Do You Have a Dive Bucket List for 2020?
Everyone has a bucket list of things they would like to do before they leave this world. A scuba diver's top 10 best diving sites he or she needs to have on their list is inevitable.
Looking for a list of the best diving sites to see before hanging up your fins? Check these ones out and get diving.
A list of the top 10 best diving places in the world should include something from every type of dive.
Get Creative
If you have plenty of time to go diving you could make more than the one list.
Try compiling a bucket list of the top 10 best diving sites in Europe or the Caribbean and work your way around the world.
Our list of the Top 10 best diving sites in the world:
This list is merely a suggestion of what we have on our list and sites you should consider for your own list.
1. Cape Kri - Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Coral garden like you've never seen it before
- Great marine life: Manta Rays, Sharks, Barracudas and giant trevallies.
- Record setting 374 different species of fish
- Best dived from Papua Diving Resort but can also be done from a Liveaboard
Raja Ampat has the best diving, but how much does it cost to go diving here. See the prices on a liveaboard trip.
2. Barracuda Point - Sipadan Island
- World class Malaysian dive site.
- 800 meters drop off
- Occasionally strong sweeping currents.
- Broadly diverse sea life; Sea Turtles, Buffalo Fish, Coconut Crab
Want to know more about Sipadan? Check the prices on a trip here.
3. Blue Corner - Palau, Micronesia
- A wall dive popular with experienced divers.
- Strong currents for a challenging dive.
- Excellent opportunity to see sharks.
- Fabulous diversity of marine life.
Might Blue Corner be the next dive spot for you? Check the prices on a trip and see if you're going here next.
4. Thistlegorm - Egyptian Red Sea
- Cargo ship wreck filled with motorbikes, train carriages and trucks.
- Sunk in 1941 after being bombed by 2 German bombers .
- Laying at a max depth of 29 meters.
- Reports of encounters with giant moray eels.
- Popular site for a night dive.
Going wreck diving in Egypt? Check the prices on a Liveaboard trip that passes Thistlegorm, and see if how cheap (or expensive) you can go diving here.
5. Shark & Yolanda Reef - Egyptian Red Sea
- Shark reef rich in anemones.
- Mixture of drop off and ship wreck.
- Good currents for drift diving.
- Three reefs in one dive.
You might think that this is too much of the good diving to be able to afford this trip, but you migh also be surpried at how easy you can go diving here. Check the prices for Shark and Yolanda Reef.
6. The Yongala - Queensland, Australia
- 109 metres wreck (entry into the ship is forbidden).
- Protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act.
- Lots of wildlife: Manta Rays, Tiger Sharks, Bull Sharks and Turtles.
- Incredible coral formations.
- Accessible from Ayr Township.
109 meters of pure wreck diving love. This makes the top 10 best list because of the sheer amount of everything! The Yongala has it all, trust me on this, but how much is a dive here? Check the prices, and see for your self.
Some of the best Wreck Diving - Credit: Teddy Fotiou
7. Great Blue Hole - Belize
- Incredibly deep hole edged with coral reefs.
- Great visibility in the water.
- Best time to dive is between April – June.
- Hole is 143 meters deep and home to plenty of mako and sharks.
Diving a gorge is quite unique and therefore this one makes it on the top 10. Interested in diving the Great Blue Hole of Belize? Check the prices on a dive trip here.
8. Big Brother - Egyptian Red Sea
- Divers must have 50+ open water dives under their belt to dive here.
- Currents can be wild and unpredictable.
- Interaction with sharks is common.
- Steep sided volcanic cone dive.
Check the prices for at trip to The Brothers Islands, Egypt.
9. Manta Ray Night Dive - Kailua Kona, Hawaii
- Lights set into the ocean floor attract plankton which attracts manta rays.
- Currents here can be wild at times, but on a good day you'll have the show of a lifetime.
- Guaranteed close encounters with the large Manta rays.
Any diver would be remiss to omit some form of night diving from a top 10. This one is worth it. Read more about Diving in Hawaii and check the prices here.
10. Liberty Wreck - Bali, Indonesia
- Wreck dive between 9-30m of water.
- Suitable for all levels of diving skill.
