The best dives in the world offer something special for scuba divers, whether that be an amazing animal encounter, a massive shipwreck or a beautiful terrain that hides surprises at every turn. This year, more than 5,000 scuba divers weighed in on their picks for the best dives in the world for our 2019 Readers Choice awards. Take a look at the winners below, divided by category and region.

Best Destinations | Best Operators, Resorts & Liveaboards

BEST DIVE SITES

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Palancar Reef, Cozumel, Mexico
2. Mary’s Place, Roatan, Bay Islands
3. Alice in Wonderland, Bonaire
4. Devil’s Throat/Punta Sur, Cozumel, Mexico
5. Eagle Ray Pass, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
6. Barracuda Reef, Cozumel, Mexico
7. Bari Reef, Bonaire
8. Something Special, Bonaire
9. Devil’s Grotto, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
10. Dos Ojos, Tulum, Mexico

Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea

1. Blue Corner Wall, Palau
2. Cathedrals, Lanai, Hawaii
3. Darwin’s Arch, Galapagos
4. German Channel, Palau
5. Niihau Rock, Niihau, Hawaii
6. Roca Partida, Socorro Islands, Mexico
7. Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands, Thailand
8. Cod Hole, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
9. Steve’s Bommie, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
10. Shark Reef, Red Sea, Egypt

U.S. and Canada

1. Catalina Island, California
2. Molasses Reef, Key Largo, Florida
3. Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Florida
4. Browning Pass, British Columbia, Canada
5. Alki Beach, Seattle
6. Anacapa Island, California
7. Blue Grotto, Williston, Florida
8. Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Mexico
9. Dutch Springs, Pennsylvania
10. Monastery Beach, Carmel, California

BEST WALL DIVES

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Palancar Deep, Cozumel, Mexico
2. Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
3. Santa Rosa Wall, Cozumel, Mexico
4. Mary’s Place, Roatan, Bay Islands
5. Columbia Deep, Cozumel, Mexico
6. Half Moon Caye Wall, Belize
7. North Wall, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
8. Devil’s Throat/Punta Sur, Cozumel, Mexico
9. Amphitheater, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
10. Big Tunnels, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea

1. Molokini Crater Back Wall, Hawaii
2. Blue Corner Wall, Palau
3. Great White Wall, Taveuni, Fiji
4. Big Drop-Off, Palau
5. Nudi Falls, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
6. Daedalus Reef, Red Sea, Egypt
7. Little Brother, Red Sea, Egypt
8. Purple Wall, Taveuni, Fiji
9. Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji
10. East Wall, Osprey Reef, Coral Sea, Australia

U.S. and Canada

1. Browning Wall, British Columbia, Canada
2. Snake Island Wall, British Columbia, Canada
3. Scripps Canyon, San Diego
4. Sund Rock, Hood Canal, Washington

BEST WRECK DIVES

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Hilma Hooker, Bonaire
2. Kittiwake, Grand Cayman
3. C-53, Cozumel, Mexico
4. Captain Keith Tibbetts, Cayman Brac
5. Aguila, Roatan, Bay Islands
6. Rhone, BVI
7. Antilla, Aruba
8. Doc Poulson, Grand Cayman
9. Superior Producer, Curaçao
10. Bianca C, Grenada

Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea

1. Thistlegorm, Red Sea, Egypt
2. Liberty wreck, Bali, Indonesia
3. San Francisco Maru, Truk Lagoon, Chuuk
4. Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon, Chuuk
5. YO-257, Oahu, Hawaii
6. Sea Tiger, Oahu, Hawaii
7. Corsair, Oahu, Hawaii
8. Coron Bay wrecks, Palawan, Philippines
9. King Cruiser, Thailand
10. Dunraven, Red Sea, Egypt

U.S. and Canada

1. Spiegel Grove, Key Largo, Florida
2. Duane, Key Largo, Florida
3. Vandenberg, Key West, Florida
4. Oriskany, Pensacola, Florida
5. U-352, Morehead City, North Carolina
6. Arabia, Tobermory, Canada
7. Yukon, San Diego
8. Spar, Morehead City, North Carolina
9. Keystorm, Ontario, Canada
10. Sandusky, Great Lakes

BEST SHORE DIVES

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. 1,000 Steps, Bonaire
2. Alice in Wonderland, Bonaire
3. Buddy’s Reef, Bonaire
4. Oil Slick Leap, Bonaire
5. Sunset House Reef, Grand Cayman
6. CoCo View Wall, Roatan, Bay Islands
7. Bari Reef, Bonaire
8. Salt Pier, Bonaire
9. Something Special, Bonaire
10. Lighthouse Point Reef, Grand Cayman

Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea

1. Two-Step, Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii
2. Mala Wharf, Maui, Hawaii
3. Liberty wreck, Bali, Indonesia
4. Sharks Cove, Oahu, Hawaii
5. Tunnels Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
6. Three Tables, Oahu, Hawaii
7. Hairball 1 and 2, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
8. Japanese Garden, Koh Tao, Thailand
9. Bas Diot, Cebu, Philippines
10. Lady Elliot Island, Australia

