Diving has an otherworldly quality, as you don spacesuit-like gear and venture into the watery world – often in search of new and exciting lifeforms. Wade weightlessly through aquatic waterscapes, rich with wildlife, from the plummeting depths of the Seychelles (ominously named ‘The Wall’), to the WWII wreckages of Micronesia. You too can submerge yourself in the underwater dreamscapes that await discovery and succumb to the allure of some of the top 10 dive sites, found scattered across the world. In fact, our well-travelled marine biologists and dive masters in our Original Diving team have compiled a list, choosing the top 10 dive sites that they think you should experience. So, come on in, the water’s lovely...
- Cape Kri, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Bradford, Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea
- Nudi Falls, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- The Blue Corner, Ngemelis Island, Palau
- Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa, French Polynesia
- Fujikawa Maru, Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia
- Darwin’s Arch, Galapagos
- Great White Wall, Fiji
- Monad Shoal, Malapascua, Philippines
- The Wall, Astove, Seychelles
1
Cape Kri, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
First up on the list of top 10 dive sites is none other than Cape Kri. Kri itself is an island in North Raja Ampat, found smack bang in the middle of the Dampier Strait, with the best dive site (Cape Kir) found stretched along the southern coast. Home to large wall dives and slopes that wrap around the coastline, this superhighway for all things marine life is a must for keen divers, and is even an easy enough drift dive for those less experienced. Plus, with an astonishing 374 species of fish recorded on just one dive, this is like diving in the largest aquarium in the world, minus the plexiglass and faux coral.
2
Bradford, Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea
The famous Bradford dive site rises from considerable depths just off Kimbe Bay, found roughly one-third of the way along the north coast of New Britain island in Papua New Guinea. Forming the southern ridge of the so-called “Ring of Fire” (not to be confused with the Johnny Cash anthem), this is a coral lover’s paradise. It’s a seascape that boasts some of the healthiest reefs on the planet, supporting shoals of jacks, tuna, reef shark, cuttlefish and a colossal school of barracuda.
3
Nudi Falls, Sulawesi, Indonesia
It’s another entry on the list of top 10 dive sites we think you should visit. This one lets you experience the magic of a coral amphitheatre, found on the Indonesian island just east of Borneo. Submerge yourself and wade along the ocean-flanked avenues rich with reefs, as you explore. Small is certainly beautiful in the Lembeth Strait, as are the names of the macro (dive speak for tiny) marvels you’ll see. Spot Wunderpus photogenicus, harlequin shrimps and nudibranchs galore.
4
The Blue Corner, Ngemelis Island, Palau
Nestled in Palau’s barrier reef is The Blue Corner, found in the south-east of Koror and close to Ngerukewid and German Channel. It’s recognisable thanks to its triangular shape, with step walls on the side lapped by the Pacific Ocean – it's also known for resembling a submerged peninsula. The careening currents here propel divers over coral terraces frenzied with life. Pelagic (deep water) predators cruise by, and on new and full moons, red snapper and bumphead parrotfish put on sprawling spectacles – making it another must see on the list of top 10 dive sites.
Photo Credit: Alastair Pollock
5
Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa, French Polynesia
The Tiputa Pass is one of only two passes in the atoll of Rangiroa, but it’s in good company next to the Avatoru Pass. It has become known for being a mythical diving spot, with an incoming tide that funnels a vast marine migration of dolphins, mantas, reef fish and up to 1,500 grey and hammerhead sharks. They journey through this narrow gap in the reef, and on a calm day with an incoming current, you can explore the lagoon and experience the unspoiled coral and fish flecked waters in all their glory.
6
Fujikawa Maru, Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia
Head to Chuuk lagoon to find the famous Fujikawa Maru in the Caroline Islands of Micronesia. Encrusted with coral, this WWII Japanese transporter ship is the wreck diver’s Everest. Disassembled ‘Zero’ fighters, torpedo shells and gas masks fill the expansive hold of the sunken vessel and victim of a torpedo strike. After years of being submerged, it has found itself home to its very own tiny ecosystem, with soft corals, large heads of hard corals and sea sponges of all shapes and sizes coating the exterior.
Photo Credit: Nobu Otsuka
7
Darwin’s Arch, Galapagos
This one on the list of top 10 dive sites is located just off the southeast tip of Darwin Island, the islet of Darwin's Towers (formerly known as Darwin's Arch, until the arches collapse back in 2021). It’s considered a marine wonderland and divers paradise, and is an ultra-remote site; accessible only by liveaboard. This unspoiled macrocosm harbours sea lion, hammerheads, mantas, whale sharks, dolphins and even the occasional orca. So, there’s lots of picture worthy moments to be had when diving into the depths here.
8
Great White Wall, Fiji
Fiji may be small but it’s certainly mighty, with some of the best dive spots that the world has to offer. You won’t be short of memorabile marine moments here and situated in the Somosomo Strait (between Vanua Levu and Taveuni), you’ll find the deservedly famous Great White Wall. It stretches down well beyond 30m and is carpeted in coral so white it glows. This is an easy drift dive along the Rainbow Reed, known for its vibrant gorgonians (a type of soft coral), swim throughs and copious fish.
Photo Credit: Rhiannon Taylor
9
Monad Shoal, Malapascua, Philippines
This next one is in fact the place that made diving in Malapascua Island famous, with a sunken coral plateau found around 20m deep. Monad Shoal is a tiny island near to the northern tip of Cebu in the Philippines, and this underwater seamount is one that certainly delivers, with once-in-a-lifetime encounters with pelagic thresher sharks ascending from the depths. Stick around to glimpse mobula rays, hammerheads and mantas.
10
The Wall, Astove, Seychelles
Astove is situated south-west of Mahé and forms part of the remote Aldabra group of atolls nestled in the Seychelles. The Wall’s dramatic vertical drop descends from waist deep water to over 1,000 meters in depth, where inquisitive pelagics and macro wonders collide on a reef coated in corals and bulbous sponges. It’s been the cause of shipwrecks dating as far back as 1500 AC and has been likened to the underwater world’s answer to the Grand Canyon, confirming its place among the list of top 10 dive sites that the planet has to offer.
Photo credit: Vanessa Martin