Top 25 Experiences in 2025

Choosing the perfect destination for your next scuba diving holiday may feel a little overwhelming considering there are over 4,000 dive sites to choose from! So to help focus your search, our expert Dive team have chosen their top 25 most incredible and diverse diving experiences. 

Whether you’re drawn to the warm, turquoise waters at the heart of the Caribbean, the stark beauty of Iceland’s fissures, or a thrilling encounter with a manta ray in Mexico, we’re certain there’ll be something on this list to inspire your 2025 diving adventure.  

1. Experience a Muck Dive in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia

If you’re looking for something a little different in 2025, a muck dive in the Lembeh Strait could be just what you’re looking for. Known as one of the world’s best spots for underwater photography and muck diving, this Indonesian gem is home to a huge array of rare and unusual sea creatures. From hairy frogfish to wunderpus and bobbit worms, a Lembeh dive is a must for scuba diving enthusiasts.

2. Go for a Shore Dive in Bonaire

Undeniably the shore diving capital of the world, Bonaire is a year-round divers’ paradise right in the heart of the Caribbean. With calm, crystal-clear waters and more than 85 dive sites to explore, this tropical island offers diving opportunities for all ability levels, making it ideal for an unforgettable family getaway.

3. Dive the SS President Coolidge, Vanuatu

Dive back in time and see the wreck of SS President Coolidge, an old WWII troop ship resting in waters 20-72 metres deep in the South Pacific island of Espiritu Santo. With an impressive length of 200 metres and remnants of munitions, military supplies and personal belongings scattered across the ocean floor, divers need an average of 13 dives to explore the entirety of this wreck!

Travel Consultant Helen Cox who recently dived at this iconic site, said, "This dive site is rightly legendary - felt to be one of the best World War II wreck dives in the world. Well-preserved, and lying on its port side, there are intriguing decks, holes and cargo holds to swim through and explore. We were joined by many colourful fish, clams, a moray eel, harlequin shrimp, and hard and soft corals that have made the ship their home.”

4. Dive into a Cenote at the Riviera Maya

Considered the entrance to the mythical underworld by the ancient Maya, and home to three of the longest underwater cave systems in the world, the Mexican Riviera Maya is a diver’s dream. Formed by natural sinkholes, the cenotes offer a truly unique and mesmerising scuba diving experience that combines stunning landscapes in crystal-clear waters with ancient mystique in some of the world’s best freshwater caverns.

5. Snorkel with a Whale Shark in Mafia Island

Mafia Island with its thriving coral reefs is home to vibrant and varied marine life year-round. However from December through to March, the annual whale shark aggregation offers the chance to snorkel amongst these gentle creatures as the small male whale sharks feed in the channel.

6. Meet the World’s Friendliest Manta Rays in Mexico

Accessible only by liveaboard, Socorro Island in Mexico is renowned for up close and personal encounters with the world’s friendliest giant Pacific manta rays. With wingspans stretching up to an impressive seven metres wide, these majestic creatures are anything but shy and will enjoy swimming and dancing alongside you offering an awe-inspiring experience like no other.

Dive Consultant Cath Bates, who has ticked seeing manta rays in Socorro off her bucket list, said, “We had a 40-minute rollercoaster ride of dancing with manta rays! They danced together and with us, feeding and enjoying being cleaned in the current. My group were beaming. There were also a few tears from the spiritual interactions that we had just encountered.”

7. Dive with Thresher Sharks in Malapascua

At the heart of the Philippines, the tiny island of Malapascua offers a rare opportunity to see thresher sharks close to the surface. Typically nocturnal creatures living in deep waters of up to 300-metres, these remarkable sharks make frequent appearances to the top of the Malapascua shoals at dawn and divers are rewarded with multiple spectacular thresher sightings as they wait patiently to be cleaned free of parasites by wrasse.

8. Snorkel in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hanifaru Bay

Declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives is a protected haven for marine life and scuba diving is exclusively reserved for those with a licensed guide. Our expert-led Maldives Manta Ray Extravaganza offers an excellent opportunity to do just that, with the chance to capture some magical memories of snorkelling amongst the world’s largest known aggregation of manta rays.

9. Search for Mystical Blue Beads in ‘Statia

One of the Caribbean’s hidden gems, the island of Statia offers a muck diving holiday like no other. Dive into the island’s rich history as you search for highly sought-after blue beads, once used as a form of currency throughout the 17th century before being scattered at the bottom of the sea to mark the end of slavery. Folklore has it that if you’re destined to return to the island, the beads will even find their way to you!

10. Experience Moalboal’s Sardine Run

The iconic sardine run on the idyllic island of Cebu in the Philippines offers an exhilarating experience for divers and snorkellers of all skill levels. Plunge into the deep blue waters and find yourself surrounded by millions of shimmering sardines as their synchronised movements form mesmerising shapes and swirling patterns in the water.

11. Dive in a Blue Hole in Belize

Home to the world’s second-longest barrier reef, three of the four atolls in the western hemisphere and multiple underwater sinkholes, the vibrant country of Belize is a top destination for scuba divers. With both liveaboard and resort-based diving trips available, Belize offers multiple opportunities to explore its famous blue holes, providing divers with breathtaking views of impressive stalactites and a rich variety of marine life.

