If you are looking for a list of the very best scuba diving in the world, you’ve come to the right place! We have compiled the top 100 scuba diving locations on Earth, and each one is waiting for you to visit and explore.
If you are like most normal humans and can’t go diving all these locations, let us do it for you! We have linked to articles and videos to each location we have covered on the list, to show you what its really like, and if it indeed deserves to be on the list as one of the best dive sites in the world!
Also, if you are curious about what each location really looks like, and how to get to them, check out Justin Carmack, Art of Scuba Diving founder’s, mission to document and explore each and every site on the list.
It is his goal to bring you an underwater video, guides and articles from each and every location, and be able to say he’s dove the top 100 dive sites! Go check out the progress he’s made on the journey to the top 100, and get a much closer look at some amazing, remote and hidden scuba diving locations.
1. The dive sites of Dahab, Egypt (Great Blue Hole, Canyon)
2. Manta Reef, Tofo, Mozambique
3. SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea, Egypt
4. Dive sites around Diani, Kenya
5. Abu Galum, Egyptian Red Sea
6. Sha’ab Rumi South, Sudan
9. Whale shark diving in Djibouti
10. Island of Socotra, Yemen
11. Dive sites around Madagascar
12. Mafia Island, Tanzania
13. The Cathedral, Flic-en-Flac, Mauritius
15. The Dubai Mall Aquarium, UAE
16. Cirkewwa, Malta
18. Asinara Marine Park, Sardinia, Italy
19. Blockship Tabarka, Scapa Flow, Orkney Scotland
20. Dive sites around Madiera Island, Portugal
21. Farne Islands, England
22. Between continental plates, Silfra, Þingvellir, Iceland
23. Elephant Head Rock, Similans, Thailand
24. Tubbataha, Palawan, Philippines
25. Dive sites of Moalboal, Philippines
26. Dive sites off of El Nido, Philippines
27. Dive sites around Malapascua, Philippines
28. Wrecks of Coron Bay, Philippines
29. Seaventure House Reef, Mabul, Malaysia
30. Layang Layang, near Borneo, Malaysia
31. South Point, Sipadan Island, Malaysia
32. Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island, Malaysia
33. Macro diving around Dauin, Philippines
34. Lembeh muck diving, Indonesia
35. Liberty Wreck, Bali, Indonesia
36. Batu Bolong, Komodo Island, Indonesia
37. Richelieu Rock, Thailand
38. Arborek Jetty, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
39. Puerto Galera, Philippines
40. Castle Rock, Komodo, Indonesia
41. Secret Bay, Anilao, Philippines
42. Manta Sandy, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
43. Yonaguni Jima, Yaeyama Islands, Japan
44. Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa, Polynesia
45. Samurai Wharf, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
46. Tumakohua Pass, Fakarava, French Polynesia
47. Goofnuw Channel, Yap
48. Grand Central Station, Gizo, Solomon Islands
49. The San Francisco Maru, Chuuk, Micronesia
50. Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia
51. Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea
52. Great white wall, Taveuni, Fiji
53. Split rock, Kadavu Isle, Fiji
54. SS President Coolidge, Vanuatu
55. Blue Corner Wall, Palau
56. Ngemelis Wall, Palau
57. Wrecks and sites of Guam, USA
58. Cod Hole, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
59. Yongala, Queensland, Australia
60. Humpback Whales in Tonga
61. Point Murat Navy Pier, Australia
62. Rainbow Warrior, New Zealand
63. Blue Maomao Arch, Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand
64. Bullshark Diving in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
65. USS Spiegel Grove, Key Largo, Florida Keys
66. Molasses Reef, Florida Keys
67. RMS Rhone wreck, British Virgin Islands
68. Cedarville, Mackinac Straits Underwater Preserve, Michigan
69. U-352 wreck, Morehead City, North Carolina
70. The Vandenberg Wreck, The Keys, Florida.
71. The Charlie Brown wreck, St. Eustatius, Netherland Antilles
72. Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
73. Browning Pass Wall, British Columbia, Canada
75. The Dos Ojos Cenotes, Tulum, Mexico
76. The Pit Cenotes, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
77. Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
78. L’Anse Chemin, Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
79. Cristobal Colon, Bermuda
80. Bianca C Wreck, Grenada
81. La Dania’s Leap to Karpata, Bonaire, Netherlands
82. Stuart Cove’s Shark Dive, New Providence Island, Bahamas
83. Roca Partida, Socorro Islands, Mexico
84. Point Lobos, Carmel, California
85. Scotts Head Pinnacle, Dominica
86. Palancar Deep, Cozumel, Mexico
87. Underwater Museum, Cancun, Mexico
88. The wrecks and reefs of Aruba
89. Superior Producer wreck, Curacao
90. USS Oriskany, Pensacola, Florida
91. Kamikaze Cut, Tobago
92. Devils Throat, Cozumel, Mexico
94. CoCo View Wall, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
95. The Canyons, Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras
96. Cocos Island, Costa Rica
97. Malpelo Island, Colombia
98. Half Moon Caye Wall, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize
99. Darwin’s Arch, Galapagos, Ecuador
100. Gordon Rocks, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
When it comes to listing the best scuba diving in the world, its nearly impossible to rank them accurately. When we are talking about the top one hundred dive locations, they are all so good that it just turns into a matter of opinion about what one you prefer.
Each location is unique and offer different things and different types of diving, but all are amazing. Thats why this list are the top 100, but not ranked in any order. Did we miss any locations that should be on the top 100? Let us know!
You can also check out our list of top places to see Manta Rays, which includes awesome dive locations like Maldives, Costa Rica and Bali, all of which are on this list!
If you want to follow along on Justin’s mission to explore each of the top 100, check out his progress HERE!
Great Article, the art of diving is an easy art to master.
You are missing Thailand in your list !
Thanks! And Thailand is on there!
I dove on the Thistlegorm a few years ago and hated it. It is a beautiful and haunting wreck. The dive was ruined by that fact that it is an extremely popular dive location and there were well over 100 people diving on it when I went. There were times when you couldn’t see the wreck through all of the bubbles. With all of those divers, I couldn’t help but think how disrespectful it was to have the war graves of the crew members who died on the ship when it was sunk desecrated in such a way.
Dove on the Al Munassir near Muscat, Oman a few months later and it was one of the best wreck dives I have ever done. My guide and I were the only ones diving on the entire massive, intentionally sunk ship. Had a scary encounter with the massive eel that lives on the deck, the goliath grouper that lives in the wheel room, and a 15-foot bull shark.
That’s the drawback of diving in Egypt. It’s the closest warm water diving to Europe, and it’s also very cheap, so it does attract the hordes.
I suggest you go in winter time. The dive sites are much quieter then. The weather is also more pleasant, averaging 26 degrees Celsius in the daytime. The sea is cooler, but it’s still 21 degrees, so fine with a 5mm full suit. Also, the cooler water brings sharks to the surface.
Ya its really sad how people are treating Thistlegorm, but hopefully some day the Egyptian government steps in and protects one of its top attractions. Who knows.
You are totally missing the Canary Islands. I think the best spots here are on El Hierro but the other islands are nice as well.
I can’t believe how great this site is. You keep up the good work. That’s my advice pal.
Nice site, there is maybe room for another destination, namely the Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar (Burma).
Since there are not many liveaboard boats going to Myanmar, it is still a paradise for divers.
At the Similan Islands, there are more dive sites worth to visit then the ones you mention in your article.
Honestly I need to take another look at Myanmar, I bet it does have a ton of great sites, and uncrowded too. I need to go check it out sometime