Best Scuba Diving Destinations in the World

With crazy clear waters and an overabundance of isolated and deserted islands to explore, the Maldives is becoming an increasingly popular destination among the diving community. An enormous playground for divers to explore, the Maldives offers superior diving all-year round with amazing visibility for underwater photography.

With water coming in from the Indian Ocean to the Lagoons,  it’s very beneficial to know how to drift dive due to the current so diving experience is recommended; the water does bring with, however, a plethora of plankton which in turn attracts an incredible range of marine life!

Best Places to Scuba Dive in the Maldives

For Beginners:

• Fotteyo Kandu, Vaavu Atoll
• Baa Atoll
• Dhaalu Atoll

For Experienced Divers:

• Kuda Rah Thila, South Ari Atoll
• Okobe Thila, North Male Atoll
• Kandooma Thila, South Male Atoll
• Broken Rock, South Ari Atoll
• Kuredu Express, Lhaviyani Atoll

Always wanted to explore the Maldives via a liveaboard boat?
Click to read our full comparison article on the best Maldives liveaboards

It may be highly underrated as a scuba diving destination but Indonesia is actually one of the world’s best destinations for exploring the depths of the waters. As the world’s largest archipelago, Indonesia boasts one of the longest coastlines and holds four times more ocean than land which stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.

With a wealth of water filled to the brim with 600 coral species, 3,000 fish species, and countless steep walls, deep water trenches, wrecks, and volcanic rocks, divers will want to spend as much time as possible in this underwater kingdom.

Maximize your time exploring this part of the Coral Triangle with a liveaboard and you’ll never want to leave!

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Indonesia

For Beginners:

• Raja Ampat (Boo Rock, Manta Sandy, Kaleidoscope and Muck Bay)
• Pulau Weh (Batee Tokong, Sophie Rickmers Wreck, Rubiah Sea Garden, and Pantee Peunateung)
• Wakatobi Islands (House Reef)
• Bali Island (Malibu Point, Manta Point, Crystal Bay and Gili Biaha)
• Togian Islands (Bomba Wall, House Reef, Bomber Plane and Una Una)

For Experienced Divers:

• Raja Ampat (Boo Rock, Manta Sandy, Kaleidoscope and Muck Bay)
• Pulau Weh (Batee Tokong, Sophie Rickmers Wreck, Rubiah Sea Garden, and Pantee Peunateung)
• Komodo Islands (Batu Bolong, Tatawa Kecil, Manta Point, and Batu Tiga)
• Lombok Islands (Belongas Bay and the Gili Islands)
• Bunaken Islands (Fukui Point)
• Banda Island (Gunung Api and Batu Wali)

A liveaboard trip is one of the best ways to dive in Indonesia.
Check out our guides to learn more!

As one of the world’s top tourist destinations, receiving over a million people per year, people flock to Thailand for the stunning beaches, outdoor adventures, friendly people, amazing food, and, of course, the unique scuba diving.Thailand’s world-class dive sites satisfy everything a serious diver could ever want from a variety of corals, fish, rays and sharks (it’s on the edge of the Coral Triangle!) to an abundance of reefs, deep drop-offs, wrecks, walls and caverns, as well as open ocean adventures.

It doesn’t just end there either. Liveaboards are well-established and plentiful throughout Thailand. They can take you to the most popular areas as well as some otherwise inaccessible places so that you can experience some of the best dive sites — all at an affordable price!

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Thailand

For Beginners:

• Koh Tao (Chumphon Pinnacle and HTMS Sattakut Wreck)
• Between Similan and Surin Islands (Koh Tachai and Koh Bon)
• Between Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao (Sail Rock)

For Experienced Divers:

• Ko Lanta (Hin Daeng and Hin Mouang / “Red & Purple Rock”)
• Between Phuket and Koh Phi Phi (Koh Dok Mai)
• Between Similan and Surin Islands (Richelieu Rock)
• Similan National Marine Park (The Similan Islands)
• Between Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao (Sail Rock)

Discover the Similan Islands with a liveaboard trip!
Read our full comparison article on the best Similan liveaboards

A lot of countries claim to have “some of the best diving on the planet” and the Philippines is no different — but it also claims to have the most diverse dives too.”The best” may be subjective but there’s no denying that the Philippines offers a variety of diving to meet all sorts of diver desires.

