The 5 Best Places in the World for Phenomenal Coral Reef Diving

Diving on a coral reef is like entering a living, breathing city. Hard corals form the foundation, and holes and channels in their calcium carbonate structures serve as habitats for countless creatures. Soft corals grow on top, gently swaying in currents and providing shelter and protection for small species like seahorses, cleaner shrimp, and baby fish. Reef fish of every imaginable hue and species live among the corals, attracting larger predators along the edges, like grouper and small sharks.

The health of coral ecosystems is critical not just for marine life, but for human communities as well. Reefs provide protection for coastlines from ocean swells and hurricanes, support fisheries, and contribute billions to the global economy through tourism. However, they face numerous threats, including climate change, ocean acidification, and pollution.

The ocean absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and holds roughly 50 times more CO2 than the air. But too much CO2 warms the oceans and leads to devastating effects, like coral bleaching — mass die-offs of coral. The effects on the marine world are numerous and severe, and serve as a harbinger of what could happen on land. The ocean thus far has been able to absorb the lion’s share of the excess CO2 produced by humans — but when it hits its tipping point, humans will begin to feel the effects of global warming on land much quicker than ever before. This is part of the reason coral restoration and farming projects exist in hundreds of locations around the world, with the goal of growing coral in healthy, protected areas before planting them into a reef in the wild.

Reef diving is generally the most accessible type of diving, as reefs are often in shallow water close to shore. It’s among the easiest types of diving for beginners and first-timers, or even for non-certified divers doing discovery dives. You can buy underwater reef and fish ID cards for different locations around the world, allowing you to identify the species you’re seeing while under the surface.

By the way, wondering about the plural of coral? It’s both coral, and corals: Coral to indicate a lot of coral, and corals to indicate multiple species of coral.

We’ve recommended below some of the most popular and most convenient places to stay (mostly dive resorts) in each destination. Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay.

Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia

• Can’t-miss sites: The Zoo (night diving), Roma
• Where to stay: Book a liveaboard or enjoy the deserted island vibes (and dive packages) at Wakatobi Dive Resort
• Recommended operators: Wakatobi Resort can hook up any dives you want
• Best season: Year-round

Wakatobi National Park in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, probably tops the bucket list for many avid reef divers. It’s a UNESCO Marine Biosphere Reserve and has some of the most pristine and diverse coral ecosystems on the planet. The park’s reefs are both exceptionally healthy and sprawling. The underwater landscape is heavy on limestone and has minimal soil erosion, allowing reefs to grow, expand, and attract new and diverse species over centuries. You can expect to see a dazzling array of marine life on coral gardens, coral-covered drop-offs, pinnacles, walls, and much more.

Wakatobi’s reefs have been compared to scenes from Disney movies, with hundreds of clownfish, schools of angelfish, and vibrant coral in every shade. Macro divers have a good chance of spotting pygmy seahorses, colorful nudibranchs, and rare crustaceans, while bigger fish like barracudas regularly patrol the open ocean sides. With more than 50 mapped dive sites, mild currents, and average visibility around 100 feet, Wakatobi is one of the most unforgettable places in the world to dive — especially for newer divers who aren’t yet ready for more challenging sites like Palau or the Galápagos.

Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea

• Can’t-miss sites: Vanessa’s Reef, Bradford Shoals
• Where to stay: Walindi Plantation Resort is the go-to spot for divers
• Recommended operators: Walindi Dive
• Best season: September to November

Kimbe Bay sits on the north coast of New Britain in Papua New Guinea, in the Coral Triangle. The “Coral Triangle” in the western Pacific Ocean spans roughly 2.32 million square miles. It stretches between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The triangle is sometimes called the “Amazon of the Seas” for its biodiversity.

Within it, you’ll find 76 percent of all known coral species on Earth (about 600 species) and more than 2,000 reef fish species, representing just under 40 percent of all the reef fish in the world. Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s considered one of the most important marine ecosystems on Earth.

