Revealed: the World's Top 100 Dive Sites

7 March 2024
Compiled from divers' votes, here is the definitive list of the best dive sites on the planet. How many of them have you dived?

The list is overwhelmingly dominated by warm water dives, with the only cold water representatives coming from the Galapagos, Iceland and a Scottish wreck.

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Vote for your favourite dive sites in the world below.

Want to narrow the list down? See the Best Wreck Diving in the World list, the Top Dives in Europe, Best Dives in the Caribbean or the top 10 shore dives.

  1. Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island, Malaysia
  2. Blue Corner Wall, Palau, Micronesia
  3. Yongala, Australia
  4. Thistlegorm, Egyptian Red Sea
  5. Shark and Yolanda Reef, Egyptian Red Sea
  6. Manta Ray Night Dive, Kailua Kona, Hawaii
  7. Great Blue Hole, Belize
  8. Liberty, Bali, Indonesia
  9. Navy Pier, Western Australia
  10. Richelieu Rock, Thailand
  11. Darwin Arch, Galapagos
  12. Elphinstone Reef, Egyptian Red Sea
  13. Tubbataha, Palawan, Philippines
  14. Aliwal Shoal, South Africa
  15. President Coolidge, Vanuatu
  16. Big Brother, Egyptian Red Sea
  17. Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa, Polynesia
  18. Ras Mohammed, Egyptian Red Sea
  19. Great white wall, Tavieuni Fiji
  20. Gordon's Rock, Galapagos
  21. Osprey Reef, Coral Sea, Australia
  22. Bloody bay wall, Little cayman
  23. Sodwana bay, South Africa
  24. Castle Rock - Komodo, Indonesia
  25. Manta reef, Mozambique
  26. Sha'ab Rumi South, Sudan
  27. Ulong Channel, Palau
  28. Wolf Island, Galapogos
  29. Maaya Thila, South Ari Atoll, Maldives
  30. Blue Hole, Dahab, Egyptian Red Sea
  31. Verde Island or Drop Off, Philippines
  32. Poor Knights, New Zealand
  33. Bikini atoll, Marshall Islands
  34. Blue Magic, Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia
  35. Palancanar Bricks, Cozumel, Mexico
  36. South Point, Sipadan, Malaysia
  37. Jackson Reef, Egypt
  38. Bunaken, Indonesia
  39. Magic Mountain, Raja Ampat
  40. San Francisco Maru, Chuuk Lagoon
  41. Apo Reef, Philippines
  42. Daedelus, Egyptian Red Sea
  43. Similans, Thailand
  44. Cod Hole, Northern Great Barrier Reef
  45. Dos Ojos (Los Cenotes), Playa del Carmen, Mexico
  46. Straits of Tiran, Egyptian Red Sea
  47. Fish Rock, Off South West Rocks in NSW, Australia
  48. The Boiler, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico
  49. Mnemba Island, Tanzania
  50. Punta Sur / Devils Throat, Cozumel, Mexico
  51. Scotts head pinnacle, Dominica
  52. Sipadan Drop Off, Malaysia
  53. Puerto Galera, Philippines
  54. Batu Bolong, Komodo, Indonesia
  55. Canibal Rock, Komodo, Indonesia
  56. Garuae Pass, Fakarava Island, French Polynesia
  57. The Zenobia, Cyprus
  58. Silfra, Thingvellir, Iceland
  59. Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon (Chuuk Lagoon)
  60. Blockship Tabarka, Scapa Flow, Orkney
  61. Malpelo Island, Colombia
  62. Molokini Crater Wall, Hawaii
  63. Grand Central Station, Gizo, Solomon Islands
  64. Alcyone, Cocos Island, Costa Rica
  65. East of Eden, Ko Similan, Thailand
  66. Sangalaki Island, East Kalimantan, Borneo. Indonesia
  67. Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi
  68. Dirty rock, Cocos Island, Costa Rica
  69. Neptune's Arm, Vamizi Island, Mozambique
  70. Cirkewwa, Malta
  71. USS Saratoga, Bikini Atoll, Marshall Isles
  72. St Johns, Egyptian Red Sea
  73. Perpendicular wall, Christmas Island, Australia
  74. Half Moon Wall, Belize
  75. Hin Muang, Thailand
  76. Peleliu Express, Palau
  77. Ghiannis D, Egypt
  78. Pixie pinnacle and pixie wall, GBR, Australia
  79. Stingray City, Grand Cayman
  80. Roca Partida, Revillagigedo Islands, Baja California, Mexico
  81. Protea Banks, South Africa
  82. Barra Reef, Mozambique
  83. Split rock, Kadavu Isle. Fiji
  84. Pedras Secas, Noronha, Brazil
  85. Shark Alley, Grand Cayman
  86. Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
  87. Holmes Reef, Coral Sea, Australia
  88. Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, Australia
  89. Canyon, Thomas Reef, Egypt
  90. Los Roques, Venezuela
  91. 7 Mile Reef Sodwana Bay
  92. Balls Pyramid, Lord Howe Island, Australia
  93. Rainbow Reef, Taveuni, Fiji
  94. Dos Amigos Pequeña (Small Dos Amigos), Cocos Islands, Costa Rica
  95. Landslide, Wolf Island, Galapagos
  96. Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles
  97. Cathédrale, Hienghène, New Caledonia
  98. Paradise point, Milne Bay PNG
  99. Manta Ray Night Dive, Fesdhoo Lagoon, North Ari Atoll, Maldives
  100. Seaventure House Reef, Mabul

Compiled from divers' votes by Jill Studholme


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How are the votes counted?
The first criteria is number of votes (weighted to favour the first choice dive site above the second). Where two dives tie for a position, priority is given to those with the most enticing descriptions and those whose area has several votes for different dives.


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