Scuba Diving Mag's Top 100 Diving list: way to go Philippines

[pakman]

Just got my Jan 08 issue of Scuba Diving with the results of a readers' choice survey on the top dive sites in the world... (It's broken down by regions and various categories).

Not bad, considering the primary readership of Scuba Diving Mag is American and this is a readers' poll. Might explain why Maui kept sneaking into the top 5 for some categories. Like Maui for wrecks over the Philippines? pffff...

And the winners are...

Overall for Pacific & Indian Ocean
1. three way tie: Galapagos, Indonesia, Palau
2. GBR, Australia
3. Philippines

Top Marine Life
1. Galapagos, Palau
2. Indonesia
3. GBR, Australia
4. Fiji
5. Philippines

Big Animal Encounters
1. Galapagos & Palau
2. Cocos Island
3. Tahiti
4. GBR, Australia
5. Big Island, Hawaii

Healthiest Marine Environment
1. Tahiti
2. Fiji
3. Indonesia
4. Palau
5. Philippines

Macro Life
1.Indonesia
2. Philippines
3. Palau
4. Fiji
5. GBR, Australia

Wall Diving
1. Palau
2. Indonesia
3. Fiji & Maui, Hawai
4. Philippines
5. Egyptian Red Sea

Wreck Diving
1. Truk
2. Oahu
3. Egyptian Red Sea
4. Palau
5. Maui
(??? where is the Philippines? Maui over Coron and Subic??? you gotta be kiddin me)

Top Vaue
1. Philippines!
2. Palau
3. Indonesia
4. Fiji
5. Egyptian Red Sea

Underwater Photography
1.Galapagos/ Indonesia/ Palau
2. GBR, Australia
3. Tahiti
4. Fiji
5. Philippines

 

[shugar]

wow... finally some recognition...

and pak, maybe a lot of SDM readers consider an overturned canoe a wreck?

a tad questionable about marine life, though... doesn't being at the center of global marine biodiversity count? or do they count seeing big stuff floating around?

Jag

 

[jigo]

you mean big floaters jag?

 

[CODMAN]

Yeah, don't forget that for many "Marine life" means fishes, and the more pelagic the better... Invertebrates??? Nah, those aren' considred marine life...

wow... finally some recognition...

and pak, maybe a lot of SDM readers consider an overturned canoe a wreck?

a tad questionable about marine life, though... doesn't being at the center of global marine biodiversity count? or do they count seeing big stuff floating around?

Jag

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Wreck diving, heck where are the Great Lakes? Hellloooo! Hundred year old wrecks where you can still see intimate details? Someone went screwy with that category.

That one really blew me away.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[pakman]

Ber, I've only listed the rankings for Pacific & Indian Ocean. The other regions are "Caribbean/ Atlantic" and "North America".

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Ber, I've only listed the rankings for Pacific & Indian Ocean. The other regions are "Caribbean/ Atlantic" and "North America".

Aha! I didn't see the Great Lakes anywhere though but could have missed it. If you don't see Great Lakes under wreck diving then you KNOW the ratings are a little screwed up
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[pakman]

gasp... not a single mention of the Great Lakes in the article...

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Ok, so it's not just me. See, not only did they miss the Phillipines for wrecks they missed an entire fresh water diving destination. Clearly they are letting clueless reef divers be the wreck diving judges
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Narcd_dvr]

I've got a beef with Scuba Diving Mag and Sport Diver Magazine(PADI).. It seems over the years, both magazines purposely ignored the Philippines or they just don't know that the country exist and is a center of biodiversity. They show all the best dive sites all over the world, but PI. [/rant]
Anyway, I'm glad the country is finally being acknowledged as one of the best diving destination - I might just pick up a copy of Scuba Diving today.