From sea to shining sea — and plenty of places in between — North America delivers world-class diving. With massive wrecks, such as the USS Spiegel Grove, and the Florida Reef, the Florida Keys is a haven for dive addicts. Move up the Atlantic coast to North Carolina, where you’ll find wrecks laden with prowling sand tiger sharks. Historic vessels in the Great Lakes — on both the U.S. and Canadian sides — are tailor-made for drysuit divers. Underwater photographers flock to the Pacific’s kelp forests off the U.S. West Coast, as well as to the prolific waters of British Columbia. Finally, get a taste of the aloha spirit — and one-of-a-kind diving — in the Hawaiian Islands.

SEE ALL: 100 Best Dive Sites

The Norman is one of Lake Huron’s most mind- blowing shipwrecks. This bulk freighter sank in a collision in 1895 that almost split the 296-foot ship in half. Today it sits in more than 200 feet of water, with the bow upright and one anchor deployed. As you swim aft you’ll pass the wheelhouse with the double wheel still inside, and just beyond that a life boat with the oars still in place. Divers can swim through several open cargo holds before making it to the collision point near the engine room, where the ship appears to be snapped in half. The propeller is still in place, and the engine room still has the telegraph inside. This site is a preserved gem and a favorite for Great Lakes divers. — Becky Kagan Schott

On approach, nothing about the Eureka oil platform seems very attractive. The reason for all the fuss becomes immediately evident, however, when divers descend beneath the ocean’s surface. This complex network of pilings and crosshatches stretches into the depths (the bottom is more than 700 feet deep), and every inch is thickly covered with invertebrate life. The pop of magenta corynactis and yellow sponges mix with orange brittle stars, glossy black mussels and fluffy plumose anemones, crafting the most beautiful backdrop imaginable for the cabezons and rockfish that inhabit the structure. Fortunate divers may encounter schools of glistening baitfish weaving between the pilings to evade hungry cormorants and sea lions. Don’t forget to look outside of the rigs; the depth here means that sightings of unusual pelagic creatures, including mola mola, jellyfish and the occasional whale, are all possible. — Allison Vitsky Sallmon

Point Lobos Marine Reserve encompasses thousands of acres, many of which have been protected for decades. With only 30 divers a day permitted to enter the park, pressure is kept to a minimum, making this one of the most renowned dive sites in California. Diving here is like swimming backward in time: enormous lingcod and rockfish inhabit pristine, anemone-covered reefs. The towering kelp canopy is filled with thriving marine life as well, including kelp crabs and top- snails. And the luckiest divers might encounter harbor seals or one of the most famous California residents of all: the sea otter. — Allison Vitsky Sallmon

At 450 feet long, the SS Lord Strathcona is a kaleidoscope of color and texture. It is the most decorated of a tightly knit group of four stunning World War II wrecks off Bell Island, Newfoundland. Sitting upright in 120 feet of water, the vessel is adorned with a thick coat of puffy white-and-orange anemones. With visibility often more than 80 feet, you can easily find the brass plate on the enormous stern deck gun or gaze down on a healthy Atlantic cod lounging in a claw-foot bathtub. Due to strict protection of these wrecks, intimate artifacts, such as phonograph records, tools and even clay pipes, can be found, lost in time in companionways and within the cavernous holds of the ship. Clouds of fish, lion’s mane jellies and bright-red lumpfish are all found around the upper structure — and don’t forget to have a look at the remains of a ship’s radio lying right beside the mooring line. – Jill Heinerth

Mother Nature can put on quite a show after the sun sets — night-blooming moonflowers, glowing supergiant stars, lime-green luna moths and feeding manta rays off Kona. By day, this unassuming rubble and sand patch adjacent to Kona International Airport is known as Garden Eel Cove, but after dark it’s referred to by its celestial name. At Manta Heaven, one of a few sites for such encounters, you’ll meet as many as 20 reef mantas, each of them named — Lefty, Big Bertha, Captain Kirk, Darth Rayder, Hip Hip Hoo Ray, to list a few. The Manta Pacific Research Station has identified more than 200 mantas in Kona waters, and set the standard for how operators island-wide conduct encounters with these magnificent animals. It can get crowded — multiple operators, with boats filled with divers and snorkelers, give the experience a Times Square-at-New Year’s Eve feel — but this is a photo op not to be missed. “In general, manta rays are skittish during the day, and it’s difficult for divers to get close,” says underwater photographer Masa Ushioda. “Here, they’re preoccupied with feeding.” Ushioda’s favorite moment? “It’s thrilling to see a manta barrel-roll feeding in front of your camera.” — Patricia Wuest

Fifteen miles off the coast of North Carolina, the wreck of the freighter Caribsea has been lying in 90 feet of water since it was sunk by the German U-158 during World War II. But it’s not alone. On any given day, sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus), sometimes numbering 100 or more, can be seen lazily meandering around and even inside of the wreck. But it’s not just the sharks that entice divers back to the Caribsea; southern stingrays, massive baitballs, large barracuda, schools of amberjack and sea turtles are also common sights. And with water temperatures in the low 80s in the summer and visibility of 60 to 100-plus feet, it’s no wonder that the Caribsea is a favorite dive site for those who enjoy shipwrecks and large marine life. — Tanya Houppermans

Jana’s Wreck

Lake Erie, Ontario, Canada

It’s not the prettiest, deepest or most intact wreck in the Great Lakes. But when Lake Erie freezes over, Jana’s Wreck becomes a world-class site offshore from Colchester Harbour, Ontario. Gear is shuttled to the 1850s side-wheel paddle steamer via snowmobile, and viz can surpass 50 feet. Massive boilers and a beautiful capstan are highlights. “When you’re going through that triangle in the ice, you’re going to a different world,” says Mike Drexler, who discovered the wreck. “You are going back in time.” — Andy Morrison