12. Dive Between two Continents in Iceland (Silfra)

Nestled between the American and Eurasian tectonic plates, the Silfra fissure in Iceland offers an unparalleled diving experience found nowhere else on Earth – the chance to explore the gap between two continents! Constantly evolving as the Earth shifts, this “living” dive site provides a dynamic and ever-changing moment which can only be found in Iceland. 

13. Experience Snapper Spawning in Palau

Palau, a Pacific island gem, has become a hotspot for divers to encounter the extraordinary natural event of fish spawning. This awe-inspiring experience sees thousands of bohar snappers gather monthly in Palau’s waters to spawn, attracting a variety of eager predators including blacktips and bull sharks.

14. Come Face to Face with a Great Hammerhead Shark in the Bahamas, Bimini

The Bimini islands in the Bahamas offers one of the best places in the world to dive with great hammerhead sharks, getting up close to the usually evasive and endangered species. Appearing in shallow waters to feed, this presents a fantastic opportunity for shark lovers and photographers alike to be face-to-face with these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat during their seasonal aggregation.

15. Experience a Thrilling Shark Dive in Fiji 

For shark enthusiasts, Fiji offers some of the most exhilarating dive experiences in the world. Venture into the depths of Beqa Lagoon’s Cathedral Shark Dive and see up to eight different species of sharks, try the newly introduced Awakening Shark Dive from Barefoot Kuata Resort or why not combine the two for the ultimate shark experience?! 

16. Meet a Komodo Dragon

Meet a Komodo dragon in the only place they still live and roam freely – the Komodo National Park. As one of the largest protected zones on the planet, this UNESCO World Heritage Site offers one of Indonesia’s most iconic and exciting dive areas and the opportunity to see Komodo dragons in their natural habitat. The best way to experience the region is by liveaboard to fully appreciate the area’s incredible biodiversity and rich marine life.

17. Dive the Most Biodiverse Reefs on Earth in Raja Ampat

Renowned as the epicentre of the Coral Triangle and holding the record for the highest concentration of fish and coral in one place, a visit to Raja Ampat is exceptionally rewarding for both divers and snorkellers. In these protected waters you’ll find an astonishing 75% of the world’s corals and over 1,400 fish species, making it a fascinating destination for those looking to immerse themselves in an underwater natural beauty.

18. Share the Water with Sharks in South Africa

For the more adventurous shark diving enthusiast, Protea Banks reef in South Africa offers an exciting drift dive at arguably one of the best shark diving sites in the world. Home to a variety of shark species including ragged tooth, great hammerheads, Zambezi, tiger, thresher, mako and many more, thrill seekers will get a fantastic opportunity to tick scuba diving with these magnificent creatures off their bucket list.

19. Dive with Minke Whales in Australia

Located at the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef, Ribbon Reef #10 offers some fantastic dive sites including some of the best sightings of the graceful dwarf minke whale. The Mike Ball Minke Whale trip on board the luxurious dive vessel MV Spoilsport offers a unique liveaboard opportunity to dive amongst these majestic creatures and the chance to participate in monitoring and researching them.

20. Dive on Wrecks & Through Caves in Malta & Gozo

Closer to home, the charming islands of Malta and Gozo offer a spectacular variety of dive sites in superb conditions, and is renowned as an iconic wreck diving destination in Europe. With dive sites including a mix of wrecks, reefs, caves, holes and caverns for divers to explore, there’s something on and around these islands for everyone to enjoy, both underwater and topside.

21. Experience the Best of Egypt Above & Below

Combine world-class scuba diving by the remote and spectacular Fury Shoal reef, with the fascinating history of Cairo in a tailor-made Egyptian adventure. With 35 Red Sea dive sites teeming with marine life and exceptional corals, plus famous historical sites including the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and Egyptian Museum, there’s plenty for you to enjoy both on land and in the water.

22. Dive with Ocean Giants in the Galapagos

A must-see destination for all experienced divers, the Galapagos Islands hosts a variety of spectacular, unique and awe-inspiring ocean giants including huge whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, manta rays and many more providing a show quite like no other. Choose a liveaboard with land excursions included for the best experience of the Galapagos unique wildlife.

23. Dive with Turtles in Bunaken National Park, Indonesia

With warm waters, clear visibility and high levels of marine biodiversity including turtles, the aquatic ecosystem of Bunaken National Marine Park in North Sulawesi is ideal for divers of all ability levels. Here, friendly green sea turtles up to 1.5 metres long rest in crevices among hard and soft corals providing an excellent opportunity for photography.

24. Discover the Caribbean’s Nature Island, Dominica

Dominica, otherwise known as the ‘Nature Island’, is one of the best-kept secrets in the Caribbean. Offering a wealth of eco-activities and unspoiled nature, Dominica is dedicated to preserving natural experiences and sperm whales can be spotted year-round in addition to a variety of diving and land-based experiences.

25. Marvel at Dazzling Coral Reefs in Papua New Guinea

Arguably home to the most beautiful coral reefs on Earth, Papua New Guinea offers an unspoiled diving adventure like no other. Featuring over half the coral species in the world and 25+ regularly visited dive sites, this biodiverse country boasts barrel sponges larger than some divers, incredible colours and several species of shark.

For more inspiration into our diving holidays, request a copy of our brochure, or browse all our special offers. To find out more about any of our trips, contact our expert team of divers.