10 of the Best Eco-friendly Diving Destinations

Now, more than ever, divers are aware of the multitude of threats facing our marine ecosystems and many of us are taking action to protect coral reefs, preserve species and remove rubbish from our beaches and oceans. One of the things we can all do to help is to choose where we travel wisely. The diving resorts below have been selected because they are leading the way in offering eco-friendly, sustainable tourism.

1. Indonesia

The eco-friendly Wakatobi Dive Resort has won multiple awards for conservation-minded tourism and works with PADI’s Project AWARE to support marine ecoystems. Balancing an exceptional guest experience with an impressively long list of conservation projects, Wakatobi works to proactively reverse human impact on Sulawesi’s marine ecosystems. Its SCUBA instructors teach and enforce responsible diving rules, while the resort gives back to the local community to encourage ecological stewardship and co-operation. For example, it sponsors ecology presentations and waste management in villages, and employs locals who might otherwise resort to reef gleaning to supplement their income. 

Or, at the heart of Bunaken National Marine Park in North Sulawesi, you’ll find Siladen Resort & Spa. This resort is committed to green practices like using glass straws, energy saving bulbs and eco-friendly cleaning products. For the past two decades, Siladen has run a turtle conservation programme with staff trained by marine biologists to manage the local hatching grounds. Last year, Siladen Resort & Spa joined forces with Coral Eye to transform Coral Eye’s outpost in Indonesia from a co-working space for marine studies into an outstanding ecotourism resort. Why not get in touch to find out more about this exciting new project?

Nearby, Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort & Spa is another luxurious resort with good sustainability credentials. The resort has floating structures to minimise ground impact, the hardwood for construction was responsibly sourced from managed forests, and there is an organic garden onsite which grows food for the restaurant. The Bunaken Oasis’s boat also removes plastic and debris from the ocean on a daily basis.

Another popular eco choice in Indonesia is the exclusive Misool Eco Resort - a private island paradise with its own sustainability-focused charity. The Misool Foundation is making a huge impact by safeguarding the biodiversity of reefs and implementing a wide range of education, environmental and community projects. One of these projects was to create the 120,000 hectare Misool Private Marine Reserve. 

Based in a remote area of the diving mecca, Raja Ampat, the extremely popular Misool Eco Resort is often booked years in advance, so you’ll need to plan ahead if you want to stay here!

2. Philippines

The Evolution Resort, in Malapascua, won the 2023 Green Fins Award for environmentally-friendly marine tourism! Chosen by The Reef-World Foundation (acting on behalf of the UN Environment Programme), this award recognises Evolution’s pioneering approach, which focuses on training divers to be aware of their environment as well as encouraging recycling, sustainable food choices, and taking measures to reduce guests’ carbon footprints. Malapascua itself is an exceptional diving destination which is famous for thresher shark encounters.

Sangat Island Dive Resort is ideally located to explore Coron Bay’s tropical jungles and undersea wonders, but it also plays a vital role in managing the protected waters and reefs of Sangat Island Marine Park. Respect for the environment is a core value of the resort and in-house sustainability champions ensure that this value is continually put into practice. Onsite, the use of plastic is minimised and guests are encouraged to participate in eco-friendly activities, while the property itself is powered by its own solar generator. Part of Sangat Island Dive Resort’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives involve educating the Calamian community about conservation and sustainability.

3. Maldives

Boutique Beach is located on the tiny, but idyllic, island of Dhigurah in the South Ari Atoll of the Maldives. The resort uses glass straws, ceramic toiletry containers and ‘green’ water bottles, as well as arranging regular beach clean ups. 

Dhigurah is one of the few islands which has signed up to conservation group Parley’s ocean protection initiatives, which turns beach plastic into Adidas Ultraboost trainers! The island’s food waste is composted and other waste is sent to Male to be recycled, with locals and guest houses footing the bill for the service.

4. Seychelles

Alphonse Island in the Seychelles is an unspoiled haven for nature lovers, with picture-perfect white sand beaches, coconut trees and a stunning array of birdlife. This remote and luxurious barefoot resort has conservation at its heart, with programmes to protect the natural environment through research, rehabilitation and wildlife monitoring projects. 

Hotel guests pay a conservation levy to the Island Conservation Society (ICS), which, in turn, offers eco-friendly activities such as environmental presentations, giant tortoise feeding, bird-watching, turtle patrols and beach clean ups.

5. Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is an excellent choice for muck diving, WWII wrecks and large pelagic encounters with rays, turtles and sharks. If you’re looking for a PNG resort with a conservation angle, try the beautiful and tranquil Lissenung Island Resort. Dive Worldwide has supported the resort’s Turtle Conservation Project charity for several years. 