- A photographer’s favorite site because of the abundance of life here.
- Very still current with visibility up to 30 meters.
This one is great for someone starting the top 10 list. It's lush marine life is amazing! Check the prices on a trip to the Liberty Ship wreck, Bali, Indonesia.
USAT Liberty wreck. Tulamben, Bali - Credit: Dudarev Mikhail
Do you have any diving Bucket list? Tell us where you wish to go diving!
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I did number 10 last year, amazing place. I think they are all on my list. Next year it’s Egypt and for the two brothers and the Thistlegorm. I wish I could go Belize or Palu but that gotta be another time.
Thanks for sharing! Enjoy Egypt
Hello when it s time to egypt im planning to go after my advance open water padi to sharm maybe this time for blue hole dahab what do u think
My #1 is great Barriere reef and then sardin run in South Africa. Blue Hole would also be aazing to see but never been to that side off the world. Maybe some day.
I got “Sardin run” on my Bucket list as well. It been there for some years now. Maybe I should do something about it. Thanks for sharing, Louise.
I been to Great Barrier Reef .. great place but it disappoint me.. to much money spend but has a diver this not my kind of dive . Big luxury boat with full of people . 20 diver with 3 instructors. Nothing much we can c in this kinda of Havoc
1. Raja Ampat
2. Thistlegorm
3. Orcas in north Norway
4. Komodo
5. Sipidan
6. Sardin Run (almos forgont this one thanks Louise)
7. Lembeh strait
8. Richely Rock
9. Belize blue Hole
10. Mata ray Night dive in Hawaii Sounds like a clear number 10
Hi James, thanks for sharing your list. I hope you one day can cross them all off!
Komodo is definitely one of the Top best 5 destination like Tahiti !!!
Should the writer must go there before forgetting the top best scuba diving in the world 😉
I want more money! There are so may cool places to see and I’m broke. Would someone sponsor a dive trip to me!
Rangiroa
The Maldives
Indonesia – all over
Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia
Sipadan
Cocos Island
scapa flow
Komodo
Blue hole
Bikini Atoll
I guess thats mine to name only 10 haha
Most of my dive site in my bucket list is in Indonesia 🙂
Hello Cici! Where in Indonesia do you recommend? Specifically, we are in Bali, near Sanur? We would love to find a liveaboard, even with a short flight is fine! Thank You!
Komodo! Beautiful coral formations, multiple species of fishes in a single dive.
They have plenty of liveaboards, just take one short flight to Labuan Bajo and ask from the dive shops there.
I recommend Dive Komodo, their vessels are excellent and safety is main priority. Another good one is Wicked Diving. Both shops are located on the same street in LBJ (Jl Soekarno Hatta).
I did number 2, 7 and 10! Amazing and so lucky to be able to dive some of the best places in the world. I’d also love to dive Truk Lagoon Shipwrecks, Micronesia. That’s supposed to be wreck diving paradise if one’s into wrecks.
Truck Lagoon is AMAZING! I felt like I was in Disney Land underwater. All the colors are absolutely vibrant!! If you get over that way… Palau and Yap also have spectacular diving!!
I haven’t been to any of the featured dive sites. But if i may suggest to include Philippines in your list. You can plunged in reef enriched Tubataha Marine Parks, Wreck diving in Coron, Thresher sharks in Malapascua, Mantas in Masbate, Whalesharks in Donsol and a lot more. After all, ITS MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES!!!
Buckets just aren’t big enough! I’m gonna need a barrel!
Great idea to set some goals and then get after them.
Number 4 & 5…I would love to dive these places again!!
Manta Ray night dive, checked!
Wow great thanks for sharing and well done hov many of your top 10 have you done now? There sure is a lot of divers there as well.
Wtf. This looks awful. Poor mantas…
There is a reason why the Maldives restricted access for divers to a similar dive site years ago…
My stomach turned when watching this video. I have read several lists with this site listed in top ten, but this video made sure I will never travel here.
Anyone who do this dive should be ashamed od themselves.