There’s more to this site than what you see in famous photos, where sunlight hits the surface and creates an ethereal effect, like stained class in a church. At First Cathedral, you definitely experience that same feeling, but there is much more to explore. The volcanic rock has formed epic swim-throughs in the cavern, and you can expect turtles, sharks and a wide variety of fish life. This cavern is two stories, and depths range from 25 to 50 feet, making this an experience almost any diver can enjoy. — Becca Hurley

Northern Vancouver Island is a cold-water diver’s nirvana. Hussar Point boasts a few premier sites between 20 and 90 feet. The current’s strength and direction encourages an exposed wall one day and a sheltered cove the next. Regardless, it’s all good. Golden kelp thrives in the emerald waters. A snowfall of glowing white plumose anemones covers much of the rocky substrate below, with clumps of yellow sponge and pink soft coral providing chromatic relief. Vermillion and China rockfish loiter about, and Instagram-ready Red Irish lords are abundant. Search for alien hooded nudibranchs in the shallow sandy bay, or try to find one of the many camouflaged giant Pacific octopuses that call Hussar home. Macro or wide-angle, divers can’t go wrong. — Brandon Cole

The freighter SS Cedarville is the third-largest ship to ever sink in the Great Lakes. And the best part is that it’s in recreational diving depths. The 588-foot ship rests in just 100 feet of water in Lake Huron, inside the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve. On a foggy May morning in 1965, there was a miscommunication with another ship and the two collided. While trying to make it to shore, the Cedarville rolled and sank, taking the lives of 10 crewmen. Today, the ship sits on its starboard side, with the bow almost upside down. When you first descend to the bow you’ll hit the wreck around 40 feet. Divers have a lot to explore on the Cedarville, including the wheelhouse, stern cabins and a picturesque engine room. Divers can also swim through the large open cargo holds that still feature some 14 tons of limestone cargo inside. — Becky Kagan Schott

Sprawling out 17 miles beneath the town of Bonne Terre is one of the most unique scuba diving destinations in the world. This mine was once the world’s leading producer of lead ore before 1961, when the pumps that kept the tunnels dry were turned off. There are 52 established routes along which divers are guided, each offering divers a chance to retrace the steps of miners from the late 1800s to the 1950s and see impressive artifacts along the way. Divers swim circuitous routes, passing ore carts, shacks, tipples, elevator structures and many of the tools and equipment that were left behind. There’s a railroad engine, small boat and — deeper in the mine — buildings that once housed the various machine shops. Water temperature is a consistent 58 degrees Fahrenheit, and known water depth is 230 feet. Most dives are conducted in 40 to 60 feet of water, and visibility is around 100 feet. Despite being lit by more than 500,000 watts of light strung from the massive pillars of rock holding the place together, the mine is dark and spooky. Rich Synowiec, owner of Divers Incorporated in Michigan, has more than 35 dives here. “It’s the closest thing you can get to diving on another planet,” he says. — Andy Morrison

Spiegel Grove, Key Largo, Florida

As far as planned ship sinkings go, Spiegel Grove had a rough start. After taking on too much water while crews prepared to scuttle it in 2002, the 510-foot ship prematurely sank and rolled over. Eventually, salvage crews were able to nudge it over onto its starboard side. And that’s how things remained until 2005, when Hurricane Dennis’ 20-foot waves pushed the ship onto its keel. Today, both rec and tec divers can safely explore one of Largo’s most popular wrecks. — Patricia Wuest

Blue Heron Bridge, Florida

From eagle ray fly-bys to close encounters of the macro kind, Blue Heron Bridge delivers it all. An easily accessed shore dive when the tide is right, this site features octopuses, angelfish and arrow crabs alike inhabiting artificial reefs, such as coral-encrusted shopping carts, shark statues and small sunken boats. — Melissa Smith

Devil’s Eye at Ginnie Springs, Florida

The Devil’s System at Ginnie Springs is popular with cave divers, but recreational divers have plenty to explore too, including the entry and exit points of the system — called Devil’s Ear, Devil’s Eye and Little Devil — and the Ginnie Ballroom, a large cavern that’s accessible to divers of every level. Tannic water from the converging Santa Fe River blankets the clear spring water, creating an inferno-like scene. — Melissa Smith

M/V Castor, Boynton Beach, Florida

This 258-foot wreck is one of the best spots for enjoying the annual goliath grouper spawning off Florida’s east coast in the fall. Bring your camera and cross your fingers: Lucky divers may see up to 50 of these massive fish on the wreck at once. — Andy Zunz

Just off Waikiki beach in Honolulu lies the wreck of the YO-257, a 175-foot Navy oiler that was purpose-sunk in 1989. The wreck sits in about 100 feet of water, but with good viz you can see it with a mask and snorkel. This multilevel wreck is noteworthy on its own, but it’s also within fin-kicking distance of another artificial reef, the San Pedro. A much larger and more intact wreck, the YO is definitely the main attraction here, but it’s pretty cool to have two sites wrapped up into one. You are almost guaranteed to see the endemic Hawaiian milletseed butterflyfish on this dive, and sea turtle sightings are frequent. Besides the colorful and abundant marine life, if you’re really lucky you might even catch a glimpse of the Atlantis passenger submarine that is known to visit the site, full of excited tourists spying on happy divers. — Becca Hurley