Most magnificent underwater topography / geography sites

[circusoflife]

What/where are the most magnificent underwater topography / geography dive sites

I certainly didn't see any in the Maldives recently. Here is my short list:

Blue Holes – Palau (Beautiful!)

Custom Cave – Solomon Islands (Only read about, not dived)

others???

Chandelier Cave – Palau – though I am more interested in sites where you stay underwater the whole time

Non professional cave diving sites that is...judgement based on geography alone which includes visibility (Like seein the light stream through) but not fish/pelagic life -- though that would be nice too.

 

[caymaniac]

In the Caribbean, I would say that Little Cayman Bloody Bay/ Jackson Bight would be a geo/topography well known site, also the west side of West Caicos. In the Coral Sea I would say Osprey Reef. The Red Sea off the Sanai penninsula. Hawaiis best would maybe be Molokini Crater (backside)

 

[diver janet]

Yap Caverns in Micronesia are pretty spectacular also

 

[Mike Veitch]

Yap Caverns in Micronesia are pretty spectacular also

You know Janet, i was just about to say that!
Hope you are well,

Mike

 

[H2Andy]

i have to say the caves of Florida. the little of them i have seen is magnificent,
with boulders, plateaus, drop-offs, narrow tunnels and cathedral-size rooms,
all in gin-clear water

just awesome

 

[Tom Winters]

I dived a spot in West Caicos - no name. Sheer jagged finger canyons starting in 35' and running out to the wall - the separating fingers reached 85' in height as they sloped downward. I maxed out at 167' - I didn't want to push it since I only had an aluminum 80 and we were out in the boonies.
Some of the underwater walls on Oahu were magnificent also. These are all off the regular tourist path - I did some on charters that I ran and others were with our military dive club. Off Kaneohe Bay at Moku Manu island, there is a huge sea cavern that can have unreal lighting effects in crystal-clear viz. The day we were there, the resident 16' tiger shark that was living there was elsewhere. Glad we found out about that later.

 

[diver janet]

You know Janet, i was just about to say that!
Hope you are well,

Mike

Hi Mike...
I'm great! We are off to Raja Ampat this Saturday so I'll be even better then!
I hope you are enjoying that D70 and haven't given up on it with your "sunballs"!

Take care and tell everyone at Manta Ray Bay that I said "hi"...and tell Bill the pool looks awesome!

I've been envious of you with all the manta action these past weeks...your shots have been absolutely beautiful.

 

[circusoflife]

thanks for the responses so far.

Janet - how was Raja Ampat? (Is this a dumb question?)

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Cenotes / Cavern diving in Mexico near Cancun.
I've been learning about these more recently...now I'm stoked to go.

I've always thought of avoiding Cancun /Cozumel due to overdevelopment.
Here is a reason to go...

now the trick is just to avoid the large resorts...

 

[jakubson]

The seamount called E6 in Fiji has some pretty spectacular topography - cutouts and passageways, overhangs, sheer dropoff to ??? feet, and the like. Did three dives in a row there, and could have happily done the next three.

 

[circusoflife]

Thanks for the tip on Fiji!

I'll also add the blue holes of Bahamas - which apparently is the place to go...the most holes/caverns of anywhere I believe.

Cay Sal Bank, Exumas, Grand Bahamas and Arunas?? (I forget the spelling - too lazy to pull out the map) are the specific areas.

I must say - never been to the Bahamas...but I have the Lonely Planet dive guide.