Best Overall
Caribbean and Atlantic
Mexico
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Bonaire
Bay Islands
Belize
St. Lucia
Turks and Caicos
Statia
Colombia
Puerto Rico
Bahamas
Dominica
U.S. Virgin Islands
Aruba
Grenada
Jamaica
Costa Rica
Barbados
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Indonesia
Philippines
Hawaii
Fiji
Galápagos Islands
Australia
Palau
Guam
French Polynesia
Colombia
Maldives
New Zealand
Malaysia
Japan
Thailand
Malta
Mexico
Papua New Guinea
Egypt
Spain
United States and Canada
Florida Keys
North Carolina
Florida
California
British Columbia
Alaska
South Carolina
Washington State
Massachusetts
Ontario
Great Lakes
Virginia
Oregon
Georgia
Texas
New York / New Jersey
Utah
Missouri
Above The Surface
Spend a full day kayaking in the Rock Islands (Nikko Bay or Rison Bay). It is a must-do if you want to discover hidden lagoons, World War II Japanese bunkers, shark and coral nurseries, and the biodiversity of Palau. It’s accessible to everyone and not challenging at all.
—Stephane Griveau, Explorer Ventures Fleet
PADICalifornia is renowned for its charming kelp forests.
Big Animals
Caribbean and Atlantic
Belize
Bahamas
Turks and Caicos
Cuba
Cayman Islands
Mexico
Statia
Costa Rica
U.S. Virgin Islands
Bay Islands
Dominica
Saba
St. Kitts
Colombia
Puerto Rico
Grenada
Curaçao
St. Maarten
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Galápagos Islands
Palau
Maldives
French Polynesia
Colombia
Fiji
Hawaii
Indonesia
Australia
Papua New Guinea
Mexico
Malaysia
Costa Rica
Philippines
Egypt
Japan
Guam
Thailand
United States and Canada
North Carolina
Alaska
Florida Keys
Florida
California
British Columbia
Georgia
South Carolina
Oregon
Washington State
Texas
Related Reading: Best Destinations to Dive With Big Animals
Olga TorreyA shark passes through the Aeolus in North Carolina, a wreck haven that earned top marks from readers.
Macro Life
Caribbean and Atlantic
Statia
Bonaire
Bay Islands
Curaçao
Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos
Belize
Mexico
Dominica
U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Lucia
Colombia
Saba
Bahamas
Grenada
Puerto Rico
St. Kitts
Aruba
Cuba
Costa Rica
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Indonesia
Philippines
Papua New Guinea
Fiji
Malaysia
Palau
Australia
Hawaii
Japan
Guam
Thailand
Maldives
French Polynesia
Egypt
Colombia
New Zealand
United States and Canada
British Columbia
Washington State
Florida Keys
California
Alaska
Florida
Massachusetts
South Carolina
Oregon
Wreck Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
Statia
Grenada
Cayman Islands
Aruba
Bay Islands
British Virgin Islands
Barbados
Bahamas
St. Lucia
Curaçao
Colombia
Mexico
U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Kitts
Belize
Bonaire
St. Maarten
Jamaica
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Chuuk Lagoon
Malta
Egypt
Guam
Turkey
Palau
Philippines
Australia
Hawaii
Indonesia
Malaysia
Thailand
New Zealand
Italy
Fiji
Spain
Colombia
Greece
United States and Canada
North Carolina
Great Lakes
Ontario
Florida Keys
Florida
Cave, Cavern and Grotto
Caribbean and Atlantic
Mexico
Cayman Islands
Belize
Colombia
Bay Islands
Jamaica
St. Lucia
Puerto Rico
Bahamas
U.S. Virgin Islands
Costa Rica
Curaçao
Turks and Caicos
Dominican Republic
British Virgin Islands
Barbados
Aruba
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Malta
Palau
Hawaii
New Zealand
Italy
Spain
Turkey
Japan
Australia
Guam
Colombia
Mexico
Fiji
Greece
Philippines
Egypt
Indonesia
Malaysia
United States and Canada
Florida
Alaska
Missouri
Ontario
South Carolina
Oregon
California
Florida Keys
Shutterstock (Marcus Bay)Readers love diving Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula for its abundance of cenotes.
Shore Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
Bonaire
Curaçao
Bay Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Colombia
Cayman Islands
St. Lucia
Puerto Rico
Costa Rica
Mexico
Barbados
Aruba
Belize
Dominican Republic
Dominica
Bahamas
St. Maarten
Statia
Grenada
Turks and Caicos
Signature Site
The dive site Cedral on Cozumel is the best and most versatile reef. You have a wall, pinnacles and a reef chain. You can dive many routes by going deeper or shallower. The best part is a shallow area that not a lot of divemasters know about where two sharks and an eel often hang out together.
—Martin King, owner of Dive With Martin
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Guam
Malta
Hawaii
Philippines
Indonesia
Papua New Guinea
Fiji
Japan
Malaysia
Australia
Spain
Egypt
Maldives
New Zealand
Colombia
Turkey
Mexico
Italy
Greece
United States and Canada
Washington State
British Columbia
California
Massachusetts
Ontario
Florida
Oregon
Wall Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos
Bay Islands
Mexico
Belize
Curaçao
Dominica
Bahamas
St. Lucia
Colombia
Statia
Bonaire
Saba
Cuba
Grenada
U.S. Virgin Islands
Puerto Rico
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Palau
Indonesia
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Fiji
Maldives
Colombia
Galápagos Islands
Egypt
Australia
French Polynesia
Hawaii
Malaysia
Guam
Mexico
New Zealand
Thailand
Japan
United States and Canada
British Columbia
Washington State
Alaska
California
Steve JonesChuuk Lagoon, with an abundance of wrecks to explore, was a favorite spot for underwater photography.