A vast archipelago of over 7,000 islands scattered across over 300,00 sq km of ocean, the waters here are littered with historic wreck dives, challenging drift dives, and are filled with record numbers of nudibranch species, schools of fish, and migrating giant whale sharks.

Sounds like a diving mecca right?

Best Places to Scuba Dive in the Philippines

For Beginners:

• Cebu City (Moal Boal)
• Occidental Mindoro (Apo Reef)
• Palawan (Coron Bay, Destacado Reef, The Dilumacad Underwater Tunnel, and North Rock)

For Experienced Divers:

• Southeast of Palawan (Tubbataha Reef)
• Cebu City (Malapascua Island)
• Palawan (Coron Bay, Destacado Reef, The Dilumacad Underwater Tunnel, and North Rock)

Want an unforgettable diving experience in the Philippines?
Click to read our guide to the best Philippines liveaboards

The Red Sea is its own world of wild wonders just waiting to be explored.Blessed with warm and clear waters, Egypt has long been considered one of the world’s top scuba diving destinations. From wreck-littered dives in the north to remote and eerie dives in the south, you can find dives with something for everybody whether you’re interested in megafauna or hard-to-find macro species.

Home to amazing reefs teeming with marine life, pelagic fishes, reef sharks, dolphins, and even the very rare Dugong, Egypt is a destination that needs to be on every diver’s list.

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Egypt

For Beginners:

• Hurghada (Abu Nuhas Reef)
• Marsa Alam (Fury Shoals)
• Sharm El Sheikh (SS Dunraven Wreck)

For Experienced Divers:

• Dahab (Dahab Blue Hole)
• Between Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab (Thistlegorm Wreck)
• Marsa Alam (Elphinstone Reef)
• Marsa Alam (Abu Dabbab)

Experience the best of Egypt diving on a liveboard!
Check out our guide to the best liveaboard boats in Egypt

Renowned for their granitic island formations, the Seychelles offers incredibly unique diving experiences as they boast both the common carbonate tropical reefs and their own unique granite-based reefs, each flourishing with diverse marine life.Then there’s also the striking difference between dive sites in the Inner Islands compared to the Outer Islands.

In the Inner Islands, you will find shallow dives with easy conditions where the waters are full of angelfish, lionfish, octopus, mantis, batfish, sharks, and moray eels.

In the Outer Islands, dives become much more challenging with dramatic drop-offs, expansive reefs, walls, pinnacles, and canyons. Here you will see a range of wildlife from bumphead parrotfish, Napolean wrasses, stingrays and silvertips to oceanic whitetips, manta rays, whale sharks and hammerhead sharks!

Best Places to Scuba Dive in the Seychelles

For Beginners:

• Mahe (Fisherman’s Cove)
• Beau Vallon Bay (The Vista Bay Rocks)
• Mahod (The Trompeuse Rocks)

For Experienced Divers:

• La Digue (Marianne Island)
• Mahe (Dredger Wreck, Shark Bank, Therese Island)
• Ennerdale wreck

Madagascar

As one of the world’s most remote diving destinations, Madagascar attracts water enthusiasts who want to escape the crowds of the Indian Ocean to enjoy pristine seascapes to themselves.Although the country has always been a haven for eco-tourists and wildlife lovers who explore its land, this exploration is slowly extending to its waters too. A fairly undiscovered underwater destination (for now!, Madagascar is home to huge mantas and sharks and is the breeding grounds for whales. A true sight to behold!

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Madagascar

For Beginners:

• Nosy Tanikely Marine Reserve
• Olaf’s Reef
• The Four Brothers
• Gorgonian Fan Forest
• The Gran Banc Exterior

For Experienced Divers:

• La Grotte des îles de Nattes
• The Four Brothers
• The Gran Banc Exterior

Best Diving in North America

From cold water ocean dives to tropical adventures, you won’t be short on choice when it comes to scuba diving in North America.

Feast your eyes on the beautiful tropical reefs in Hawaii and Florida, discover shipwrecks in Ontario and North Carolina and swim for your life from giant octopus and orcas in British Columbia.

Belize

Although one of the smallest countries in Central America, Belize is home to the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere and second largest in the world. That means, 300km full of pristine dive sites among hundreds of atolls and caves and surrounded by waters teeming with colourful marine life.With a reputation as one of the best diving destinations in the region, Belize is popular with both diving beginners and pros, as well as water enthusiasts who are partial to warm turquoise waters.

From shallow coral gardens to plunging walls, the Belize Barrier Reef is a sight to behold — especially in whale shark season!

