Dive sites worldwide: the atlas with 2,000+ spots
Explore the world's best dive sites and find the liveaboard that takes you there.
How this dive site atlas is organised
Explore the most complete collection of dive sites on the planet — right here on this page. Search by country or region, filter by experience level, dive type, access and current, or find the exact marine life you want to encounter — from whale sharks and mantas to wrecks, walls and caves. Every site page shows seasonality, depth, how to get there and which liveaboards or day boats can take you there.
Editor's selection
Highlights from our rankings
Our editorial ranking of the greatest dives on the planet — wrecks, walls, shark plateaus and cenotes. Cross-checked against the major published lists, regardless of whether you reach them by liveaboard, day boat or from shore.
Browse by place
The World's Top Diving Regions
Filter the world's dive sites by country and region and pick the corner of the ocean you actually want to be in. Start wide with a dive region, then narrow down to the country that fits your travel window. Every page holds its sites, its season, its ports and the liveaboards that take you there.
By country
By region
What should your dive adventure look like?
Wrecks, walls, drifts, caves, pinnacles, muck and big-animal reefs — pick the kind of diving you actually travel for and we show you the sites that deliver it. Every dive type page lists its strongest destinations, the certification level and current you should be comfortable with, and the season when conditions peak. Wreck divers can jump straight to the Red Sea and Truk Lagoon, macro shooters to Lembeh and Anilao, and drift lovers to Komodo, Palau and the Maldives channels.
Browse dive sites
Dive sites A–Z: Start with these 20
A first look at the atlas itself: twenty dive sites with their position on the world map and a short, factual summary of what you actually see down there. Use the search box to jump straight to a reef, wreck or wall by name — every site page holds depths, currents, level, season and the liveaboards that dive it.
Search by name — or by theme keyword like wreck, drift, cave, reef, muck or big fish. Results are grouped by country.
3 Fathom Wall
Cayman Islands
3 Fathom Wall is an exciting and fish-filled dive site located in the Cayman Islands, specifically at the intersection of the renowned Bloody Bay Wall.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Liveaboard only
- Depth
- ≤ 3000 m
- Theme
- Reef
3 Riff
Dominican Republic
While specific details for a dive site named "3 Riff" are not present in the provided sources, general diving conditions and characteristics for the Dominican Republic…
- Suitable for
- Advanced
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Dayboat
- Depth
- 30–55 m
- Theme
- Reef
3 Rocks
Dominican Republic
The dive site known as 3 Rocks is located off the coast of Sosúa in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, offering an accessible and lively underwater experience.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Dayboat
- Depth
- 2–8 m
- Theme
- Reef
4 Amigos
Honduras
4 Amigos is a notable dive site located in the Bay Islands of Honduras, an area renowned for its extensive Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the world's second-longest.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
- Moderate
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- 9–40 m
- Theme
- Reef
6 Toed Cat
Mexico
The dive site known as "6 Toed Cat" is not a recognized dive location in Mexico; rather, it refers to the polydactyl felines, many with six toes, that inhabit the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- —
- Theme
- Reef
7th Heaven
Maldives
7th Heaven is a vibrant channel reef located in the South Ari Atoll of the Maldives.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
- Strong
- Access
- Liveaboard only
- Depth
- 10–30 m
- Theme
- Reef / Drift
Aaron's Backyard
Honduras
Aaron's Backyard is a noted dive site within the Roatan Marine Park in Honduras, part of the extensive Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
- Moderate
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- 9–40 m
- Theme
- Reef
Abdi Reis
Turkey
Abdi Reis is a highly regarded dive site situated near the Datça Peninsula in Turkey's Aegean Sea, specifically located within Abdi Reis Cove, near Yildiz Island.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
- Moderate
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- ≤ 33 m
- Theme
- Reef / Wall
Abila
Alor
Abila is a captivating sloping reef dive site located in Alor, a region celebrated for its pristine coral and rich marine biodiversity.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Liveaboard only
- Depth
- —
- Theme
- Reef
Abu Dabbab
Egypt
Abu Dabbab stands out as one of the Red Sea's most celebrated dive destinations, particularly notable for being a rare location where divers can encounter the endangered dugong.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Strong
- Access
- Shore / dayboat
- Depth
- 3–20 m
- Theme
- Reef
Abu Galawa
Saudi Arabia
Abu Galawa is a prominent dive site within Saudi Arabia's Red Sea, specifically located among the Seven Sisters reefs near Yanbu.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
- Strong
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- 5–40 m
- Theme
- Reef / Wall
Abu Galawa Kebir
Egypt
Abu Galawa Kebir is a premier dive site located in the southern Red Sea, situated on the northwestern edge of the extensive Fury Shoal reef system.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Strong
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- 3–18 m
- Theme
- Wreck
Abu Nuhas
Egypt
Abu Nuhas, often called the "ship's graveyard" of the Red Sea, is a triangular coral reef situated at the northern edge of the Strait of Gubal.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Strong
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- 4–24 m
- Theme
- Wreck
Abyss
Madagascar
The dive site known as "Abyss" is not specifically mentioned or described in the provided sources.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
- Moderate
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- 18–50 m
- Theme
- Reef
Acuario
Dominican Republic
Acuario is a popular, shallow reef dive site located in the Dominican Republic, offering an accessible underwater experience.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Moderate
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- 12–14 m
- Theme
- Reef
Adabanko Reef
Turkey
Adabanko Reef is an inviting dive site situated approximately two kilometers off the coast of Kuşadası in Turkey's Aegean Sea.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Moderate
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- 5–40 m
- Theme
- Reef
Adakule Cave
Turkey
Adakule Cave is a notable boat-access dive site located near Kuşadası, Turkey, offering an engaging experience centered around two distinct underwater caverns.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Dayboat
- Depth
- 9–30 m
- Theme
- Cave & cavern
Addie's Garden
Honduras
Addie's Garden is one of 350 dive and snorkel sites located around Roatan, Honduras, within the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.
