Throughout my travels I’ve visited some of the world’s best dive destinations. I’ve had the privilege to work in some of those places and become intimately familiar with their dive sites. These are my favorites, and shouldn’t be missed by any avid diver.
Gordon Rocks never disappoints. The abundance of large pelagic creatures like sharks, rays, turtles and sea lions makes this a dive site you can’t miss.
#10 - Paso de Cedral - Cozumel, Mexico
Diving here encapsulates all the best parts of diving in Cozumel. This expansive reef is nearly a mile long and consistently has a moderate current flowing through it which means you drift effortlessly over the site, which lets you keep your eyes out for loggerhead turtles, eagle rays, splendid toadfish and all of the gorgeous Caribbean reef life that inhabits the area.
#9 - Shotgun - Komodo, Indonesia
This outrageous dive site makes the list based solely on novelty. It covers the pass between to small islands in Komodo National Park. At falling tide, much of the water cascading off the plateau upon which the park sits funnels between these two islands creating the strongest current I’ve ever experienced. You are dropped on one side of the islands, and the current carries you through the channel to the other side at a ripping pace. Along the way it is not uncommon to see mantas and sharks, not to mention your bubbles traveling horizontally.
Cousins Rock is home to large colony of Galapagos sea lions that greet divers with playful acrobatics underwater.
#8 - Cousins Rock - Galapagos, Ecuador
Circumnavigate an entire island in one dive. This tiny islet, a product of volcanic ash compaction called tuff, sits just offshore from Santiago Island in the Galapagos. Seemingly barren above, the island hosts abundant wildlife under the surface. For the duration of the dive, you traverse dramatic drop-offs into open ocean, and can encounter a colony of playful sea lions, fleets of rays and if you’re lucky…seahorses!
#7 - Doctor’s Cove - Catalina Island, United States
Iconic California diving a short swim from shore. In this well protected cove on Catalina Island, you find thriving kelp forests, rocky reefs, sand flats and shallow pebble beaches only a short swim from shore. Wildlife is highly diverse due to the presence of all of these mini-ecosystems. Seals and sea lions, horned sharks and bat rays are a few of the creatures you can encounter there.
#6 - The Pit - Tulum, Mexico
Enter the mystical world of cenotes. This dive site is one of the most famous cenotes on the Riviera Maya and for good reason. The crystal clear freshwater at the surface of the cavern descends into a sulfur cloud below. Ancient fossils and astounding cave formations are the highlights of this unique site.
This vibrant reef scene is part of West End Wall in Roatan, Honduras.
#5 - Pipe Dreams - Hawaii, United States
Sitting at the western-most point of the island, this dive sites name comes from the massive water conduit left behind from an old science project. The pipe, nearly 8 feet in diameter, is completely encrusted with coral inside and out, and overlooks a vast, steep reef slope. Cross your fingers for a fly-by from a pod of Hawaiian spinner dolphins or monk seal while you peruse for frogfish and octopus, and during whale season enjoy a humpback whalesong concert.
#4 - Blue Channel - Roatan, Honduras
Macro-lovers will want to dive here over and over again. This shallow site begins on the reef wall and winds through a maze of reef swim-thrus towards shore. Keep your eyes peeled throughout the dive for nudibranchs and lots of weird sand-dwelling creatures like jawfish and flying gurnards.
#3 - West End Wall - Roatan, Honduras
Sweeping vistas of Caribbean reef walls and open blue sea. This dive site tours the western-most point of Roatan, where a staggering diversity of corals, sponges and reef life floats past on your left, with wide open ocean on your right. In terms of overall beauty, this is one of my favorites.
Batu Bolong in Komodo is one of the fishiest places I’ve ever dived, and one of my favorite dive sites.
#2 - Batu Bolong - Komodo, Indonesia
A monolithic underwater pinnacle provides excitement like no other dive site. A swift current passes through this area in Komodo, and the pinnacle provides refuge for abundant and diverse marine creatures. The water around this formation is a soup of colorful reef fish, large pelagic fish like snappers and jacks, turtles, rays and sharks. This dive site is hard to beat…
#1 - Gordon Rocks - Galapagos, Ecuador
Of all the places on Earth I’ve ever dived, none hold a candle to Gordon Rocks. This dive site in the central part of the archipelago is an old volcanic crater now partially submerged. It is filled with sea lions, hammerhead sharks, turtles, rays and more. There is no down-time at Gordon Rocks; something big is always swimming by.
Want to experience these places for yourself? Check out my travel menu and join me on my next dive trip!
What are your favorite dive sites? Comment below with your picks, and which ones on my list you’d like to try!