Annually, Rodale's Scuba Diving magazine lists
the top 100 favorite dive destinations in the world.
Here's the list from the January 2004 issue. The scores
are based on diver reviews; a score of 100 is perfect.
- Those marked with "$"
are noted as being especially good values for budget-conscious
divers.
- Those marked with "Ø"
are known for having "big animal encounters,"
such as with sharks, whales, dolphins, and mantas.
(Not listed but known for being home to large animals
are Grand Bahama and Cocos Island, Costa Rica.)
- "W"
means that the destination is popular for wreck diving.
(Not listed but known for wreck diving are Aruba,
Bermuda, Oahu, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.)
- An
"S"
marks good destinations for shore diving. (Not listed
but good for shore diving are Oahu, Kauai, and Maui.
Caribbean/Atlantic
S
1. Bonaire 95.2 - has abundant marine life and great
visibility - noted for having
an especially healthy marine environment
2. Cozumel, Mexico 93.2 - has
abundant marine life and
great visibility - has
great wall diving - noted
for having an especially healthy marine environment
S
3. Grand Cayman 91.1 - has great
visibility - has great
wall diving*
Ø
4. Bimini, Bahamas 91 - has
great visibility
5. Little Cayman and Cayman Brac 90.9 - has
great visibility - has great wall diving* -
noted for having an especially healthy marine environment
6. Saba 89.7 - noted for having an especially healthy
marine environment
S
7. U.S. Virgin Islands 89.2 -
has abundant marine life -
has great wall diving
8. Belize Atolls 86 - noted for
having an especially healthy marine environment
9. Grand Turk and Salt Cay, Turks & Caicos 84.6
- has abundant marine life
- has great wall diving
- noted for having an especially
healthy marine environment
10. Exumas, Bahamas 83.3
Ø
11. Providenciales, Turks & Caicos 83.1
12. Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras 82
S
13. Curaçao 81.3
Ø
14. Cay Sal Bank, Bahamas 80 -
has abundant marine life
$
S
15. Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras 76.2
16. Riviera Maya, Mexico 76.1
17. Ambergris Caye, Belize 75.9
Ø
W
18. New Providence, Bahamas 75
W
19. British Virgin Islands 73
20. Puerto Rico 68.2
* In the Cayman Islands the massive Cayman Trench drops
from shallow reefs to abyssal depths right offshore
the three islands. That's what makes the Cayman Islands
the wall diving capital of the world.
Pacific
and Indian Ocean
1. Papua New Guinea 100 - has
abundant marine life -
has great visibility
- has great wall diving
- noted for having an especially
healthy marine environment
W
S
2. Truk, Micronesia 98.2 - noted
for having an especially healthy marine environment
Ø
W
3. Palau, Micronesia 97.1 - has
abundant marine life -
has great visibility
- has great wall diving*
- noted for having an especially
healthy marine environment
Ø
4. French Polynesia 96.2
- has great visibility
Ø
$
4. Yap, Micronesia 96.2 - has
abundant marine life -
has great wall diving -
noted for having an especially healthy marine environment
W
S
6. Egyptian Red Sea 95.8 - has
great visibility
- has great wall diving
Ø
7. Galapagos Islands 92.1
S
8. Big Island, Hawaii 90.7 -
has great visibility
- noted for having an especially
healthy marine environment
9. Thailand 88.9
10. Indonesia 87.9
* The most fabled site in Pacific wall diving is the
600-foot drop at Palau's Ngemelis Wall, which is covered
in soft corals and sea fans, and frequented by gray
reef sharks and rays.
North
America
Ø
$
W
S
1. British Columbia 100 - has
abundant marine life -
has great wall diving -
noted for having an especially healthy marine environment
Ø
S
2. Channel Islands, Calif. 92.9 -
has abundant marine life -
noted for having an especially healthy marine environment
Ø
W
3. North Carolina 91.8 - has
great visibility
- noted for having an especially
healthy marine environment
Ø
4. Flower Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico 90.2 -
has abundant marine life
- has great visibility
Ø
W
5.
Southeast Florida* 89.1 - has
abundant marine life -
has great visibility
W
6. Islamorada and Tavernier, Florida Keys 86 -
has abundant marine life
- has great visibility
W
7. Key Largo, Florida Keys 79.5
- has great visibility
S
8. Washington State 73.1 - has
great wall diving - noted
for having an especially healthy marine environment
9. Key West, Florida Keys 65 -
noted for having an especially healthy marine environment
10. Marathon, Florida Keys 64.7
* Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties.
