My personal diving experience is, to date, limited to North America, Central America and the Caribbean. It's impossible to read it "all", but I've read a lot -- books, magazines, websites, top-lists, etc., I've heard a lot (here, places like here, and I've worked at a dive shop for the past few yrs, met a lot of well-traveled divers), and I've watched several videos of each location I've ever heard mentioned.
This list below is sort of.. the best I can figure-Top-10 Dive Locations in the world based on that ^ research. It's personal, to my preferences -- I like healthy, beautiful, colorful, life-packed coral reefs (scenery) and big marine life. But I'd really like to hear what the board has to say about it! Feedback from divers who have actually been to these places is invaluable.
*Note. Galapagos, Cocos and Socorro (for example) may very well be 3 of the top-10 dive locations in the world. But they're all pretty similar and in the same region.. so I'm just going to pick one. In the same sense, Indonesia (for example) may very well have 5 of the top-10 dive locations in the world. But I'm only going to pick one.
without further adieu..
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The Top-10 Dive Locations in the world:
#1) Banda Sea, Indonesia. Most people say the Coral Triangle's got the best diving in the world, and most people say Indonesia's got the best diving in the Coral Triangle -- and they don't appear to be wrong. The most popular sites typically seem to be Raja Ampat and Komodo. But based on videos I've seen, I actually think some sites across the Banda Sea are more impressive (and less dove).
#2) Central/North Fiji. It's not the Coral Triangle, but there are just colors there that you don't see anywhere else in the world. Fiji, as a dive locale, seems to have been overhyped to the point that it's now underhyped.
#3) Galapagos. Much less than ideal dive conditions and scenery, but probably the single best big marine spot in the world. It's like Cocos or Socorro + Sea Lions, Penguins, Marine Iguanas, etc.
#4) Southern Egypt (Hamata area). Hard to pick one spot in the Red Sea. Seems like the Sinai Peninsula area might have better reefs, and the Marsa Alam area might have better sharks. But I'd go with the Hamata area if I had to pick one place due to the dolphins.
#5) Zanzibar. Pemba Island has very similar diving, but I'd go with Zanzibar.. as there are whale sharks there on occasion. Really amazing to me how overlooked this region is.
#6) Channel Islands. It's not "coral reef", but it's plenty colorful -- and very cool.
#7) Eaglehawk Neck (Tasmania). Some really psychedelic colors out there (Rocks, Octopi, Weedy Sea Dragons).
#8) Similans area (Phuket to Mergui). Not quite on the same level as some of these other locales.. but pretty solid!
#9) Ningaloo. The GBR (Ribbon Reefs, Coral Sea, etc.) honestly just doesn't look that impressive to me. I'd rather try Ningaloo.. one of the top 10 places in the world to see Dolphins, Whale Sharks And Mantas.
#10) Cebu area (incl. Negros and Bohol). This could honestly be #2 on the list, but I wanted to spread things out, and I already had a Coral Triangle locale. The Mindoro/Luzon area also seems top-notch (Puerto Galera, Anilao, Apo Reef, etc.).. but Cebu's got similar diving and Whale Sharks.
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Honorable mentions:
-Tufi area, Papua New Guinea. Had two Coral Triangle regions above already.. but this certainly needs to be mentioned.
-Vava'u. The Humpback experience alone garners at least a mention.
-Sardine Run, South Africa. If you can catch it, it seems like it'd be quite an experience.
This list below is sort of.. the best I can figure-Top-10 Dive Locations in the world based on that ^ research. It's personal, to my preferences -- I like healthy, beautiful, colorful, life-packed coral reefs (scenery) and big marine life. But I'd really like to hear what the board has to say about it! Feedback from divers who have actually been to these places is invaluable.
*Note. Galapagos, Cocos and Socorro (for example) may very well be 3 of the top-10 dive locations in the world. But they're all pretty similar and in the same region.. so I'm just going to pick one. In the same sense, Indonesia (for example) may very well have 5 of the top-10 dive locations in the world. But I'm only going to pick one.
without further adieu..
****************************************************************************************************
The Top-10 Dive Locations in the world:
#1) Banda Sea, Indonesia. Most people say the Coral Triangle's got the best diving in the world, and most people say Indonesia's got the best diving in the Coral Triangle -- and they don't appear to be wrong. The most popular sites typically seem to be Raja Ampat and Komodo. But based on videos I've seen, I actually think some sites across the Banda Sea are more impressive (and less dove).
#2) Central/North Fiji. It's not the Coral Triangle, but there are just colors there that you don't see anywhere else in the world. Fiji, as a dive locale, seems to have been overhyped to the point that it's now underhyped.
#3) Galapagos. Much less than ideal dive conditions and scenery, but probably the single best big marine spot in the world. It's like Cocos or Socorro + Sea Lions, Penguins, Marine Iguanas, etc.
#4) Southern Egypt (Hamata area). Hard to pick one spot in the Red Sea. Seems like the Sinai Peninsula area might have better reefs, and the Marsa Alam area might have better sharks. But I'd go with the Hamata area if I had to pick one place due to the dolphins.
#5) Zanzibar. Pemba Island has very similar diving, but I'd go with Zanzibar.. as there are whale sharks there on occasion. Really amazing to me how overlooked this region is.
#6) Channel Islands. It's not "coral reef", but it's plenty colorful -- and very cool.
#7) Eaglehawk Neck (Tasmania). Some really psychedelic colors out there (Rocks, Octopi, Weedy Sea Dragons).
#8) Similans area (Phuket to Mergui). Not quite on the same level as some of these other locales.. but pretty solid!
#9) Ningaloo. The GBR (Ribbon Reefs, Coral Sea, etc.) honestly just doesn't look that impressive to me. I'd rather try Ningaloo.. one of the top 10 places in the world to see Dolphins, Whale Sharks And Mantas.
#10) Cebu area (incl. Negros and Bohol). This could honestly be #2 on the list, but I wanted to spread things out, and I already had a Coral Triangle locale. The Mindoro/Luzon area also seems top-notch (Puerto Galera, Anilao, Apo Reef, etc.).. but Cebu's got similar diving and Whale Sharks.
****************************************************************************************************
Honorable mentions:
-Tufi area, Papua New Guinea. Had two Coral Triangle regions above already.. but this certainly needs to be mentioned.
-Vava'u. The Humpback experience alone garners at least a mention.
-Sardine Run, South Africa. If you can catch it, it seems like it'd be quite an experience.