Beginner Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
Bonaire
Bay Islands
Cayman Islands
Statia
Curaçao
St. Lucia
Dominica
Turks and Caicos
Belize
Bahamas
U.S. Virgin Islands
Colombia
Mexico
Cuba
Jamaica
Barbados
Aruba
Puerto Rico
St. Kitts
Grenada
Dominican Republic
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Hawaii
Philippines
Guam
Australia
Indonesia
Fiji
Spain
Malaysia
Related Reading: Exploring All-Inclusive Life on St. Lucia
Insider Tip
The seagrass at Half Moon Caye Wall is full of amazing macro critters—shrimps, crabs, nudis, seahorses, slugs, baby fish. And the wall is stunning and full of friendly groupers, eagle rays cruising by and reef sharks.
—Gina N., Belize Aggressor III guest
United States and Canada
Florida Keys
Florida
Ontario
Virginia
South Carolina
Pennsylvania
California
Utah
Texas
Massachusetts
Washington State
Turkey
Thailand
New Zealand
Egypt
Japan
French Polynesia
Greece
Malta
Maldives
Papua New Guinea
Mexico
Advanced Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
Statia
Cayman Islands
Bonaire
Bay Islands
Mexico
Belize
Curaçao
Turks and Caicos
Bahamas
St. Lucia
Cuba
Dominica
Grenada
U.S. Virgin Islands
Saba
Colombia
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Chuuk Lagoon
Palau
Indonesia
Galápagos Islands
Philippines
Papua New Guinea
Maldives
Fiji
Colombia
Hawaii
French Polynesia
Egypt
Australia
Guam
New Zealand
Mexico
Malaysia
Malta
Thailand
Costa Rica
Japan
Spain
United States and Canada
North Carolina
British Columbia
Washington State
Florida Keys
Ontario
Florida
California
Great Lakes
Underwater Photography
Caribbean and Atlantic
Statia
Bonaire
Cayman Islands
Bay Islands
Belize
Turks and Caicos
Mexico
Curaçao
Bahamas
Dominica
Cuba
St. Lucia
U.S. Virgin Islands
Saba
Puerto Rico
Colombia
Grenada
Costa Rica
St. Maarten
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Chuuk Lagoon
Palau
Indonesia
Galápagos Islands
Philippines
Papua New Guinea
Maldives
Fiji
Colombia
Hawaii
French Polynesia
Egypt
Australia
Guam
New Zealand
Mexico
Malaysia
Thailand
Costa Rica
Japan
United States and Canada
British Columbia
Florida Keys
North Carolina
Florida
California
Alaska
Washington State
Courtesy Candice LandauBelize’s healthy reefs and abundance of marine life attract photographers.
Snorkeling
Caribbean and Atlantic
Bonaire
Bay Islands
St. Lucia
Belize
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
U.S. Virgin Islands
Bahamas
Mexico
Barbados
Turks and Caicos
Puerto Rico
Aruba
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Statia
Dominica
Jamaica
Grenada
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Hawaii
Indonesia
French Polynesia
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Fiji
Guam
Australia
Maldives
Egypt
Malaysia
New Zealand
Thailand
Palau
Spain
Mexico
Japan
Galápagos Islands
Turkey
United States and Canada
Florida Keys
Florida
California
Ontario
South Carolina
British Columbia
Virginia
Alaska
Massachusetts
Oregon
Great Lakes
Texas
North Carolina
Georgia
New York / New Jersey
Washington State
Utah
Missouri
Pennsylvania
Related Reading: Guide to Land-Based Diving in Santa Cruz, Galapagos
Courtesy Candice LandauBelize is known for its thriving marine life.
Health of Marine Environment
Caribbean and Atlantic
Statia
Belize
Saba
St. Lucia
Turks and Caicos
Cayman Islands
Bonaire
Curaçao
Mexico
Dominica
Cuba
Bay Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Kitts
Bahamas
Grenada
Costa Rica
Colombia
Barbados
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Palau
Galápagos Islands
Fiji
Indonesia
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Colombia
French Polynesia
Chuuk Lagoon
Maldives
Guam
Hawaii
Egypt
Japan
Australia
Malaysia
Mexico
Thailand
Costa Rica
United States and Canada
British Columbia
Alaska
Washington State
California
North Carolina
Oregon
Ontario
Massachusetts
Florida Keys
Florida
Signature Site
West End Wall is one of the best dive sites on Roatan, located on the island’s western tip. When the current is running, the fish congregate to feed. You can see schools of horse-eye jacks and Atlantic spadefish, as well as eagle rays, nurse sharks and hawksbill turtles.
—Kevin Brewer, dive operations manager of Anthony’s Key Resort
Best Value
Caribbean and Atlantic
Mexico
Colombia
Bay Islands
Belize
Puerto Rico
Statia
Curaçao
Bonaire
Jamaica
St. Kitts
Bahamas
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Dominica
St. Maarten
Costa Rica
St. Lucia
Saba
U.S. Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Philippines
Egypt
Thailand
Malaysia
Indonesia
Colombia
Mexico
Fiji
Turkey
Japan
Malta
Spain
Guam
New Zealand
Greece
Papua New Guinea
Costa Rica
Palau
United States and Canada
Ontario
Great Lakes
North Carolina
Virginia
Florida
Texas
British Columbia
Oregon
South Carolina
Florida Keys
Georgia
Washington State
Missouri
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
California
Utah
Alaska
