Explore dive sites

Monad Shoal

Malapascua, Philippines

A plateau where thresher sharks rise at dawn to visit cleaning stations.

Princess Alice Bank (Banco Princesa Alice)

Azores, Portugal

Offshore seamount 3 hours from Pico/Faial, rising to about 35 m, known for devil rays and visibility up to 40 m.

Tiger Beach

Bahamas

Kneel on shallow sand about 20 miles off West End to watch tiger sharks, some females up to 4.5 m long, alongside lemon sharks.

Daedalus Reef

Marsa Alam & the Brothers, Egypt

Lighthouse reef 80 km off Marsa Alam, only reached by liveaboard, where schooling hammerheads gather, especially in summer.

Dollabarat

Azores, Portugal

Los Islotes

La Paz & Sea of Cortez, Mexico

Castle Rock

Komodo, Indonesia

North Komodo site where grey, whitetip and blacktip reef sharks cruise the blue alongside big schools of giant trevally, dogtooth tuna and barracuda.

Formigas North

Azores, Portugal

Remote reefs north of the Formigas Islets, a marine reserve where large migratory pelagics such as tunas, wahoos and barracudas pass.

Ilhéus das Formigas

Azores, Portugal

Remote islets marine reserve with the Olympia wreck at 30–50 m, devil rays and possible smooth hammerheads and giant mantas.

Irizaki Point

Okinawa & Yonaguni, Japan

Blue-water drift off Yonaguni's western tip watching hammerheads in open ocean, with dogtooth tuna, barracuda and bigeye trevally.

Mabini Point

Mactan (Cebu), Philippines

An Olango drop-off around 35 m where sharks, including hammerheads and the occasional whale shark, can be seen.

Manta Valley

Cancún & Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Offshore seamounts north of Cancún where mantas visit a cleaning station; the operator says late September–October is best.

Protea Banks

Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, South Africa

A marine protected area since 2019 where dives bring close encounters with tiger, bull and hammerhead sharks and giant guitarsharks.

Raggies Cave

Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, South Africa

Aliwal's most popular site: kneel at the cave entrance to watch ragged-tooth sharks in season, then hunt for shed shark teeth in the sand.

Shimosone

Okinawa & Yonaguni, Japan

Open-sea reef south of the Keramas with rocks rising from a 30 m seabed and 30-50 m visibility; summer-only.

Crystal Rock

Komodo, Indonesia

Komodo site where divers scan the blue for large tuna, giant trevallies and grey reef sharks.

Eagle Ray Alley

Cozumel, Mexico

North-end wall where schooling eagle rays gather; they arrive every November and stay through March.

Gladden Spit

Belize

Whale sharks at the snapper spawn around the full moons of April to June, 22 miles off Placencia, on dives typically to 60 ft (18 m).

Hammerhead Point (Madivaru Corner, Rasdhoo)

Maldives

A dawn blue-water dive off Rasdhoo's outer wall, hanging below 30 m for schooling scalloped hammerheads.

Stavros Cape

Crete, Greece

A drop-off falling to 75 m with visibility often over 35 m, home to groupers, snappers and bluefin trevally.

Black Hills (Utila)

Roatán & Bay Islands, Honduras

Utila's big-animal seamount, topping out at 10 m, where schooling barracuda and jacks circle and whale sharks pass in season.

Maamigili Beyru (South Ari whale shark area)

Maldives

Part of the South Ari MPA, the only year-round whale shark aggregation site of its kind in the world, with predominantly juvenile males.

Ambrósio

Azores, Portugal

The Angle (Tiputa Pass)

Fakarava & Rangiroa, French Polynesia