Revealed: the World's Top 100 Dive Sites

10 August March 2023
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. Elphinstone Reef, Egyptian Red Sea
  12. Tubbataha, Palawan, Philippines
  13. President Coolidge, Vanuatu
  14. Big Brother, Egyptian Red Sea
  15. Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa, Polynesia
  16. Ras Mohammed, Egyptian Red Sea
  17. Great white wall, Tavieuni Fiji
  18. Gordon's Rock, Galapagos
  19. Osprey Reef, Coral Sea, Australia
  20. Bloody bay wall, Little cayman
  21. Aliwal Shoal, South Africa
  22. Darwin Island, Galapagos
  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. Maaya Thila, South Ari Atoll, Maldives
  29. Blue Hole, Dahab, Egyptian Red Sea
  30. Verde Island or Drop Off, Philippines
  31. Poor Knights, New Zealand
  32. Blue Magic, Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia
  33. Bikini atoll, Marshall Islands
  34. Palancanar Bricks, Cozumel, Mexico
  35. South Point, Sipadan, Malaysia
  36. Darwin Arch, Galapagos
  37. Jackson Reef, Egypt
  38. Wolf Island, Galapogos
  39. San Francisco Maru, Chuuk Lagoon
  40. Magic Mountain, Raja Ampat
  41. Bunaken, Indonesia
  42. Apo Reef, Philippines
  43. Daedelus, Egyptian Red Sea
  44. Similans, Thailand
  45. Cod Hole, Northern Great Barrier Reef
  46. Dos Ojos (Los Cenotes), Playa del Carmen, Mexico
  47. Straits of Tiran, Egyptian Red Sea
  48. Batu Bolong, Komodo, Indonesia
  49. Puerto Galera, Philippines
  50. Sipadan Drop Off, Malaysia
  51. Scotts head pinnacle, Dominica
  52. Punta Sur / Devils Throat, Cozumel, Mexico
  53. Mnemba Island, Tanzania
  54. The Boiler, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico
  55. Fish Rock, Off South West Rocks in NSW, Australia
  56. Garuae Pass, Fakarava Island, French Polynesia
  57. Canibal Rock, Komodo, Indonesia
  58. The Zenobia, Cyprus
  59. Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon (Chuuk Lagoon)
  60. Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi
  61. Sangalaki Island, East Kalimantan, Borneo. Indonesia
  62. East of Eden, Ko Similan, Thailand
  63. Alcyone, Cocos Island, Costa Rica
  64. Grand Central Station, Gizo, Solomon Islands
  65. Molokini Crater Wall, Hawaii
  66. Malpelo Island, Colombia
  67. Silfra, Thingvellir, Iceland
  68. Blockship Tabarka, Scapa Flow, Orkney
  69. Dirty rock, Cocos Island, Costa Rica
  70. Neptune's Arm, Vamizi Island, Mozambique
  71. Hin Muang, Thailand
  72. USS Saratoga, Bikini Atoll, Marshall Isles
  73. Half Moon Wall, Belize
  74. Perpendicular wall, Christmas Island, Australia
  75. St Johns, Egyptian Red Sea
  76. Cirkewwa, Malta
  77. Roca Partida, Revillagigedo Islands, Baja California, Mexico
  78. Stingray City, Grand Cayman
  79. Pixie pinnacle and pixie wall, GBR, Australia
  80. Ghiannis D, Egypt
  81. Peleliu Express, Palau
  82. Protea Banks, South Africa
  83. Dos Amigos Pequeña (Small Dos Amigos), Cocos Islands, Costa Rica
  84. Rainbow Reef, Taveuni, Fiji
  85. Landslide, Wolf Island, Galapagos
  86. Balls Pyramid, Lord Howe Island, Australia
  87. 7 Mile Reef Sodwana Bay
  88. Los Roques, Venezuela
  89. Canyon, Thomas Reef, Egypt
  90. Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, Australia
  91. Holmes Reef, Coral Sea, Australia
  92. Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
  93. Shark Alley, Grand Cayman
  94. Pedras Secas, Noronha, Brazil
  95. Split rock, Kadavu Isle. Fiji
  96. Barra Reef, Mozambique
  97. Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles
  98. Paradise point, Milne Bay PNG
  99. Cathédrale, Hienghène, New Caledonia
  100. Manta Ray Night Dive, Fesdhoo Lagoon, North Ari Atoll, Maldives

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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