Best liveaboards — top-rated picks for divers

Best Liveaboards 2026

Expert-curated picks — by marine life, region, experience level and style.

By Marine Life

Best Liveaboards for Hammerhead Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Hammerhead Sharks

Dive into the depths and witness the iconic schools of hammerhead sharks that make these liveaboards unforgettable.

Best Liveaboards for Whale Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Whale Sharks

Dive into the ultimate guide for liveaboards that promise unforgettable encounters with the ocean's gentle giants.

Best Liveaboards for Manta Rays

Best Liveaboards for Manta Rays

Dive into the dance of the ocean's gentle giants on these top liveaboard safaris tailored for manta ray encounters.

Best Liveaboards for Humpback Whales

Best Liveaboards for Humpback Whales

Dive into the dance of leviathans: discover liveaboards that put you front row for humpback whale encounters.

Best Liveaboards for Tiger Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Tiger Sharks

Dive into the thrilling world of tiger sharks: discover the top liveaboards offering unparalleled encounters with these magnificent predators.

Best Liveaboards for Thresher Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Thresher Sharks

Dive into the deep blue and encounter the elusive thresher shark, a truly unforgettable experience.

Best Liveaboards for Bull Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Bull Sharks

Discover the top liveaboards offering unparalleled encounters with the ocean's most robust predators, the bull sharks.

Best Liveaboards for Sailfish

Best Liveaboards for Sailfish

Chase down the ocean's fastest predators on an unforgettable liveaboard adventure specially designed for sailfish enthusiasts.

Best Liveaboards for Orcas (Killer Whales)

Best Liveaboards for Orcas (Killer Whales)

Join a dedicated expedition to the world's top Orca hotspots and witness their power and intelligence.

Best Liveaboards for Blue Whales

Best Liveaboards for Blue Whales

Your guide to liveaboard trips offering the best chance to encounter the ocean's largest inhabitant.

Best Liveaboards for Sperm Whales

Best Liveaboards for Sperm Whales

Get face-to-face with the largest toothed predator on Earth from the world’s most specialized liveaboards.

Best Liveaboards for Gray Whales

Best Liveaboards for Gray Whales

Follow the epic migration of gray whales to their birthing lagoons on these dedicated liveaboard expeditions.

Best Liveaboards for Southern Right Whales

Best Liveaboards for Southern Right Whales

Maximize your chances of unforgettable encounters with these gentle giants of the Southern Hemisphere.

Best Liveaboards for Mobula Rays

Best Liveaboards for Mobula Rays

Dive the world's most spectacular mobula aggregations, from Mexico's feeding frenzies to the Azores' epic schools.

Best Liveaboards for Mako Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Mako Sharks

Dive with the world's fastest shark from liveaboards designed for remote, open-ocean pelagic encounters.

Best Liveaboards for Eagle Rays

Best Liveaboards for Eagle Rays

Our picks for the top liveaboard destinations to witness the grace of schooling Eagle Rays.

Best Liveaboards for Galápagos Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Galápagos Sharks

Board a liveaboard to reach the remote, current-swept islands where Galápagos sharks congregate.

Best Liveaboards for Pilot Whales

Best Liveaboards for Pilot Whales

Go beyond the reef to meet these social, deep-diving cetaceans in their open-ocean home.

Best Liveaboards for Bottlenose Dolphins

Best Liveaboards for Bottlenose Dolphins

Discover the top liveaboards for incredible, ethical encounters with bottlenose dolphins in the wild.

Best Liveaboards for Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)

Best Liveaboards for Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)

Your front-row seat to one of the ocean’s oddest and most spectacular giants.

Best Liveaboards for Grey Reef Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Grey Reef Sharks

Dive the world's most action-packed channels for unforgettable encounters with Grey Reef Sharks.

Best Liveaboards for Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

Dive with one of the ocean's most curious pelagic predators from the best boats in the business.

Best Liveaboards for Nurse Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Nurse Sharks

Dive alongside these placid sharks in the world's top aggregation hotspots, all from the deck of a premier liveaboard.

Best Liveaboards for Blue Sharks

Best Liveaboards for Blue Sharks

Dive the deep blue with the ocean's most elegant nomads on these dedicated Blue Shark liveaboard expeditions.

Best Liveaboards for Dugongs

Best Liveaboards for Dugongs

Boost your chances of a rare, respectful encounter with the ocean's gentle 'sea cows' on these specialized trips.

Best Liveaboards for Blue Marlin

Best Liveaboards for Blue Marlin

Chase the ultimate pelagic prize on a liveaboard trip designed for thrilling Blue Marlin encounters.

Best Liveaboards for Spinner Dolphins

Best Liveaboards for Spinner Dolphins

Go where the action is: ride with the world's most acrobatic dolphins on these top-tier liveaboards.

