Which destination has the best diving?

Subjective — the answer depends on what you want to see. The Coral Triangle wins for biodiversity, the Eastern Pacific for big animals, the Indian Ocean for mantas and whale sharks, and the Red Sea for wrecks and offshore shark pinnacles.

There is no single 'best' diving destination — the answer depends on what you want to see and what kind of diving you enjoy. But four destinations consistently top global rankings across all major dive media surveys for the past decade.

Raja Ampat, Indonesia. The undisputed champion of biodiversity. Located at the heart of the Coral Triangle, Raja Ampat hosts over 75% of all known coral species and 1,700+ reef fish species — more marine biodiversity per square kilometer than anywhere else on Earth. Sites like Cape Kri, Sardine Reef, and Manta Sandy combine schooling fish, healthy coral, mantas, sharks, and macro critters in a single destination. Best months: October to April. A 10-night liveaboard from Sorong covers the central, north and southern Raja Ampat zones.

Galápagos, Ecuador. The big-animal diving capital of the world. Schooling hammerheads at Wolf and Darwin in numbers seen nowhere else on Earth. Whale sharks (largest fish in the ocean), Galápagos sharks, silky sharks, mola molas, marine iguanas underwater, sea lion colonies, and unique endemic species. Cold water (18–22°C), strong currents, advanced diving only. Best months: June to November for hammerheads and whale sharks. 10-night minimum, $5,500–$8,500 per person.