I agree. That looked like 20+ divers flooding those poor confused creatures with lights at a time when they should be feeding or mating. We just returned from Galapagos and on our way to Gordon Rocks (#17 best in the world) dive we stopped in the outer passage to watch a dozen giant mantas gracefully socializing and feeding. It was magical. Stunning them at night like they do in that video is irresponsible and downright cruel. They look stressed and confused.
Indonesia is like a paradise for divers, Bali, Raja Ampat, Komodo Island, Wakatobi, Bunaken, and many more…
Hi Alvian. Yes, Indonesia is also a great diving destination. Thanks for sharing
Half I have done, half I dream to do. In no particular order:
1. Lancaster Sound, Nunavut (when the ice breaks up)
2. Ras Mohammed, Sharm El Sheikh
3. Blue Corner, Palau
4. Browning Wall, Port Hardy
5. Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
6. Sipadan
7. Tubataha, Philippines
8. Thresher shark dive, Malapascua
9. Maldives
10. wrecks of Chuuk Lagoon
It’s a really great list, which one have you done?
I’ve done Ras Mohammed, Sharm El Sheikh; Blue Corner, Palau; Sipadan; the thresher shark dive in Malapascua, Philippines; and some great dives in the Maldives.
I’ve done Ras Mohammed, Sharm El Sheikh; Blue Corner, Palau; Sipadan; the Thresher shark dive, Malapascua; and the Maldives.
Very nice dives you’ve done. Thresher sharks in Malapascua is a big one on my bucket list.
I would also recommend Navy Pier in Exmouth, Western Australia. On two dives at Navy Pier, I saw just as many species of marine life as I did on over 60 dives on the Great Barrier Reef. The Yongala is a great dive, though.
Thanks for the advice!
Einar from Norway here,
What I have done,but not necessarily in order,
Cenotes (fresh water) Mexico
Malapascua, Philippines
Dauin, macro, Philippines
Padre Purgos, Philippines, my first encounter with whale sharks, (and forget Isla Mujeres in Mexico…)
Liberty wreck, Bali, Indonesia. Remember to stay up there and dive early in the morning and in the afternoon to avoid the crowd. Plenty of other places to dive during day time there.
Komodo national park, Indonesia, Just perfect for mantas
Lembeh strait, best macro place in the world…
Sipadan, probably the first good place I went, but will probably not go back…
Missing:
Orca and humpback whales, well they are 30 min drive from my place in Norway in the dark period so very few have been snorkeled with them and made OK UW pictures / video…
Raja Ampat
Tubataha, Philippines, more big stuff than Raja Ampat
Galapagos
Chuuk lagoon
PNG
Palau
Tubataha, Galapagos, Chuuk lagoon, and PNG sound like cool places to dive
I have in my data base, over 700 dive sites in 33 areas all over Indonesia, and we have over 500 (25 areas) of them compiled into a book: Indonesia Dive Directory. It also includes over 300 uw photos and over 200 dive operators. It is also the first and the only dive guide book with “dive sites classification”. The ebook is available in iOS and Android through Scoop App
Wow, I have been lucky enough to dive 7 of those dive sites. Blue corner just tops Sipadan in my book. Also amongst other favs of mine are Richelieu Rock in Thailand, Batu Bolong in Komodo and Malapascua in Philly. The world really isn’t big enough 🙁
In no particular order:
Sardine run
Mexican cenotes
Galapagos
Scapa Flow
Bikini Atol
Truk
North Carolina wrecks
Antarctic
Palau wrecks
and I know it’s not technically a dive but really really wanted to go on a submersible to the Titanic before they stopped doing the trips a couple of years ago!!
At last a Top Dive Site list I can agree on. I’ve dived 4 of these already and would love to dive the others – hopefully soon! The only change I would do is find a place for a Komodo dive site – Cauldron, Crystal Rock or Batu Balong – or perhaps Tubbataha reefs Delsan wreck in Philippines. There’s just so many great dive sites in the world! 🙂
Funny enought I didn’t enjoy much of Sipadan, but I had a blast in the dirty water of Mabul where the macro life was astonishning!
If you haven’t explore yet I suggest the NAvy Pier in Exmouth, Western Australia. An amazing shore dive much simpler than the Yongala but very colorful and fun.
