Best Scuba Diving in the World

We’ve put together some of our favorite spots to scuba dive around the world.

World Scuba Diving Map

These scuba dive spots are just a few of the best in the world.  Please add more suggestions in the comments below, and we’ll add them to the list.

Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island, Malaysia

Boats at Dive Site in Sipadan Island, Sabah, Malaysia

Wall and drift dives await advanced scuba divers at this famous spot.  Jacques Cousteau raved about the water clarity and abundant ocean life here in Pulau.

Manta Ray Night Dive in Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Manta Ray night Dive

Personally, one of our favorite dives ever!  We’ve done this dive both snorkeling and scuba diving, and both experiences were incredible.  The many lights off the boat and from divers attracts plankton, which in turn attracts dozens of manta rays for feeding.  They loop their bodies in circles with open mouths, often swooping right in front of you.  It’s one of the most surreal experiences you’ll ever have.  Call (808) 892-3177 to book your trip.

 

Great Blue Hole, Belize

Great Blue Hole, Belize

43 miles from mainland Belize lies a sinkhole 407 feet deep and 984 feet across.  It was formed during several quaternary glaciation episodes when sea levels were lower (15,000 to 153,000 years ago.)  Once the ocean level began to rise, the caves were flooded giving way to some of the most spectacular scuba diving in the world.

 

Navy Pier, Western Australia

Navy Pier in Western Australia

Though diving has been prohibited since a cyclone in 2015, the Navy Pier in Exmouth is still one of the best dive spots in the world.  We hope it opens up again, and when it does, it will surely be better than ever.

 

Molokini Crater, Maui, Hawaii

Molokini Crater Maui

Both the inside and backside of Molokini offer world-class scuba diving.  The protected interior boasts incredible clarity.  The backside is a wall dive with sharks as well as many other types of ocean life.  If you’re looking for something quicker and easier, there are numerous other Maui shore-dives that will blow your mind.

 

Nusa Lembongan, Bali, Indonesia

Nusa Lembongan Bali

One of our favorite drift dives of all time, just off the southeast coast of Bali lies a number of islands with incredible scuba diving.  Nusa Lembongan is one of these islands.  You leave from the small seaweed farming village on this island and take a boat that follows your bubbles as you drift.  All kinds of incredible ocean life surround you as you effortlessly drift over the reefs.

 

Point Lobos, Carmel, California

Point Lobos Carmel California

The reserve at Point Lobos offers the best diving on the Monterey Peninsula.  And though the water is cold, you can’t really beat exploring giant kelp forests and valleys filled with fish.

 

Whale Sharks in Isla, Mujeres, Mexico

whale shark in Mexico

Between June and mid-September, whale sharks up to 46 feet in length spend their time along the coasts of Isla Mujeres.  Diving alongside these massive creatures is something you’ll never forget.

 

Cabo Pulmo, Baja California, Mexico

Cabo Pulmo, Baja, California sur, Mexico

With close to a dozen spots to dive, Cabo San Lucas has plenty of beginner and advanced dives.  Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park is filled with living reef and massive schools of fish.

 

Darwin’s Arch, Galapagos, Ecuador

Darwin's Arch, Galapagos, Ecuador

If you’ve ever wanted to dive with hammerhead sharks and whale sharks, take a trip to the southeast corner of Darwin Island in the Galapagos Islands.  Though there are no reefs, you’ll enjoy seeing eagle rays, moray eels, and loads of turtles as well.  A dive for the bucket list.

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best scuba diving in the world (in our opinion.) If you disagree or have other options that we should consider adding to this list, please let us know in the comments.  Mahalo!

 

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