Best Liveaboards for Oceanic Manta Rays

Best Liveaboards for Oceanic Manta Rays

Go where the giants roam. These are the world's best liveaboards for reliable Oceanic Manta Ray encounters.

By Experience Level

By Style & Niche

By Region

Best Maldives Liveaboards

Best Maldives Liveaboards

Discover the ultimate underwater adventure aboard the Maldives' most exceptional liveaboards.

Best Red Sea Liveaboards

Best Red Sea Liveaboards

Dive into an underwater paradise with our top picks for Red Sea liveaboards in {{YEAR}}.

Best Galapagos Liveaboards

Best Galapagos Liveaboards

Discover the Galapagos Islands like never before, sailing on a liveaboard to encounter unparalleled wildlife and natural beauty.

Best Komodo Liveaboards

Best Komodo Liveaboards

Discover the top liveaboards for an unforgettable Komodo National Park adventure.

Best Raja Ampat Liveaboards

Best Raja Ampat Liveaboards

Dive into the kaleidoscopic waters of Raja Ampat aboard a luxury liveaboard, your gateway to underwater paradise.

Best Indonesia Liveaboards

Best Indonesia Liveaboards

Dive the world's richest reefs from a boat built for adventure in the heart of the Coral Triangle.

Best Thailand Liveaboards

Best Thailand Liveaboards

Dive Thailand's Andaman Sea hotspots, from the Similan Islands to Richelieu Rock, aboard our hand-picked vessels.

Best Papua New Guinea Liveaboards

Best Papua New Guinea Liveaboards

Dive into the Coral Triangle's wild frontier, where biodiversity and adventure are off the charts.

Best Bali Liveaboards

Best Bali Liveaboards

Dive Bali's incredible diversity, from the famed Liberty Wreck to Nusa Penida's mantas and mola mola.

Best Costa Rica & Cocos Island Liveaboards

Best Costa Rica & Cocos Island Liveaboards

Dive the 'Island of the Sharks' for adrenaline-pumping encounters with massive schools of hammerheads and other pelagics.

Best Philippines Liveaboards

Best Philippines Liveaboards

Dive the heart of the Coral Triangle, from Tubbataha's shark-filled walls to the vibrant macro life of the Visayas.

Best Solomon Islands Liveaboards

Best Solomon Islands Liveaboards

Explore a world of vibrant coral reefs, historic WWII wrecks, and blissfully few crowds.

Best Australia Liveaboards

Best Australia Liveaboards

Explore the world's largest reef system and the remote Coral Sea on Australia's top-rated liveaboard dive boats.

Best Banda Sea Liveaboards

Best Banda Sea Liveaboards

Dive the legendary Spice Islands for pristine reefs, huge pelagics, and schooling hammerheads.

Best Mexico Liveaboards

Best Mexico Liveaboards

Explore Socorro's giant mantas and Guadalupe's great whites from the comfort of a world-class liveaboard.

Best Micronesia Liveaboards

Best Micronesia Liveaboards

Dive into a world of shark-filled channels, epic drift dives, and the planet's most famous WWII wrecks.

Best Fiji Liveaboards

Best Fiji Liveaboards

Dive the world's soft coral capital, swim with sharks, and explore Fiji's best remote reefs by liveaboard.

Best Bahamas Liveaboards

Best Bahamas Liveaboards

Dive with sharks, drop-offs, and wrecks from your floating hotel in the clear blue waters of the Bahamas.

Best Djibouti Liveaboards

Best Djibouti Liveaboards

Swim with gentle whale shark giants and explore the wild reefs of the Red Sea's southern entrance.

Best French Polynesia Liveaboards

Best French Polynesia Liveaboards

Dive into the heart of the South Pacific's legendary shark walls, pristine atolls, and thrilling pass drifts.

Best Seychelles Liveaboards

Best Seychelles Liveaboards

Dive into a paradise of granite reefs, giant tortoises, and whale sharks from the deck of a top-rated vessel.

Best Belize Liveaboards

Best Belize Liveaboards

Dive the legendary Blue Hole and pristine atolls from the comfort of a top-rated Belize liveaboard.

Best Antarctica Liveaboards

Best Antarctica Liveaboards

Dive the final frontier, where icebergs dwarf ships and penguins are your dive buddies on the trip of a lifetime.

Best Turks & Caicos Liveaboards

Best Turks & Caicos Liveaboards

Dive dramatic walls patrolled by sharks and migrating humpbacks from the comfort of a world-class liveaboard.

Best Alor Liveaboards

Best Alor Liveaboards

Dive into the Coral Triangle's wild frontier, where big fish and tiny, weird critters collide.

Browse the full catalogue

See every liveaboard and every diving destination we cover.