My #1 dream dive is British Columbia, Canada. #2 is my local dive sites. I still haven't seen all there is to see here in twenty years of diving..
Best diving locations...in the world
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JDMerk
Contributor
Well they always say our wrecks off North Carolina are world class...I don't have much to compare them to other than the Florida Keys. I'm guessing NC counts as an exotic dive destination if your coming from Romania
Me...I'm just a little spoiled I guess.
Me...I'm just a little spoiled I guess.
Jupiter31
Contributor
For big animais:
Cocos Island
Galapagos
Jupiter FL
Cocos Island
Galapagos
Jupiter FL
5513
Registered
Palau was great. Saving for Chuuk. Did a week in Bonaire last fall. Great too. Nice reefs, a wreck, nothing to do but dive. Shore diving is available too.
If I had one wish it would have to be Chuuk.
If I had one wish it would have to be Chuuk.
OP
Misa
Guest
So, it seems, Chuuk is the world wide capital for wrecks ...and it seems Asia has great places to dive: Indonesia, Malayesia, etc.
...and it seems Asia has great places to dive: Indonesia, Malayesia, etc.
DevonDiver
N/A
The Philippines.....
Wrecks Subic Bay and Coron. Two of the best wreck diving destinations in the world. Many large Japanese and American war wrecks. Older spanish wrecks...and post-war vessels.
Offshore Reef Tubbataha. A UNESCO World Heritage site. Simply amazing, but only reachable by liveaboard. Possibly better even than Sipidan.
Whale Sharks. Snorkeling only... but Donsol has a whale shark migration season and you will see dozens. Easily on a par with Ningaloo Reef in Australia.
Pelagics. Malapascua (near Cebu) offers one of the only locations in the world where you can dive regularly with Thresher Sharks. In addition, you have schooling Hammerheads and a host of reef sharks.
Macro. Anilao, Batangas, Puerto Galera, Bohol, Palawan etc etc.... The Philippines is placed well within the famous 'Golden Triangle' that holds the highest marine bio-diversity of the world. On a par with the best marine life dives available in Indonesia or Borneo. These are all places where you can expect to log frogfish, ghostpipefish, pygmy seahorse, blue ring octopus, mimic octopus etc etc etc etc
Wrecks Subic Bay and Coron. Two of the best wreck diving destinations in the world. Many large Japanese and American war wrecks. Older spanish wrecks...and post-war vessels.
Offshore Reef Tubbataha. A UNESCO World Heritage site. Simply amazing, but only reachable by liveaboard. Possibly better even than Sipidan.
Whale Sharks. Snorkeling only... but Donsol has a whale shark migration season and you will see dozens. Easily on a par with Ningaloo Reef in Australia.
Pelagics. Malapascua (near Cebu) offers one of the only locations in the world where you can dive regularly with Thresher Sharks. In addition, you have schooling Hammerheads and a host of reef sharks.
Macro. Anilao, Batangas, Puerto Galera, Bohol, Palawan etc etc.... The Philippines is placed well within the famous 'Golden Triangle' that holds the highest marine bio-diversity of the world. On a par with the best marine life dives available in Indonesia or Borneo. These are all places where you can expect to log frogfish, ghostpipefish, pygmy seahorse, blue ring octopus, mimic octopus etc etc etc etc
wreckless1
Contributor
Damselfish
Contributor
I don't think there is any such thing as a "best" place. There are so many pros and cons to everyplace and my pro may be your con.
Something to consider - looks like you haven't been diving that long. So many places will look great. If you do manage to find your version of "best" now, it means it's all downhill from there! There's much to be said for working up to it. And, conditions in some great places may be stuff you're not quite ready for, or at least won't allow you to appreciate a place as much. So by all means do research to find places you will like, but don't get hung up on "best."
Something to consider - looks like you haven't been diving that long. So many places will look great. If you do manage to find your version of "best" now, it means it's all downhill from there!
There's much to be said for working up to it. And, conditions in some great places may be stuff you're not quite ready for, or at least won't allow you to appreciate a place as much. So by all means do research to find places you will like, but don't get hung up on "best."
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Likewise ... "Best" will depend on the individual diver, and will vary depending on the type of diving you want to do.
From my personal experiences ...
Bonaire is the "best" when it comes to the easiest place to get in lots of really interesting diving. You don't have to rely on boats or schedules ... the reef is an easy 2-minute swim from almost any shore entry on the island.
When it comes to abundance and variety of marine life, Komodo (Indonesia) for warm water and Port Hardy (British Columbia) for cold water ... and although they are completely different I'd be hard-pressed to choose which would offer the better experience.
For encounters with the strangest critters on the planet, I'd pick Lembeh Straits (Indonesia).
But none of those places have night life ... if that matters to you, choose elsewhere. Also, none have wrecks that are worthy of the name ... sure, you get the Hilma Hooker in Bonaire, but for me at least that's a "been there done that" sort of dive and not at all the reason I go to Bonaire.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
From my personal experiences ...
Bonaire is the "best" when it comes to the easiest place to get in lots of really interesting diving. You don't have to rely on boats or schedules ... the reef is an easy 2-minute swim from almost any shore entry on the island.
When it comes to abundance and variety of marine life, Komodo (Indonesia) for warm water and Port Hardy (British Columbia) for cold water ... and although they are completely different I'd be hard-pressed to choose which would offer the better experience.
For encounters with the strangest critters on the planet, I'd pick Lembeh Straits (Indonesia).
But none of those places have night life ... if that matters to you, choose elsewhere. Also, none have wrecks that are worthy of the name ... sure, you get the Hilma Hooker in Bonaire, but for me at least that's a "been there done that" sort of dive and not at all the reason I go to Bonaire.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Im interested in this order:
1: Exotic marine life(small and big fishes), reefs, etc
2: Good diving conditions
3:Wreck...its not a must but if there are 1-2 in the area is better
It depends on a little more than what you want to see under water.... because even on a dive trip you'll spend most of your time top-side.
Are you looking for an exclusive tourist destination--the more the merrier and a good night-life? Do you want to rough it? Do you want hand holding or a bit of freedom... or a lot of freedom? Do you want to be on land or is a live-aboard more to your liking etc. etc.
R..
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