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Belize

For Beginners:

• Turneffe Atoll (Turneffe Atoll Reef – Western side, The Wreck of the Sayonara)
• Ambergris Caye (Lighthouse Reef, Great Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye, Dive QueBrada, Hol Chan Marine Reserve)

For Experienced Divers:

• Turneffe Atoll (Turneffe Atoll Reef – Eastern & Southern side, The Elbow)
• Ambergris Caye (Lighthouse Reef, Great Blue Hole, Hol Chan Marine Reserve)

Mexico

If you’re not into colorful reefs (and maybe even if you are), Mexico may just wow you in a different way.We’re talking encountering large pelagics!

From swimming alongside a school of humpback whales to descending the depths inside a cage to get up close and personal with a great white shark, Mexico may not offer as many “pretty'”dives but it definitely will leave you with some thrilling memories. Will you take the plunge?

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Mexico

For Beginners:

• Guadalupe – for cage diving
• Sea of Cortez (La Vela – Angel Island, El Arrayo – Punta Martir, El Lavadero – Las Animas) – for large pelagics

For Experienced Divers:

• Socorro Islands (Isla Socorro, Roca Partida, Isla Clarion, San Benedicto) – for large pelagics
• Guadalupe (Sec Pâté, Banc des Vaisseaux) – for cage diving
• Sea of Cortez (La Vela – Angel Island, El Arrayo – Punta Martir, El Lavadero – Las Animas) – for large pelagics

Costa Rica

Unlike several of its neighboring countries whose diving is concentrated around the Caribbean, Costa Rica’s best dive sites are found mostly in the Pacific.This means marine-rich waters and vast spaces to roam as many of the best sites are only accessible by liveaboard. Home to the incredible diving hotspot, Cocos Island, Costa Rica is a big draw for divers who dream about being surrounded by huge schools of sharks, especially hammerheads.

So what are you waiting for? Marine sanctuaries, remote islands, and diverse wildlife awaits you.

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Costa Rica

For Beginners:

• Cocos Island (Manuelita Garden)
• Cano Island (Shark Cave, Coral Garden)
• Guanacaste and the Bat Islands (Bajo Negro)

For Experienced Divers:

• Cocos Island (Bajo Alcyone, Dirty Rock, Manuelita Deep)
• Cano Island (Bajo Del Diablo, Devil’s Rock, Los Arcos)
• Guanacaste and the Bat Islands (Big Scare)

Hawaii

Ahhh…tropical Hawaii: a paradise destination even without exploring the depths of its waters.As Hawaii is so strikingly beautiful in itself, it’s no wonder why it’s not necessarily a hot topic in the dive world, but don’t be surprised if it soon will be.

If you plunge into its waters, you will be surrounded by sunken volcanoes with their majestic lava formations, not to mention, a plethora of marine life — 25% of which are uniquely specific to this area!

With its warm inviting waters just begging for exploration, any and every type of diver is welcome.

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Hawaii

For Beginners:

• Big Island (Paradise Pinnacle, Turtle Pinnacle)
• Oahu (The Haleiwa Trench, Haunama Bay Marine Sanctuary)
• Kauai (Tunnels Reef, Cannons)

For Experienced Divers:

• Big Island (Tubastrea Tunnel, Turtle Pinnacle)
• Oahu (Shark’s Cove, Waikiki, Waianae)
• Kauai (Sheraton Caverns, Brennecke’s Drop-off, Niihau)
• Molokai (Mokuhooniki Rock)

Best Diving in South America

A big and diverse continent, South America also offers incredible diversity under its waters.

From cold waters and creatures you won’t encounter anywhere else on earth in the Galapagos to tropical waters and an impressive 36 islands with over 50 dives sites in Venezuela, let’s just say there’s some diving to do here.

Galapagos

The Galapagos is a magical place where some of the rarest species known on the planet roam (and with no fear of man, may I add). This makes it remarkable to explore both on land and beneath the surface.A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Galapagos still manages to completely protect its islands and creatures even though it is a world-renowned diving destination.

It is for this reason that you can see amazing underwater geological formations, majestic marine iguanas, manta rays, sharks, and even penguins, and ultimately leave with a greater sense of awe for the place that inspired the Theory of Evolution.

