extreme it looks like an A-bomb went off underwater and the coral is piled so high on the beach on the west end of town it looks like a snow plow put it there. HIGHLY over rated.
Sipidan is definitely off the charts beautiful and is my number one pick. Book ahead!
Hi, has anyone here tried diving Karimunjawa in Indonesia ?
I hear its a fantastic unspoiled reef better than Gilli Islands but can not find much information on it yet.
Yes, there are a lot of scuba’s spot in Gili (Lombok Island). Very beautiful island. We suggest you visit this island when go to Bali.
Hi All,
Planning to go for a beginners scuba dive course somewhere in the Great Barrier Reefs but don’t know where to go. Any tips or recommendation to location or the company to go with will be much appreciated. Thank you in advance for any suggestion.
guam hs the best beaches come and see it
Great post with some GREAT pictures!!! I collected my favorite dive sites together (considering many different things) and organized them on thebusride.com:
http://thebusride.com/ride/gone-divin-
Where is Cozumel? Coz has some of the best diving in the world with 150′+ viz, spectacular underwater walls and swimthroughs and plenty of marine life. I don’t see how you can include Hawaii but leave out Cozumel.
Bonaire of the Netherland Antillies is a good place to go scuba diving!!!!
YES! i think Philippines is one of the best diving sites in the world here you can see different kinds of corals and sea animals
i would like to invite you guys to dive here in the Philippines you can experience different kinds of marine life here the fishes corals and many more big and small marine creatures and their full of colors we have great diving sites here hope you can visit soon thank you and have fun diving 
Wish I could get to all those places! I came to Thailand in 1999 aiming to work on a dive boat in the Similan islands, loved it so much.. still here!
Thank your, for information.
These pictures are amazing, it makes me want to go diving now!!!
Love the amazing photos – thanks for including the Great Barrier Reef, it is absolutely stunning.
the best is philippines, still many areas here left undiscovered, a very rich of marine biodiversity
Hi! Great list you’ve got here and wonderful crisp pictures too.
May I recommend Tubbataha Reef in the Philippines?
Here’s a travel blog with pictures and a vid: http://halohalo.ph/?p=13001
Scuba diving is one of interesting destination. many best places to scuba diving in the world, and My blog contents are about best places in the world Thanks to share information and I like your post
One down, nine to go on this particular list. Great to have some new diving goals!
Great Article! We went diving at Sipadan about 5 months ago and it was AMAZING!!! Now we have many more to add to our list! Thanks!
Wow, I didn’t know Boracay is a good place for diving. I never really had such experience but I tried snorkeling there 2 years ago and I didn’t see much of an abundant wildlife..well, I think I might be also scared if I stumble upon a very surprising sea creature haha. Anyway, I think Palau should be considered one of the grandest dive sites especially in the Pacific. Its beauty is just awesomeness!!
You gotta go to rainbow reef in Fiji!! Best diving in the whole world. If you go, dive Great White Wall (no white sharks sorry…). Just be sure to check when the Fijian summer is, don’t go in the winter like I did because the sky was overcast every day except the day we got there and the day we left.
I am a junior and have only just got my certificate and can now go down to 12 metres. where would be the best place to go?
Where is Sudan on this list? Northern Red Sea now SPOILT by too many bad divers kicking ever piece if reef to pieces… go further south and it gets better and better…the best is sudan! Unspoilt reef, fish completely unafraid of divers and displaying natural mating behaviour in front of your mask..my buddy was hit on by a displaying parot fish..National Geographic could film nothing better..and the shark action….well, night diving with 30+ curious silky shark for one, not to mention the odd tiger! and the very fat, rather ominous greys sneaking up fro mbehind..and did I metnion the schooling hammer heads??…go there before it gets rammed by the masses..oh, and there is also Umbria, better the n Thistlegorm by far for wreckies… do a deep south trip and you go all the way to the Erithrean border lands, see no boats for weeks and when finding a new reef on the boatradar, might just decide to jump in to ’see what’s there’..i even have my name on one habili!!
Boracay is a good diving site but the best diving site in the Philippines is Verde Island Passage south of Manila. It has been described as the “centre of the centre” of the world’s marine biodiversity in a joint study by America’s Smithsonian Institute.
The Verde Island passage has been found to have 1,736 overlapping marine species in a 10-km by 10-km area, the largest concentration of marine life in the world.
The site with the second greatest number of species is in Palau Bintan in Indonesia, which has 1,670 species in a 10 by 10 km area.
I went to Fernando de Noronha a couple years ago when i used to live in Brasil ( I didnt go diving, sadly). It was beautliful! We went to this special little cove that was completly deserted and you can only reach via a special route. We went snorkelling there and saw a endangered species of sea turtle, forgot the name. We sat down on the beach and we could see the fish swimming through the waves, it was amazing. You can do diving from a very early age, 7 at the hotel we stayed, I wasnt allowed but wish I had been. Something you can do that is very cool is you go on a boat (with snorkelling things) and there are ropes attached to the boat with little boards on them. Everyone takes turns and you hold on to the planks and you can push them and be able to dive up to a certain amout of meters. Again we saw turltes, dolfins and many other sea creatures! It was an amazing experience! I think that Fernando de Noronha definetly deserves a place on this list!
J