Top 3 dive destinations around the world

[mig_diver]

Hey guys, I asked this question in another forum but didn't really get a response. Hopefully will get one here.

What are your top 3 dive destinations around the world?

The reason I ask is because I am planning on traveling a bit next year and I would like to work as a dm/instructor in a few places if possible. What are the places that I MUST go to?

 

[RJP]

"Top" by what criteria?

Most popular based on #s of divers?
Most well-regarded diving?
What kind of diving - wrecks or pretty fishies?

 

[DevonDiver]

General Fishy Reef Dives....

Sipidan, Borneo (the northern pinnacle of the acclaimed 'golden triangle')
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Galapagos Island

Wreck Diving....

Truk Lagoon, Micronesia
Scapa Flow, Scotland
Bikini Atoll

Whale Sharks.....

Ningaloo Reef, Australia
The Maldives (right atoll in the right monsoon season)

Caves.....

Florida
The Cenotes, Mexico

Sharks.....

Protea Banks, S.Africa
Aliwal Shoals, S.Africa
Dyer Island, S.Africa (Great White cage dive)

Oddballs....

Jellyfish Lake, Palau - Micronesia
Humbolt Squid diving - Costa Rica
Dolphin Sanctuary, Eilat, Israel

 

[vladimir]

Good list. Jellyfish Lake is in Palau. There's another one in Kakaban, not as good. I have made it to 5 on your list. I've got work to do.

 

[Zeeman]

a couple more:

Philippines for whalesharks:
Donsol/Ticao, also Southern Leyte (Sogod Bay)

Sharks:
Shark dive in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji

Wrecks:
President Coolidge + Million Dollar point - Santo, Vanuatu

Z..

 

[Gambitt]

If you want to wreck dive, try the 1000 Islands area of the St. Lawrence Seaway. More wrecks than anywhere else in the world.

Thousand Islands Dive Tours

 

[robint]

I would add a few things to the list:

best shark dives:
Blue Corner - Palau
Peleliu Cut - Palau
Cay Sal Bank - Bahamas

best shore dives:
anyplace in Bonaire

best coldwater & kelpforest diving:
Northern & Southern Channel Islands, California

best macro critter diving:
Northern Channel Island, California

 

[SSharkk]

For those wanting to be overwhelmed by splendor, tinged by fear and, then taken to pure elation my prejudices are:

The western side of the Little Bahamas Bank

Darwin and Wolf Islands, Galapagos

Cocos and Malpelo Islands in the eastern Pacific

These locations are not for the unskilled or the faint of heart.

"A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices."
William James

 

[vladimir]

Cocos Island is my favorite so far. Nobody mentioned PNG yet, which is way up on my list.

 

[caymaniac]

I too think it depends on what you like as far as undewater scenery, fish life, or wrecks.
Since you live in Australia I would think that Paupau New Guinea or Malaysia isn't too far away. Maybe you should check out the far north reefs torwards Cape Tribulation or Exmouth.
The Red Sea and the Maldives are far away places that have plenty of life. Then there's Palau and Truk. Traveling to the Caribbean for us in the USA is so much closer so we talk about it alot but the diving is fantastic where you live or at least close to where you live as I've been there and was thrilled to dive at Osprey reef and the GBR north of Lizard Island.