The charity is working to protect critically endangered turtle populations and nesting sites from poaching and other threats. They monitor nests and remove eggs to safer locations, as well as tagging turtles and providing Australian scientists with hatchling population data and DNA samples. So far, more than 10,000 eggs have been recorded by the project, with a hatch rate of over 90%. Guests can help to support the project and witness the magical spectacle of hatchlings being released into the sea.

6. Fiji

Definitely check out the Matava Eco Adventure Resort, on the remote and untouched tropical Kadavu island. Matava has won multiple awards for ecotourism and sustainability and is widely considered to be the best eco resort in Fiji. 

Matava was the first resort member of the International Ecotourism Society and prides itself on having no carbon footprint. It uses solar power for its lighting and hot water and is built near natural springs, so the fresh water is filtered through natural limestone; rainwater is also collected. The traditional Fijian thatched huts, built from local purpose-grown pine or hardwoods, have been designed to blend seamlessly into the natural beauty of the resort’s volcanic, rainforest landscapes. The surrounding grounds have areas of uncultivated land where native flowers and ferns have been allowed to grow. The resort also has a large organic garden to minimise the need for imported produce and to provide seeds for local farmers. 

In collaboration with local villagers, Matava has established a marine reserve which is protected from fishing and many other human activities - guests and divers are invited to make a financial contribution to the reserves if they wish. From the resort, you can easily explore the Great Astrolabe Reef’s dramatic pinnacles, beautiful corals and the manta ray cleaning stations. 

7. Mozambique

Nuarro Lodge is a luxury eco resort which was designed in collaboration with the local community to protect the natural environment. The luxury eco lodge uses renewable energy to generate electricity and clean water and maintains a very low carbon footprint. 

Guests at the resort can volunteer in the local community or enjoy eco-friendly activities, such as responsible diving or bird watching. The lodge employs members from nearby villages and, working together with locals, protects the beautiful coral reefs, rare sea turtles and sea birds. By mutual agreement, Nuarro Lodge and the local community preserve the natural resources of Nuarro Bay, which is now a protected marine reserve with stunning biodiversity. 

8. Curaçao

The Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, part of the famed ABC islands, boasts pristine dive sites with rich marine biodiversity and healthy corals. The LionsDive Beach Resort is an environmentally friendly 4-star resort on a self-proclaimed green mission! 

The resort’s wastewater is used to maintain its lush tropical gardens, rubbish is transformed into new products by a local social enterprise, and staff provide guests with reusable water bottles. The resort’s staff also support the local Greenkidz project. Hotel guests can choose to participate in ‘Pack for a Purpose’, an innovative initiative which encourages travellers to save room in their cases to transport much-needed supplies to worthwhile projects around the world. 

9. Dominica

Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort in Dominica was hit badly by hurricane Maria in 2017, but used this as an opportunity to implement more sustainable practices prior to reopening in 2018. The resort was awarded its second consecutive Green Globe Certification in 2023 (Green Globe is the world’s leading certification for sustainable tourism). Fort Young was recognised for its eco-friendly practices which include: biodegradable food containers, sustainable waste management, providing education for both staff and guests about eco-friendly practices, reducing plastic waste and implementing an effective energy monitoring system. The resort also has its own organic tomato and herb garden.

Diving plays an important role in the Fort Young hotel’s sustainability strategy. The dive operators it works with educate divers about the local marine life and responsible diving practices in order to preserve the precious underwater environment. Here you can dive exciting sites featuring towering pinnacles, steep drop-offs, coral gardens, or experience the iconic bubbling Champagne Reef!

10. Belize

Hamanasi Resort in Belize is pushing beyond sustainability and is one of the founding members of Regenerative Resorts - a group of luxury hotels aiming to regenerate, rather than sustain, their environment and communities. It has an active Environmental Management Policy and a dedicated ‘Green Team’ who ensure the policies are followed. For example, Hamanasi only allows reef safe sunscreens on the property, and they have their own organic garden. The resort is Green Globe Gold certified (Hamanasi has also received multiple awards for ecotourism and been certified by Sustainable Travel International and TripAdvisor), and guests can book the Regenerative Package, which includes five eco-friendly activities. One of these is a dive in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, South Water Caye, which involves spearfishing invasive Lionfish to protect the marine ecosystem.

Images courtesy of Didi Lotze, Maximilian Schwarz, Walt Stearns & Berber Van Beek.

If you want to know more about any of the resorts mentioned, please get in touch with our Travel Consultants by calling 01962 302 087 or sending an enquiry.