For many divers, that makes Papau New Guinea well worth the effort to get there. Kimbe Bay itself has more than 40 dive sites, with more than 350 types of hard corals and 900 species of fish identified in the surrounding waters. Visibility is often 75 feet or more, and lucky divers may see extremely rare species like the critically endangered Cantharellus noumeae coral or equally rare Pondicherry sharks.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

• Can’t-miss sites: The SS Yongala Wreck, Stanley’s Reef
• Where to stay: Put yourself in the center of dive sites by staying at the luxe Lizard Island Resort
• Recommended operators: Divers Den is based in Cairns and offers both day trips and liveaboard options
• Best season: April to October

The Great Barrier Reef is certainly the most famous reef in the world. It stretches for 1,430 miles along Australia’s northeast coast, ensuring an incredible array of reef diving sites regardless of one’s certification level. Visibility can vary from 15 feet to more than 100, and divers can encounter vibrant coral gardens, dramatic wall dives, and intricate swim-throughs. More than 1,500 species of fish live on the GBR, including orange clownfish, Maori wrasse, and numerous shark species. Easier dives are usually in the inner reefs, while the outer reefs have more challenging dives with stronger currents and deeper sites.

The GBR has been studied for years as it’s both accessible and a case study on what happens when humans stop protecting the oceans. Studies on the reef’s health are mixed. In 2017, a massive swath of the reef was considered dead due to extreme coral bleaching, dramatically changing the dive experience. However, as of late 2023, coral cover had increased in all regions of the Great Barrier Reef, with two regions reaching record highs. This brings back all the associated ocean creatures, leading to thriving reefs once again.

However, more recent data from December 2024 shows far-reaching coral loss in southern parts of the reef. Currently, numerous non-profit organizations, NGOs, and researchers are studying the reef and working on protecting it from climate change. But if previous human behavior is any indication of future climate protections, head to the GBR sooner rather than later.

Maldives

• Can’t-miss sites: Madigaa for mantas, Maamigili Reef for amazing coral
• Where to stay: Robinson Noonu for an easy all-inclusive, White Sand Dhigurah for surprisingly affordable dive packages
• Recommended operators: Each island has its own shop
• Best season: Year-round

There are nearly 1,200 islands spread across 26 atolls in the Maldives, and the country’s reefs cover more than 1,700 square miles, representing 5 percent of the world’s reefs. There’s clearly no lack of choices for reef diving. What sets diving in the Maldives apart is the exceptional water clarity, often reaching visibility of up to 150 feet. That allows divers to fully take in the intricate and vast reef structures, including canyons, caves, overhangs, and vertical walls.

The ease of diving in the Maldives is another major draw. Many resorts in the Maldives sit on their own private islands, allowing visitors to make multiple dives from shore. That said, boat trips to outer reefs and liveaboard trips are available for guests who want to dive in different locations every day. Also appealing is the fact that you can dive year-round in the Maldives. The northern atolls generally offer excellent diving conditions from December to April with dry weather and good visibility, though August to October is the best time to dive for the chance to see whale sharks around Baa Atoll. In the southern atolls, November to May is driest and warmest, but you’re more likely to encounter mantas and sharks between June and August.

Belize

• Can’t-miss site: Great Blue Hole
• Where to stay: Both Turneffe Island Resort and Alaia Belize are luxury resorts with on-site dive shops
• Recommended operators: If on Caye Caulker, Frenchies or Elite Adventure Belize
• Best season: December to July

Belize is the home of the Meso-American Reef, which is the second-largest barrier reef system in the world. One of the most well-known dive sites in Belize (and the world) is the Great Blue Hole, a massive underwater sinkhole more than 400 feet deep. While advanced divers can swim though caverns at depths of 120 to 130 feet, standard open water divers can still experience it from above (and spend time on the healthy reef system surrounding the opening). The Great Blue Hole is usually paired with a few other dives on all-day boat trips, and you’ll often stop for lunch (and a few dives) around Lighthouse Reef. It’s a super healthy reef, and on land, you can do a short walk to see dozens of blue-footed boobies.

The reefs around Turneffe Atoll and South Water Caye Marine Reserve are must-visits. These areas are teeming with marine life, including eagle rays, turtles, and a variety of fish species.

Other places around the world for excellent reef diving

Good news: reef diving is by far the most popular type of diving in the world, and pretty much all warm-weather diving destinations have reef systems (coral reefs like temperatures no cooler than about 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Coral reefs are usually found fairly close to shore in shallower water, since they need sunlight for growth. If you’re heading on a dive trip and don’t request something like a wreck dive or muck dive, chances are, you’re going to end up on a reef. Even destinations not particularly known for diving, like St. Maarten or Puerto Rico, have fabulous reefs.

Read more about diving on a former island prison colony, how to dive in Mexico on an underwater museum that doubles as a reef habitat, and how conservationists in Key West are working to save the US’s only coral reef.