Jackfish Alley
Sharm El Sheikh & Ras Mohammed, Egypt
Ras Mohammed drift with sunlit swim-throughs at 5 and 15 m, then an alley of jackfish and whitetip reef sharks.
- Advanced
- Cavern
- Whitetip reef sharks
Drift dives
Dives where you fly with the current. 143 dive sites, each with its depth and the level we recommend.
Highlights
Darwin's Arch (Darwin's Towers)
Galápagos, Ecuador
Wall drift beside the pillars of the arch that collapsed in May 2021, with large numbers of hammerheads, silky and Galápagos sharks.
- Experienced
- Drift
- Whale sharks
Elphinstone
Marsa Alam & the Brothers, Egypt
Open-ocean reef 25 km north of Marsa Alam where oceanic whitetips frequent the southern plateau, best October to December.
- Advanced
- Drift
- Manta rays
Makassar Reef (Manta Point)
Komodo, Indonesia
Shallow manta cleaning-station drift where reef mantas show up year-round, peaking December–April with 4–12 on a good dive.
- Advanced
- Drift
- Manta rays
Palancar Gardens
Cozumel, Mexico
Sloping reef and wall with gentle currents, much of the dive at 12–25 m, a good introduction to drift diving.
- Advanced
- Drift
- Turtles
Paradise Reef
Cozumel, Mexico
Three long coral ridges in mild current off Marina Caleta, popular for night dives; look out for toadfish.
- Open Water
- Drift
- Octopus
Ulong Channel
Palau
Ride the channel current past lettuce coral grown 15–20 feet from the bottom, with grey reef sharks and batfish at the mouth.
- Advanced
- Drift
- Grey reef 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.
- Advanced
- Drift
- Manta rays
German Channel
Palau
A channel blasted through the reef where manta rays visit cleaning stations, with peak sightings from December to March.
- Advanced
- Drift
- Manta rays
All 143 dive sites, by destination
Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still checking against published sources.
Sharm El Sheikh & Ras Mohammed, Egypt
- Jackfish AlleyAdvanced30 m
- Gordon ReefAdvanced35 m
- Ras Um SidAdvanced30 m
- Shark & Yolanda ReefAdvanced35 m
- AmphorasAdvanced30 m
- Anemone CityAdvanced30 m
- Far GardenOpen Water30 m
- ParadiseAdvanced30 m
- Turtle BayOpen Water26 m
- Jackson ReefExperienced45 m
- Thomas ReefExperienced40 m
- Woodhouse ReefExperienced40 m
- Near GardenAdvanced25 m
- Ras NasraniAdvanced30 m
- Shark ObservatoryAdvanced40 m
- Ras GhozlaniAdvanced30 m
- Ras Za'atarAdvanced30 m
Cozumel, Mexico
- Palancar GardensAdvanced27 m
- Paradise ReefOpen Water15 m
- Santa Rosa WallAdvanced36 m
- Yucab ReefAdvanced18 m
- Colombia DeepExperienced30 m
- Eagle Ray AlleyAdvanced27 m
- Punta TunichExperienced37 m
- Palancar HorseshoeAdvanced30 m
- Tormentos ReefAdvanced20 m
- Maracaibo ReefExperienced37 m
- Paso del CedralAdvanced20 m
- Punta SurExperienced41 m
- San Francisco WallExperienced27 m
Komodo, Indonesia
- Makassar Reef (Manta Point)Advanced20 m
- Castle RockAdvanced35 m
- The Cauldron (Shotgun)Experienced35 m
- Crystal RockExperienced30 m
- Golden PassageExperienced30 m
- Siaba KecilAdvanced30 m
- Tatawa BesarOpen Water25 m
- Tatawa KecilExperienced35 m
- MawanAdvanced30 m
Puerto Galera, Philippines
- Kilima DriftAdvanced25 m
- Monkey BeachAdvanced24 m
- Washing MachineAdvanced15 m
- Manila ChannelOpen Water24 m
- The CanyonsExperienced40 m
- Batangas ChannelOpen Water14 m
- Fish BowlExperienced40 m
- Verde Island Drop-offExperienced40 m
- West EscarceoAdvanced25 m
Bali & Nusa Penida, Indonesia
- Karang SariAdvanced40 m
- Batu MulapanAdvanced40 m
- MangroveAdvanced40 m
- Blue CornerExperienced40 m
- Pura PedAdvanced40 m
- SD PointAdvanced40 m
- ToyapakehAdvanced40 m
Fakarava & Rangiroa, French Polynesia
- Garuae Pass (North Pass)Advanced40 m
- Tiputa Pass (Rangiroa)Advanced46 m
- Tumakohua Pass (South Pass)Advanced35 m
- Avatoru PassAdvanced20 m
- The Canyons (Tiputa Pass)Experienced26 m
- The Step (Tiputa Pass)Experienced50 m
- The Windmill (L'Éolienne)Advanced25 m
Cancún & Isla Mujeres, Mexico
- BanderasOpen Water15 m
- El GrampínOpen Water16 m
- La HerraduraOpen Water16 m
- Punta NegraAdvanced21 m
- Punta Sur (South Point) Turtle DriftAdvanced17 m
- Sleeping Shark Cave (Cueva de los Tiburones Dormidos)Advanced21 m
Maldives
- Cocoa ThilaExperienced30 m
- Ellaidhoo House ReefAdvanced25 m