U.S. and Canada

1. Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Florida
2. La Jolla Cove, San Diego
3. Monastery Beach, Carmel, California
4. Lovers Point Cove, Carmel, California
5. Edmonds Underwater Park, Washington
6. Whalers Cove, Point Lobos, California
7. Deception Pass, Washington
8. Fishermans Cove, Laguna Beach, California
9. Casino Point, Catalina Island, California
10. Fort Lauderdale Beaches, Florida

MOST UNUSUAL DIVE SITES

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Devil’s Throat/Punta Sur, Cozumel, Mexico
2. Great Blue Hole, Belize
3. El Gran Cenote, Tulum, Mexico
4. 1,000 Steps, Bonaire
5. Washing Machine, Exuma Cays, Bahamas
6. Spooky Channel, Roatan, Bay Islands
7. Champagne, Dominica
8. Sculpture Park, Grenada
9. Chac Mool Cenote, Puerto Aventuras, Mexico
10. Angelita Cenote, Tulum, Mexico

Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea

1. Black-water diving/Pelagic Magic, Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii
2. Chandelier Cave, Palau
3. Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
4. Cod Hole, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
5. Blue Hole, Dahab, Egypt
6. Silfra Crack, Thingvellir, Iceland
7. Barracuda Lake, Coron, Philippines
8. Blue Hole, Gozo, Malta
9. Yonaguni Ruins, Ryukyu Islands, Japan
10. Manta ray night dive, Maldives

U.S. and Canada

1. Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Florida
2. Christ of the Deep, Key Largo, Florida
3. Monterey Bay Aquarium, California
4. Dutch Springs, Pennsylvania
5. Bonne Terre Mine, Missouri
6. Casino Point, Catalina Island, California
7. Homestead Crater, Utah
8. White Star Quarry, Ohio
9. Bonneville Seabase, Utah
10. Valhalla Missile Silo, Midland, Texas

BEST NIGHT DIVES

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Palancar Reef, Cozumel
2. Buddy’s Reef, Bonaire
3. Salt Pier, Bonaire
4. CoCo View Wall, Roatan, Bay Islands
5. Bari Reef, Bonaire
6. Sunset House Resort Reef, Grand Cayman
7. Bailey’s Key at AKR, Roatan, Bay Islands
8. Shark Ray Alley, Ambergris Caye, Belize
9. Half Moon Caye Wall, Lighthouse Atoll, Belize
10. Hilma Hooker, Bonaire

Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea

1. Manta Night Dive, Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii
2. Black-water night diving/Pelagic Magic, Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii
3. Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
4. Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines
5. Arborek Jetty, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
6. Thistlegorm, Red Sea, Egypt
7. Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon, Chuuk
8. Steve’s Bommie, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
9. Rainbow Reef, Taveuni, Fiji
10. Ulua Beach, Maui, Hawaii

U.S. and Canada

1. Davis Reef, Key Largo, Florida
2. La Jolla Cove, San Diego
3. Spar, Morehead City, North Carolina
4. Keystone Jetty, Whidbey Island, Washington
5. Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Florida
6. Breakwater Cove, Monterey, California
7. La Jolla Cove, San Diego
8. Molasses Reef, Key Largo, Florida
9. Shaws Cove, Laguna Beach, California
10. Benwood, Key Largo, Florida

BEST ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Whale sharks, Isla Contoy, Mexico
2. Caribbean reef sharks, Nassau, Bahamas
3. Frogfish, Bonaire
4. Caribbean reef sharks, Roatan, Bay Islands
5. Hammerhead sharks, Bimini, Bahamas
6. Humpback whales, Silver Bank, Dominican Republic
7. Bull sharks, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
8. Eagle rays, Cozumel, Mexico
9. Southern stingrays, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
10. Blue sharks, Azores

Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea

1. Manta rays, Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii
2. Hammerhead sharks, Galapagos
3. Humpback whales, Maui, Hawaii
4. Spinner dolphins, Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii
5. Hammerhead sharks, Cocos Island
6. Great white sharks, Guadalupe Island, Mexico
7. Whale sharks, Maldives
8. Sea lions, Los Islotes, Mexico
9. Hammerhead sharks, Roca Partida, Socorro Islands, Mexico
10. Manta rays, Raja Ampat, Indonesia

U.S. and Canada

1. Sand tiger sharks, North Carolina
2. West Indian manatees, Florida springs
3. Lemon sharks, Southeast Florida
4. California sea lions, Santa Cruz Island, California
5. Goliath grouper, Jupiter, Florida
6. Giant Pacific octopus, Hood Canal, Washington
7. Wolf eels, British Columbia, Canada
8. Goliath grouper, Florida Keys
9. Loggerhead sea turtles, Southeast Florida
10. Moray eels, Florida Keys

BEST LIVEABOARD DIVE SITES

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Mary’s Place, Roatan, Bay Islands
2. Eagle Ray Pass, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
3. Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
4. Half Moon Caye Wall, Belize
5. Humpback whales, Silver Bank, Dominican Republic

Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea

1. Blue Corner, Palau
2. Darwin’s Arch, Galapagos
3. Roca Partida, Socorro Islands, Mexico
4. Thistlegorm, Red Sea, Egypt
5. Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon, Chuuk

U.S. and Canada

1. Sea lion rookery, Santa Barbara Island, California
2. Flower Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico, Texas
3. Spiegel Grove, Key Largo, Florida
4. Eureka oil rig, Los Angeles
5. America, Lake Superior, Michigan
6. E.B. Allen, Lake Huron, Michigan