Thanks for sharing here. I am very happy to read your review.
getting ready to dive ,Cuba ,around Trinidad ,Ancon beach ,Cienfuegos ,Giron ,Bay of Pigs dose any one have any information ,are advice ,can’t find out much about it ???
To be honest, the best is Tioman Island, Malaysia. I guess they don’t advertise it because they learn the lesson from Similan. Check it out.
Unless something has changed drastically, Tioman has been considered quite inferior diving locale to its northern neighbors: Perhentians and Redang
Advice, anyone? We live in the US, were certified in Palau years ago, want to return to the Pacific. Traveling so far, and spending as much as we must, we want a thrilling experience. Best enjoy wall dives, don’t like wreck dives. Like eco-style accommodations. Will not go to Philippines, due to present government. Husband not interested in liveaboard, though I would try it.
We’re in our 60’s, so diving time running out! My head is spinning, not sure where to go!
Hello Stephanie, In my opinion Raja Ampat fits the bill. Shore base diving from local beach accommodation. Ranges from the most basic of basic rustic huts through to more comfortable eco resorts. Few if any wrecks, some walls, plenty of big & small stuff and wonderful reefs and corals. Sharks, Mantas. Plus its a thrilling experience just getting there.
Thanks, Paul S. I recently spoke with a couple who returned from Komodo Resort Diving Club and they were extremely happy with the diving and the dive masters, etc. Said the dive crew absolutely tailored the dives to them. This couple hasn’t been to Raja Ampat or Solomon Islands, which I’m also considering.
We’ve only had 60+ dives, so I’m wary of real dive challenges. However, we were certified in Palau, and we didn’t experience extreme currents on those fabulous dives. Loved the wall dives, and looking into the blue abyss.
Galapagos. Connect with a land based tour company and do all the other cool stuff while you are there (tortoises, blue footed boobies, penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions). The diving is the best we have done anywhere by far. Others we love: Belize (5 times including Blue Hole), Roatan, Bonaire. Panama/Las Perlas and Bocas del Toro. unremarkable.
Hello Guys, Im running out of places and ideas. I have been lucky enough to dive 7 out of the 10 on this list, Palau, Raja Ampat, Komodo, Bali, Similian, Lembeh, Verde Island, Sipidan, Malaspascua, The Brothers and other lesser dive locations. I really don’t know where to go next. I mainly do SE Asia as not only is it world class but my mate lives in Bali. I enjoy warm water, big & small creatures, wrecks not so much and remote places. I prefer shore based but will do liveaboards at a stretch. As I say im running out of ideas, may look at Tubataha or Fiji next but wondering if anyone else has any recommendations ??? Oh and in case your wondering my Top 5 dives sites are Blue Corner (Palau), Barracuda Point (Sipidan) Manta Ridge (Raja), Gato Island (Malapascua) & Batu Bolong (Komodo), just my opinion and what I saw and experienced on the day. I realise Im lucky enough to have visited these places but planet earth doesn’t seem such a big place as it once did. Many thanks
Galapagos Islands the divers mecca! check out gordon´s rock in santa cruz and darwins arch and wolf island.
Still a lot of dive destinations to discover! USAT Liberty at Tulamben was amazing. We were there two years ago, when we were traveling long-term with our toddler. Bunaken, Indonesia was really good too as well as the Dauin Coast near Dumaguete in the Philippines. I really enjoyed diving at Sipadan, but that’s well over 10 years ago. We’re lucky enough to have a holiday house in Dahab, Egypt. Not a top 10 destination, but nice shore diving. Off to Egypt again in a few days…! 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Luckily, there’s plenty of great dive sites left for most of us. Dahab, might not be a top 10, but still a great place for diving. Enjoy the trip.
Thanks Torben! Things seem to be picking up here in Dahab. A lot more tourists than last time we were here. Haha, and there are ALWAYS more great dive sites to discover 😉
i’m really surprised Malta is not listed on here. There are some brilliant diving locations. I did one of my first try dives in Malta over 12 months ago and can’t wait to dive there again.
https://youtu.be/qdi5DyPTLys
Welcome to the wonderful world of diving scubadude. However, with all due respect, to you and the diving of Malta (since I haven’t dived there), and with a focus on wreck diving as per the video, when one has dived wrecks such as the USS Liberty in Tulamben, Indonesia; or the WWII wrecks in Palau; the wrecks of Coron Bay, Philippines; the Thistlegorm in the Red Sea; and many others (as the list is long) … then the wreck dive as portrayed in the video — while interesting enough as a dive site — is hardly the stuff that will make most top 10 lists. That means there are a lot of dives out there that will really get the heart pumping. Enjoy!