- Hammerhead Point (Madivaru Corner, Rasdhoo)Experienced40 m
- Kandooma ThilaExperienced40 m
- Guraidhoo KanduExperienced35 m
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Cape KriAdvanced40 m
- FiabacetAdvanced35 m
- Chicken ReefAdvanced30 m
- The PassageAdvanced
Sipadan & Semporna, Malaysia
- Cleaning Station (Kapalai)Open Water16 m
- North Point SipadanAdvanced40 m
- Staghorn Crest SipadanAdvanced40 m
- Lobster Wall (Mabul)Advanced40 m
Southeast Florida (Palm Beach to Miami), United States
- Breakers ReefAdvanced18 m
- Hammerhead ReefAdvanced27 m
- Juno LedgeAdvanced28 m
- Mizpah CorridorAdvanced26 m
Tofo, Mozambique
- AmazonExperienced30 m
- Giant's CastleExperienced32 m
- Manta ReefAdvanced28 m
- OutbackAdvanced30 m
Dumaguete, Dauin & Apo Island, Philippines
- Coconut PointExperienced35 m
- Rock Point WestAdvanced28 m
- Cogon PointExperienced28 m
Galápagos, Ecuador
- Darwin's Arch (Darwin's Towers)Experienced30 m
- Mosquera IsletOpen Water25 m
- Punta Vicente RocaAdvanced50 m
Gili Islands, Indonesia
- HalikAdvanced40 m
- Shark PointAdvanced50 m
- Meno WallAdvanced30 m
Grenada
- Purple RainAdvanced25 m
- Shark ReefAdvanced20 m
- Windmill ShallowsExperienced43 m
Marsa Alam & the Brothers, Egypt
- ElphinstoneAdvanced70 m
- Daedalus ReefAdvanced40 m
- Sha'ab Marsa AlamOpen Water18 m
Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, South Africa
- Protea BanksAdvanced40 m
- Arena ReefAdvanced30 m
Azores, Portugal
- DollabaratExperienced50 m
- Ilhéu WestAdvanced22 m
Bodø & Saltstraumen, Norway
- TunnelenExperienced27 m
- SaltstraumenExperienced40 m
Bohol & Panglao, Philippines
- Arco PointAdvanced27 m
- Black ForestAdvanced45 m
Coron, Philippines
- Calumbuyan ReefAdvanced34 m
- Lusong ReefOpen Water15 m
Great Barrier Reef (Cairns & Port Douglas), Australia
- Around the BendAdvanced25 m
- False EntranceAdvanced30 m
Hurghada, Egypt
- Small GiftunAdvanced40 m
- Shaab SabinaOpen Water14 m
Malapascua, Philippines
- North WallOpen Water25 m
- Lapus LapusOpen Water22 m
Palau
- Ulong ChannelAdvanced50 m
- German ChannelAdvanced
Siquijor, Philippines
- West PointAdvanced25 m
- Tongo Point (Tonga Point)Advanced25 m
Taveuni & Rainbow Reef, Fiji
- Jerry's JellyAdvanced
- Rainbow Passage
Wakatobi, Indonesia
- Liabale WestAdvanced85 m
- Tanjung PatokAdvanced55 m
Andaman Islands (Havelock & Neil), India
- Minerva LedgeAdvanced24 m
El Nido, Philippines
- West Entalula WallAdvanced35 m
Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
- Buraco das CabrasAdvanced16 m
Florida Keys, United States
- Molasses ReefOpen Water24 m
Koh Samui & Koh Phangan, Thailand
- Samran PinnacleAdvanced33 m
La Paz & Sea of Cortez, Mexico
- Punta Lobos (La Loberita)Advanced27 m
Mactan (Cebu), Philippines
- Santa RosaAdvanced50 m
Mallorca, Spain
- Punta Rica DriftAdvanced25 m
Okinawa & Yonaguni, Japan
- Irizaki PointAdvanced30 m
Pondicherry, India
- Aravind's WallExperienced40 m
Port Hardy & God's Pocket, Canada
- Browning WallExperienced76 m
Socorro (Revillagigedo), Mexico
- Cabo PearceAdvanced40 m
Southern Leyte (Sogod Bay), Philippines
- Napantao Marine Sanctuary (Napantao Wall)Advanced60 m
Tubbataha, Philippines
- Black RockAdvanced
Photo credits
- Jackfish Alley dive site, Ras Mohammed, Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- The two pillars left after the collapse of Darwin's Arch, 2024, Scopoli, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Elphinstone Reef dive site, Marsa Alam, Dereck Keats, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Manta Point (Komodo) dive site, Komodo National Park, Indonesia, Siharaditia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Palancar Gardens dive site, Cozumel, Mexico, Matthewselig2019, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Paradise Reef Cozumel dive site, Cozumel, Mexico, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sea star on the bottom of Ulong Channel, Palau, LuxTonnerre, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Lighthouse on Daedalus Reef, Red Sea, Alexander Vasenin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Manta ray gliding through German Channel, Palau, amanderson2, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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