- Suitable for
- Intermediate
- Current
- Moderate
- Access
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Depth
- —
- Theme
- Reef
Addu Kandu
Maldives
Addu Kandu, also known as Addu Channel, is a significant natural waterway situated within the Addu Atoll, which is the southernmost atoll in the Maldives.
- Suitable for
- Advanced
- Current
- Strong
- Access
- Liveaboard only
- Depth
- —
- Theme
- Drift
Dive safety
Decompression chambers
A decompression (hyperbaric) chamber is a pressure vessel in which a diver breathes pure oxygen at raised pressure. It is the only effective treatment for decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism, and the distance to the nearest working chamber is part of every serious dive plan — especially on liveaboards in remote waters. We keep a source-backed directory of the chambers that actually serve the dive regions we sell, sorted by country with addresses and published phone numbers. Check it before you book a remote itinerary, and always dive with valid diving accident insurance.
- Decompression sickness (DCS)
- Nitrogen bubbles form in blood and tissue after a too-fast ascent or a missed decompression stop.
- Recompression
- The chamber raises ambient pressure again so the bubbles shrink and dissolve.
- Hyperbaric oxygen
- Pure O2 at 2–3 bar washes nitrogen out and re-oxygenates undersupplied tissue.
- Time matters
- The earlier the treatment starts, the better the outcome — evacuation time is the critical factor.
- Insurance
- A treatment series costs several thousand USD. Diving accident cover (DAN or equivalent) is mandatory on most liveaboards.
How to read this atlas
How we rate dive sites: Levels, current and access
Ratings on dive portals are usually decoration. Ours are definitions — so a badge means the same thing in Egypt and in Antarctica. Every dive site in this atlas carries the same three labels: the certification level it realistically demands, the current you should expect on an average day, and how you actually get there — liveaboard, day boat or shore. Read the three cards below once and you can scan any site page in seconds and know whether it fits your logbook.
Certification level
- Open Water
- Max 18 m, no meaningful current, direct ascent possible.
- Advanced
- To 30 m, mild to moderate current, boat entry, some navigation.
- Advanced + current
- Negative entry, reef hook or drift SMB, 30+ logged dives expected.
- Technical
- Beyond 40 m, overhead, or decompression obligation by design.
Current scale
- None
- You can hold position without effort.
- Mild
- Noticeable, easily finned against.
- Moderate
- Drift dive; the boat follows your SMB.
- Strong
- Negative entry, hook or hard descent on a line.
- Ripping
- Down-currents possible; guides brief an abort plan.
Access
- Liveaboard only
- No day boat operates in range.
- Liveaboard & day boat
- Both work; the liveaboard buys you the first slot of the day.
- Shore access
- Divable without a boat.
- Sources
- Operator route plans, marine park permits and our own trip reports.
FAQ
Everything you want to know about dive sites
The questions divers ask us most before they pick a dive site — access, certification level, current, season and cost. Every answer reflects how the sites in this atlas are actually dived by bookable operators, not a generic brochure. If a site needs a liveaboard, a permit or 30 logged dives, you will read it here first. For destination-specific detail, open the country or site page.
Which dive sites can only be reached by liveaboard?
How many dives do I need before a strong-current site?
Can I dive Tubbataha, Cocos or Darwin without a liveaboard?
What is the best month to dive?
How do you decide which sites make the atlas?
Do I need to pay marine park or permit fees?
Is nitrox available at every dive site?
How cold is the water and which wetsuit do I need?
What visibility can I expect?
Are shark and manta sightings guaranteed?
Is dive insurance required?
How deep are most of these dive sites?
Ready to dive these sites?
Choose a destination or search every available vessel to find the liveaboard that dives the sites you want to see.