Yes to all the locations… but the real #1 diving location in the world is “Darwin’s Arch” in Galapagos Islands…i have dived in many locations..(key largo, galapagos, thailand, oman, equator, etc) but it’s really another level…
Agree! We’ve been all over the world and the Galapagos took the cake for us. PHENOMENAL! Multiple squadrons of hammerheads, giant manta squadrons, white tip and black tip sharks everywhere, huge sea turtles everywhere, sea lions that come and play with you and your bubbles, dozens of eels and hundreds of rays and everything is HUGE and docile, as though they want you to see them up close and tell the world they have survived. Bonaire is great, Belize blue hole fabulous, Grand Cayman and Brac (without the cruise ship crowd), Cozumel walls and Turks and Caicos (pre hurricanes) also all awesome too.
I’d like to add to this list of top dive sites the Farne Islands in the UK. Great place to dive with seals, if you’re ok diving in cooler waters of between 9-15C (54-64F) (of course in a dry suit). The seals are great and in September/October time they are really playful and you get some great interaction with the adolescent seals.
Awesome suggestions. However, when it comes to Indonesia, I would also recommend:
* Mangrove Point
* Blue Corner
* Lembongan Bay
* Crystal Bay
* Secret Manta or Manta Bay
* Manta Point
* Jepun
* Blue Lagoon
* Napoleon Reef
* Biorock Reef / Reborn Reef
* Temple Wall Pemuteran
* Close encounters
* Biowreck
I went diving on a few of this spots last year in Lembongan with the Scuba Diving Academy (https://scubali.com/).
I would like to submit my top ten for Kauai, Hawaii. As a professional underwater tour guide I can personally vouch for the quality of these sites. See them for yourself http://www.gardenisledivers.com
10. Fast Lanes
9. Salt Pond Arch
8. General Store
7. Turtle Bluffs
6. Tunnels
5. Sheraton Caverns
4. Hale O Honu
3. Ambers Arches
2. Conrad’s Crack
1. Vertical Awareness – Niihau
Scuba Diving in Goa is one of the most outstanding water activity in Goa. You can view underwater marine life in the best possible way by exploring this package. Scuba diving is mostly explored from the month of October to May. The Scuba Diving in Goa costs varies from company to company. An adventure lover definitely should go for it. For non swimmers, Scuba Diving is a must to do water activity at Grande Island in Goa for people who are visiting Goa to view marine life.
Best diving I have ever done #1 Socorro Islands with the giant Mantas in Mexico, S of Cabo San Lucas!!! #2 Gallapagos Ecuador. Cold water diving at its best. Lots of Pelagics, so so visibility but really awesome. #3 Palau- Micronesia. Was just there in June but not the same as it was 18 years ago. Just beautiful area but tooooo many divers everyday. Those of you who are experienced divers understand this word! DOVE OUT. Sorry Palau but you ruined it with 35 boats to the same divesites every day. Most of the sharks are gone. Still a beautiful place to dive!!!
The Blue hole is not worthy of a top 10. It is a deep empty hole with little to nothing to see. The typical stop after the blue hole is the Half Moon Caye Wall which should be on the top 10. It is one of the best dives if not the best I have ever done.
If I were to ever go back to the Blue Hole I would dive the reef around it but not spend the time going into nothingness. Yea the thril of the deep is alluring but the thought and anticipation is better than the actual dive.
Agree with you, Peter. Dove the Blue Hole in 2013 while on the Belize Aggressor III. Lots of hype and I went down to 145 feet, but all I saw were stalactites. There are lots of other sites we dove that were quite good with lots of marine life.