Best Places to Scuba Dive in the Galapagos

For Beginners:

• Santa Cruz Island (The Caamaño Islet)
• Bartolome Island (The Bartolome Point)
• Isabela Island (Tortuga Island)

For Experienced Divers:

• Daphne Island (Daphne Minor)
• Wolf Island (The Shark Point)
• Santa Curz Island (Gordon Rocks)
• Isabela Island (Cape Marshall)

A liveaboard is the best way to visit the iconic dive sites in the Galapagos.
See our full comparison guide to the best Galapagos liveaboards!

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Italy

For Beginners:

• Sardinia (Stintino)
• St. Lucia (Smugglers Cove, Devil’s Hole)
• Sorrento (Capo di Sorrento, Li Galli Islands)
• Elba (Elviscott, Pianosa Island)

For Experienced Divers:

• Sardinia (KT12, Nasello wrecks)
• St. Lucia (Daini Koyomaru Wreck)
• Sorrento (Mitigliano Grotto, Vervece Rock)
• Elba (Formiche della Zanca)

Croatia

We’ve all seen the stunning postcard-perfect Adriatic Coast so it’s no wonder that Croatia sits comfortably on the list of the world’s top diving spots.With an abundance of islands and a coastline that stretches for miles, Croatia is adorned with colorful reefs and mystical caverns, not to mention pillars and canyons that make diving here both exciting and entirely surprising.

Although the country has around 1,000 islands just waiting to be explored, make time to dive in the blue cave (Bisevo Grotto) as it is truly a sight to behold!

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Croatia

For Beginners:

• Susak (Margarina Reef, Te Vega)
• Vis Island (Fortunal, Bisevo Grotto)
• Hvar Island (Pakleni Otoci)

For Experienced Divers:

• Dubrovnik (Taranto Wreck)
• Kornati Islands (Rasip)
• Pag (Premuda)

Malta

Did you know that, according to diving fanatics, Malta is a must-dive destination in Europe? It’s true!It’s a favorite because of many reasons, but mainly the country is renowned for its incredible wreck diving and extraordinary natural rock formations. In spite of having less living species than coral reefs elsewhere, Malta more than makes up for it with its warm Mediterranean waters, incredible visibility and just general tranquillity beneath the waves.

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Malta

For Beginners:

• Gozo Island (MV Karwela Wreck)
• Comino (Santa Maria Caves)
• Qawra Point (Qawra Reef)
• Cirkewwa (Madonna Statue)

For Experienced Divers:

• Xrobb l-Ghagin (The Blenheim Bomber Wreck)
• Qawra Point (Qawra Reef)
• Cirkewwa (Madonna Statue)

Best Diving in Oceania

Holding the crown for the very best scuba diving in the whole world, do you need much more convincing to choose Oceania as your next diving destination? If you do, then buckle up.

Being the world’s largest ocean, the Pacific boasts some of the most exotic marine life, contains heaps of historic wrecks ready for exploring, and is home to some of the most stunning seascapes that will make your marvel at how wondrous the world is.

Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is a site on almost everyone’s bucket list and a top diving destination.With a coastline of over 25,000 kilometres, Australia boasts tropical and sub-tropical waters that are full of unique and exotic wonders. Basking in the glory of its reputation as the best diving paradise in the whole world, this vast continent offers immense diving options that are spread all over the country.

Whether you’re a novice or a full-fledged diving master, you will find seascapes, drop-offs and wrecks galore that literally blow your mind.

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Australia

For Beginners:

• The Great Barrier Reef (Ribbon Reefs, Osprey Reef, HMAS Brisbane, Heron Island, Flynn Reef, Pellowe Reef, Hastings Reef)
• New South Wales (Byron Bay – Julian Rocks, Fish Rock)
• Victoria (Corio Bay, Cottage by the Sea Reef, Port Phillip Bay, Rye Pier, Flinders Pier)
• Western Australia (Ningaloo Reef, Breaksea Island, Rottnest Island)

For Experienced Divers:

• The Great Barrier Reef (SS Yongala, Flynn Reef, Holmes Reef
• Terrigal (Ex HMAS Adelaide (II))
• Victoria (Ex HMAS Canberra (II), Diamond Bay)
• Western Australia (Ningaloo Reef, Breaksea Island, Rottnest Island)
• Tasmania (Cathedral Cave)

Get the ultimate Australia diving experience with a liveaboard trip.
Check out our guide to Australia’s best liveaboards!

“The heart of the South Pacific.” “The Soft Coral Capital of the World.”

“The Best Shark Diving Location in the World.”

