So where are the 10 Best Places to Scuba Dive in the World? It’s a question that comes up a lot and is almost impossible to answer. What do you like? Tastes vary in scuba diving just as they do in life. Practically, it’s also a pretty small group of people well travelled enough to make any sort of qualified judgment. So rather than give you what I think I’ve taken a different approach to try and get an answer. 

Method

I’ve collated as many lists of the ‘best dive destinations in the world’ from across different publications and the internet as I could find. I then scored them based on their ranking and aggregated the scores to give an overall ranking. This should hopefully combine the rabble of opinion into a meaningful consensus (all without the help of AI). So here are the 10 best places to scuba dive in the world:

10. French Polynesia

Score: 42

The quintessential South Pacific. It’s most associated with honeymooners but divers travel to the French overseas territory to see sharks, lots of sharks. The strong currents driving between and into the atolls attracts large aggregations of  grey reef and blacktip sharks. It’s a remote destination and an epic journey to get to from pretty much anywhere. This isolation is reflected in the near pristine condition of the marine ecosystem. 

Best Dive: Rangiroa

9. Hawaii

Score: 43

Another pacific island chain. The US state has always been a popular destination for American divers but is less often visited by Europeans. This is illustrated by the publications and sources that scored it highly. That’s not damning it with faint praise because the islands are known for excellent diving and the opportunity to night dive with manta rays at Kona shouldn’t be missed   

Best Dive: Kona  

8. Great Barrier Reef – Australia

Score: 58

The Great Barrier Reef seems to gets a lot of bad press at the moment. Its taken on the role as the poster child for coral bleaching and damaged reefs. Maybe it’s the price it pays as the worlds largest reef but it gives the impression that all that remains is dead coral. This is certainly not the case. The GBR and its surrounding reefs have world famous dives at sites like Osprey reef, Cod Hole and the wreck of the S.S. Yongala. The marine life is varied with some unique opportunities to see minke whales and sea snakes.

I wouldn’t recommend diving from day boats as its fame draws crowds of all types to swim, snorkel or dive. Huge boats travel out of the main city of Cairns each day and if I’m honest they’re best avoided if you want to enjoy your diving. It’s a destination that’s best dived from a liveaboard.

Best Dive: Osprey Reef

7. Belize

Score: 59

Interestingly the second largest barrier reef in the world comes in ahead of the GBR. The Central America country offers some excellent Caribbean diving. The site that attracts the most attention is the Blue Hole. The marine sinkhole, some 300m across and 125m deep, is a spectacular sight. However, the attention it receives is likely from people who have never dived it. Its reputation, from those in the know, is as one of the biggest disappointments in diving. It’s just not a fantastic dive. Blue Hole aside, Belize offers some great, more traditional, diving opportunities. 

Best Dive: The Elbow

6. Similan Islands – Thailand

Score: 61

Thailand offers poor, average and excellent diving. The Similan Islands are definitely in the latter category. In Thailand, the key is knowing where to go and who to dive with. Many a backpacker has been tempted into the first dive centre they find and often ended up disappointed. The Similan Islands are approximately 100km north of the popular resort town of Phuket. The islands offer amazing soft corals, vibrant marine life and the opportunity to see whale sharks when in season. It is possible to dive the Similan Islands by speedboat but it is far better served as part of a liveaboard itinerary.    

Best Dive: Richelieu Rock

5. Raja Ampat – Indonesia

Score: 68

 The last paradise. The Amazon of the ocean. Raja Ampat doesn’t lack for nice monikers. This remote corner of Indonesia normally features as the example of tropical coral reefs in documentaries – featuring heavily in series such as Planet Earth, Blue Planet and Our Planet. Raja Ampat is a darling destination for underwater photographers too and features heavily across many social media accounts. It is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet sitting right on the boundary of Asia and Australia.

The result is a breathtaking selection of marine life across its coral reefs and mangroves forests. Like many places on this list it is remote which (unsurprisingly) it has in common with a lot of destinations on this list. It’s no coincidence if you go far away from humans the natural world is more likely to thrive.

Best Dive: Cape Kri 

4. Galapagos – Ecuador

Score: 74

The wildlife of the Galapagos is as unique under the water as it is on land, albeit for different reasons. This volcanic island chain straddles the equator in the Eastern Pacific but is defined by its currents rather than its latitude. Cold and warm currents combine to provide a Frankenstein mix of temperate and tropical species. You’ll get penguins and no coral (it’s too cold) alongside whalesharks and iguanas – it’s a fascinating junction of marine life. It’s on many people’s bucket list for a reason – it is definitely not overrated.    

Best Dive(s): Darwin and Wolf Islands

3. Palau

Score: 86

Palau doesn’t come up much in conversation outside of diving community. Even well travelled divers struggle to point to it on a map – I definitely can’t. This tiny Pacific island republic is around 500 miles east of the Philippines, not too far from the deepest point in the ocean – the Mariana Trench. The diving is famous for its strong currents that attract large pelagics such as sharks and rays.

Palau has been at the forefront of shark conservation. It introduced the world’s first shark sanctuary, banning all shark fishing in its waters in 2009. The tiny islands are spread over a wide area that allows the sanctuary to cover more 600,000 square kilometres. 

Best Dive: Blue Corner  

2. Red Sea, Egypt

Score: 90

No surprise the Red Sea scores so highly. It’s the consummate allrounder. Great visibility – check. Varied marine life – check. An exciting collection of wrecks – check.  There may be destinations with more flamboyant reef life or more numerous pelagics but the Egyptian Red Sea combines so many great diving options. It’s the pick your own adventure of diving destinations. You could go to a large resort in either Sharm el Sheikh or to a laid back beach camp in Marsa Alam.

The key is they all have excellent diving opportunities.  Though not necessary for great diving the most efficient way to get the maximum out of Red Sea diving is on one of the numerous liveaboards.

Best Dive: Ras Mohamed

1. Sipadan, Malaysia

Score: 94

Sipadan has been described as ‘diving on steroids’. In the waters of this small Malaysian island you can expect to see huge shoals of barracuda, bumphead parrotfish and turtles. The diving is superb. Sitting in the rich waters 30km east of Borneo – Sipadan is also unusual. The local scuba diving trade was unceremoniously kicked off the island is 2004, due to the damage it was causing to the marine ecosystem. Today, access for divers is strictly controlled by a daily permit system – with only 176 divers allowed per day. Dive centres relocated onto nearby islands, and even a disused oil rig. 

Best Dive: Barracuda Point