My best site to scuba dive is Utila from the Bay Island of the coast of Honduras!!❤
As You people do not know Fernando de Noronha Brazil the spot is not in the list. BTW: The brazilian governement a few days ago is not asking for visa to come here. It is a shame that Rio de Janeiro is in a bad moment. It is better you arrive other city as Recife, Belem, Salvador and fly to Noronha. Noronha is in the north. It is about 2000 miles from the area where are Rio, Ouro Preto, Sao Paulo, Buzios, Santa Catarina, Ilha Grande, Tiradentes, and many others. There are many great dive spot in south as Abrolhos, Arraial do Cabo, Ilha Grande, Sao Paulo Islands and others.
I loved Noronha above and below the surface.
Hahaha I became a diver without much planning, I just happened to be in Indonesia and went to Raja Ampat to snorkle and kayak.
Raja Ampat got me hooked on diving, except it kind of ruins you when you start in one of the best places in the world.
My favorite Crystal River – Florida. Great place for diving, you must see.
Hin Daeng and Hin Muang in the Andaman Sea, Fakarava in French Polynesia, Cabo Pulmo in thee Sea of Cortez, Fernando de Noronha in Brazil, Tulum Cenotes and the Galapagos so far were my favorite spots.
Also went to Two Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone but had really bad weather and need to do it again.
Mexico is great for people in the U.S. I can fly from where I live on the Canadian border in the morning and be in Mexico by the afternoon. Cozumel has some outstanding diving, but the Cenotes are a game changer. I did not even want to do them, but the dive shop (Tank Ha in Playa del Carmen) I was with, talked me into it. It was unbelievable. Truly, nothing like I’ve ever done. Every diver should make a trip to the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, to experience these incredible dives.
Cabo San Lucas has some great dives including sea lions. To be honest diving all kind of runs together for me… you kind of see the same things all over the world. I’ve done dives in Dahab (shore dives with great visibility), Ras Mohammed (Shark/Yolanda), Thailand (Phi Phi Islands), Bali (Manta Point, Crystal Bay, USAT Liberty), Cozumel, Mexico, Roatan Honduras (best reefs I’ve ever seen), Belize (Turneffe Atoll), and my home on the shores of Lake Huron, in Michigan. Looking to head south again this winter, maybe Palau or Raja Ampat.
I don’t have a dive bucket list yet, but reading through everyone else’s makes me excited to embark on an adventurous list.*snorkel snorkel*
Have any of you dived in Eilat, Israel? What’s the Red Sea like there?
I have been certified since about 1982 (YMCA, PADI, NAUI,CMAS), over 300 dives–mostly Caribbean but also Red Sea and Fiji. Qualified through various extra courses as YMCA Master Diver (could have gone for asst. instructor, but as an M.D.–now retired–I couldn’t expose myself to that kind of liability!).For health reasons, I’ve been unable to dive for about 15 years, and of course my equipment is pretty useless by now. I found this site by Googling–and thank goodness! I’ve kept up with Undercurrent, but it’s nowhere near as comprehensive. I’m healthy and ready now to dive back in–after a refresher course, natch–and would love to hear from people who can give me their perspectives on their land-based or liveaboard trips outside the Caribbean, in warm (over 75 degrees F.–I’m a Texan!). Also if you have tips about various regulators, BCDs, wetsuits, fins et.al. in terms of ease of use and reliability. Thanks all.
Hi Karen,
Thank you for the nice words and welcome back into the world of diving 🙂
You can find the guides you’re asking for here:
Scuba Regulators: https://www.divein.com/scuba-regulator/
BCD’s: https://www.divein.com/bcd/
Wetsuits: https://www.divein.com/wetsuits/
Fins: https://www.divein.com/scuba-fins/
And all the other gear, you can navigate to from the menu. I hope you can find what you’re looking for.
Hi!
anyone been to Layang Layang Island, Malaysia?
heard so much good diving with sharks and prestine reef.
Lots of good ideas here. Too many sites for a list of just 10. I suggest breaking dive lists down into categories. Like Reef, Coral, Current, Pelagics, Wreck, Muck, Cave, Ice and Tech. May help to keep it down to 10 each. And may also help divers by giving them a list in the category that appeals specifically to their preferences or up-coming dive trip plan.