These are just some of the titles that Fiji is labeled with, and it more than lives up to its reputation. With over 4,000 square miles of stunning coral reef, Fiji offers a wide variety of diving adventures from tranquil manta ray visits to adrenaline-pumping shark encounters.

It doesn’t stop there either as the waters are home to 390 vibrant coral species, 1,200 fish species and five of the world’s seven marine turtle species! You’ll discover some of the most colorful reef ecosystems diving in Fiji.

With 333 islands, it’s pretty incredible how one country can offer so much.  You’ll have no regrets when you choose to dive in Fiji!

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Fiji

For Beginners:

• Viti Levu (Beqa Lagoon, Viti Levu Coral Coast)
• Mana Island (The Supermarket)
• Gau Island (Koro Gardens, Jim’s Alley)
• Makongi Island (Coral Gardens)

For Experienced Divers:

• Viti Levu (Beqa Lagoon, Shark Reef)
• Kadavu (Great Astrolabe Reef)
• Namena Marine Reserve (Chimneys)
• Gau Island (Nigali Passage, Shark Fin Point)
• Makongi Island (Makongi Channel)

Papua New Guinea

Want to explore a place that has more fish than water? Then head to Papua New Guinea to explore its depths!With pristine dives and marine-rich waters, diving in Papua New Guinea is nothing more than unforgettable.

Made up of more than 600 volcanic, jungle-clad islands, you can imagine the undersea paradise that is waiting to be discovered. Pair this with the fact that the country is a part of the stunning Coral Triangle and a marine biodiversity hotspot is pretty much guaranteed!

Offering remote WWII wreck dives, vibrant coral reefs, six of the world’s seven marine turtle species, and crystal clear waters, is there any wonder that this country is an up-and-coming scuba diving sensation?

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Papua New Guinea

For Beginners:

• Kavieng (Kavieng town, Lissenung Island)
• New Britain Island (Kimbe Bay)
• Milne Bay (Samarai Island)

For Experienced Divers:

• Kavieng (Bismark Sea, Kavieng Harbor, New Hanover Island)
• New Britain Island (Fathers Reefs, Witu Islands)
• Milne Bay (the Black Jack, Dinah’s Beach, Tawali House Reef)

Best Diving in Antarctica

Antarctica is a whole different world above sea level, so imagine what it is like in the depths?

Diving under polar waters is like no other dive in the world and it’s better than anything you can ever imagine. The combination of water, sunlight, and ice formations create a spectrum of ever-shifting color and with waters rich with krill, you can’t avoid bumping into marine life every time you venture below the surface.

Antarctic Peninsular

Visiting the Antarctic is otherworldly in itself but imagine the world that you can discover underneath its frozen surface?Experience a dive like no other — the combination of freezing cold waters with the sunlight glinting off of impressive underwater ice formations is a surreal experience. Imagine swimming through a kaleidoscope of colors that continues to shift and change, and you’ll have some sort of picture of what it’s like to dive in one of the world’s remotest areas.

As well as experiencing some of nature’s incredible natural wonders, you will also be captivated by the range of marine wildlife that are attracted by the waters rich with krill. Be wowed, be dazzled, and swim with some playful penguins.

Let’s just say diving in Antartica will make your life complete.

Best Places to Scuba Dive in Antarctica

For Beginners:

• No suitable dives for beginners or some intermediate divers

For Experienced Divers:

• Whaler’s Bay
• Gouldier
• Palmer Station
• Bahia Wreck
• Detaille Island
• Danco Island
• Peterman Island

Our Top Tip: Try Out Liveaboard Diving

If you’re ready to embark on a thrilling dive adventure, you may want to check out diving liveaboards that can take you to some of the iconic dive sites we’ve mentioned above. A liveaboard is a great way to access remote, untouched diving locations and make the most of your time on the water.

Check out our guide to planning a liveaboard trip to learn more about how you can take the ultimate diving adventure. In this article, we break down how to choose a liveaboard diving destination, how to choose a boat, as well as provide comparisons to help you find the best trip for your budget.

Or search for your dream liveaboard trip here!
(Check out the great last-minute deals)

We hope that this list of the best scuba diving destinations in the whole world has inspired you to seek underwater adventures and explore new diving locations!

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Looking for more diving inspiration? We’ve got you covered!

• Your Complete Guide to Raja Ampat Diving
• Philippines Diving: Best Dive Sites You Need to Visit in 2022
• Liveaboard Diving: The Ultimate Guide On Planning A Diving Holiday

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