Top Ten Bucket List for the best diving places on Earth
- Laion Cross
- Jun 30
- 5 min read
The problem with comparing the best dive places in the world is that there are so many great sites out there. Every continent has exceptional diving. For one reason or another, many different location could be a personal favorite. In order to create a diving bucket list, however, you really do need to prioritize. Hopefully as your vacation opportunities allow, you'll go about exploring each and every exceptional site and rate your own special top list.
For this list of the Top Ten best diving places in the world, I'll give a quick description and a few relative pros and cons. The idea is to help narrow down some of the choices that are out there. That may be of some help when deciding on your next diving adventure.
Ra's Mohammed, Egypt
Ra's Muhammed is a national park in Egypt at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Here you'll find the Red Sea Reef which is the largest reef in Africa. Known for its stunning coral and crystal clear water, you'll find over a thousand species of fish, starfish, urchins, dolphins, rays, and turtles.
The park has strong currents and spectacular drop offs which attract lots of fish...which, in turn, attracts plenty of sharks. Besides the coral, some of the marine life that sets Ras Mohammed apart from other dive sites include its Naploeon wrasse, giant eels, variety of clownfish and parrot fish and the number of dolphins that you'll find here. Best months for your trip are during the spring and autumn months for best temperature. March to May & September to November.
Andaman Sea, Thailand
Andaman Sea made the list because of the great visibility and the overall variety of marine life. The corral reef and the rock structures found at Andaman Sea are unique. Black corals are signature features on these dives. Whale sharks, dugongs (a mantatee-style animal), and vibrant coral formations help to create an unforgettable experience. Thailand in general is an easy country to move around, very restful and lots of fun. October to May are generally considered the best months to visit.
Coiba, Panama
Coiba National Park in Panama has an amazing number of fish species (around 750). Here you can also find various endemic marine creatures that makes Coiba critical for the 'bucket list'. Whale sharks, dolphins, whales, rays, turtles and ubiquitous sharks are on the list to see. Coiba can often have strong currents in which the dive instructor will gauge pick up accordingly.
Visibility is usually good, but unpredictable. Also the remoteness of Coiba can be a disadvantage. The undeveloped and raw nature of the park can be viewed as either an advantage or disadvantage depending on your appetite for adventure. December to April is usually the best time to visit for both visibility and the probability of encountering whale sharks.
Taveuni's Rainbow Reef, Fiji
Diving in Fiji is for more experienced divers due to strong currents. These currents combined with vibrant coral help to create a stunning show of tropical fish with plenty of sharks, sturgeonfish, barracuda, anthias, turtles and trevally. The most iconic site at Rainbow Reed is The Great White Wall, which gets its name from a vertical formation of soft white coral. The impression is that you're diving in a snow filled winter wonderland. Fiji can get crowded during high season. The currents and the crowds would be the biggest disadvantages. April to October is the best time to visit for optimal visibility.
South Ari Atoll, Maldives
South Ari Atoll is another very popular dive site. Again here there are strong currents and the visibility can vary quite a bit throughout the year. Maldives in general is very expensive if budget is a large part of your consideration. South Ari Atoll, however, is a hot spot for whale sharks and manta rays. The area also has interesting wrecks and natural formations called thilas. These are little submerged hills that give the underwater landscape a very interesting and exotic feel. From January to April is usually the best time to dive based on temperature and visibility.
Lighthouse Reef,Belize
Lighthouse Reef in Belize has an excellent number of species of fish (around 430). There are also many classes of crustaceans to encounter as well as the occasional manatee. The coral reef also has a good variety with plenty of both soft and hard variations. Perhaps the most iconic site along Lighthouse Reed is the Great Blue Hole.
With abundant marine life and the only deep water diving in the area, the Great Blue Hole is impressive but can often be overcrowded. Usually the sea here is calm but can get fairly rough based on weather. November to May, during dry season, is the best time to visit.
Cozumel, Mexico
Located in Mexico's Yucatan area on the northern portion of the second largest reef in the world, Cozumel is a must on the list. Cozumel has great visibility, warm water and a wonderful variety of rays, sharks, turtles and reef fish. The toadfish is a species found only in the area of Cozumel. The area of the Yucatan is also easy to get to and lots of fun for a vacation. May to September and November to March are the best times for your diving excursion.
Kona, Hawaii
This side of the Big Island offers excellent visibility. It is also an amazing area to encounter manta rays. The underwater topography is very interesting with intense lava formations. In general, Hawaii is a very popular tourism destination so two cons would be overcrowding and costs associated with your diving trip. Also compared to some of the other places on our list, there are not as many variety of species. Diving is best in the fall season in September and October and also the springtime from April to May. The temperature, visibility and weather are the best for diving during these months. You can also avoid much of the high tourist season during these months as well.
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Also in the Pacific off of the coast of Ecuador lies the Galapagos Islands. Here you once again get into an amazing diversity of underwater species. There are also very diverse and impressive sites with a wide array of rock and coral formations. Strong currents and cold water can be slight deterrents. High costs for dive cruises can also be a consideration for budget-minded divers. Like Coiba, however, Galapagos has many endemic species that make it a 'must see' on your bucket list. Darwin would think so too. Best time to visit is from June to November for both the dry season and maximum underwater activity.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The largest reef in the world, of course, makes the top ten list. The underwater terrain is both varied and intense at the Great Barrier Reef with vibrant colors beautiful coral formations. Always plenty of marine life to see along the Great Barrier Reef such as sharks, coral trout, Maori wrasse, clownfish, starfish, urchins and an impressive variety of mollusks. The best time to visit the Great Barrier Reef is from May to October. The calmer seas during these months translates to higher visibility.
So, there you have it. Like I had mentioned above, a top ten bucket list for diving is going to be subjective. Many more sites could be added. Also each experience is going to come with its own surprises...both positive and negative.
That is the nature of traveling in general and especially with diving which relies on so many variables to make the most of the experience. If you're currently making your own list, I hope this bucket list helps you. The most important part of your research after deciding where you want to go, is to have the follow through to actually get there. In such a beautiful world in which we live with so many experiences that are out there...it's important to get out there and make it happen! Happy traveling and happy diving!
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