Top of the diving sites only reachable on a diving cruise

by spotmydive

Hello divers, so here, we prepared a great list of the best diving sites, but in particular the dive sites only accessible diving cruise. Of course, most of these sites are in the best liveaboard destinations. But here we are talking about the sites, often unknown, far from everything and everyone, but which are often better than the accessible directly from the coast.

Some of these beautiful dive sites can be visited on a liveaboards for beginners but, as always or in many cases, most of these dive sites are reserved for liveaboards for experienced divers. This is the reason why we have specified the diving level required to explore each diving site. Ok, this being said, let’s travel.

ARK OF DARWIN – GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, ECUADOR

We start with a classic one, you probably know that liveaboards in Galapagos allows you to discover many endemic species. The islands of Darwin and Wolf on the edge of the archipelago represent is a must for any diving cruise in the Galapagos. Although there are several remarkable dive sites around these two islands, one of them is clearly more famous than the others, and it is called Darwin’s Arch. Banks of hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, dolphins, eagle rays, galapagos sharks and perhaps even a whale shark await divers who make the journey to this complete marine ecosystem.

  • Type of dive: Wall / Drift

  • Recommended level: Intermediate to Advanced

  • Featured fish: hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, manta rays, eagle rays and whale sharks

  • When to go: June to November for the best marine life. December to May for the best underwater conditions

BAJO ALCYONE – COCOS ISLAND, COSTA RICA

For those who read our scuba blog often, we do talk a lot about this one. Probably one of the best places in the world for hammerhead shark diving, Bajo Alcyone is definitly in the top of the best liveaboard destinations. This seamount, which rises 25 meters 82 feet below the surface, attracts dozens of hammerheads throughout the year. You will also be able to dive with manta rays, eagle rays, mobulas rays and whale sharks on this island far from the coast. Simply descend to the top of this submerged mountain and admire this fabulous landscape and its thousands of inhabitants.

  • Type of diving: Pinnacle

  • Recommended level: Advanced

  • Star Creature: Hammerhead Sharks

  • When to go: June to November for the best marine life. December to May for the best diving conditions.

ROCA PARTIDA – REVILLAGIGEDO ISLANDS, MEXICO

Often referred to as the “Little Galapagos” and recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Revillagigedo Islands is an exceptional diving destination. During your scuba diving cruise on the three islands, you are sure to experience incredible experiences. However, a particular site stands out from the others. It is Roca Partida, a vertical wall that descends to 40 meters 120 feet swept by medium to strong currents that attract many pelagic species. As we know, currents attract fishes and in particular pelagics. Manta rays are the main visitors of this site, but you might also be able to dive with humpback whales. But that’s not enough apparently because dolphins, hammerhead sharks, oceanic sharks and whale sharks often join the festivities.

  • Type of diving: Pinnacle

  • Recommended level: Intermediate

  • Fish encountered: manta rays, humpback whales, whale sharks and hammerhead sharks

  • When to go: November to May

CAPE KRI – RAJA AMPAT, INDONESIA

Cape Kri is undoubtedly one of the best diving sites of Raja Ampat. This spot currently holds the record for the largest number of fish species encountered in a single dive, according to spotmydive website logbooks. Other sources confirm this information. If that’s not enough to convince you that Cape Kri is one of the best diving sites in the world, we do not know what you need;. Moreover, diving on this site is quite easy and it is at the top of the ranking of the best dives sites for open water divers. Jump in warm water and drift along the healthiest corals you are likely to see. Keep your eyes open to observe tiny nudibranchs and huge groupers, several meters long.

  • Diving type: Sloping coral wall

  • Recommended level: Intermediate

  • Life underwater: countless reef fish, white tip reef sharks, napoleon and giant grouper

  • When to go: from October to April

    • HABILI ALI REEF – ST. JOHN’S ISLAND, EGYPT

    One of the best diving sites in the Red Sea, Habili Ali is one of St. John’s reefs. Most of liveaboards in the red sea, especially the Deep South routes, stop at this dive site. Giant groupers and many black corals populate the reef while gray sharks and silver sharks glide by the corals. On occasion, groups of hammerhead sharks appear along the western edge. Finish off the dive by looking for overhangs and tunnels to find a flourishing macro life or enjoy the abundance of colorful fish.

    • Type of diving: Coral Reef

    • Recommended level: Beginner to Intermediate

    • We meet there: gray reef sharks, silver reef sharks and hammerhead sharks

    • When to go: September to November or April to June

    AMOS ROCK – TUBBATAHA REEFS, PHILIPPINES

    Only accessible on a liveaboard, Tubbataha Reefs National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to nearly 360 species of coral, 600 species of fish, 11 species of sharks and 13 species of whales and dolphins. Yes that’s all! There are so many dive sites scattered in both atolls that you will need at least ten days to explore them all! But, as for the rest of this ranking, we are here to tell you about the best dive site in Tubbataha. It is definitly Amos Rock, a large wall covered with gorgonians, with a huge variety of soft corals and huge schools of fish. Mackerel, grouper and snapper gather by the thousands at this Philippines diving site. But the region is particularly known for its majestic reef sharks that you will of course, also discover on the site of Amos Rock.

    • Type of diving: Reef

    • Recommended level: Beginner to Intermediate

    • Species encountered: reef sharks, groupers and shoals of reef fish

    • When to go: from mid-March to mid-June

    TIGER BEACH – GREAT BAHAMA, BAHAMAS

    If you want to dive with tiger sharks, there is no better place than Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. Located one hour by boat from Grand Bahamas Island, Tiger Beach is a huge fish buffet for these giant sharks. Every day, nearly a dozen tiger sharks come to be fed from divemasters and diving instructors. So, of course, the practice of shark feeding
    , which involves feeding sharks to attract them, is not recommended, but in some countries it is still widely practiced. Beyond the reef sharks, you can certainly meet nurse sharks, lemon sharks and obviously, tiger sharks.

    • Type of diving: Shark

    • Recommended level: Beginner

    • Species encountered:Tiger sharks, nurse sharks, reef sharks, lemon sharks and many schools of fish

    • When to go: from Octber to January

    PIPÍN – JARDINES DE LA REINA, CUBA

    Although liveaboards in Cuba are not well known, Queen’s Gardens or Jardines de la Reina dive sites are some of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. And they are only accessible by liveaboard. Several dive sites are worth visiting, but in Pipín, divers can see silky sharks and more than thirty Caribbean reef sharks in a single dive. Cuba has been protecting these sharks for decades and they are not scared by humans and will approach you, often pretty close but, do not worry, we have never seen a shark attacking a diver in Cuba.

    • Type of diving: Shark

    • Recommended level: Beginner

    • Species encountered: Caribbean reef sharks and silky sharks

    • When to go: from December to April

    NORTH HORN – GREAT BARRIER REEF, AUSTRALIA

    One of the best diving sites in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, North Horn is located in the Osprey Reef. Shark feeding is widely practiced here. Gray sharks, silver sharks, rare hammerhead sharks and occasional tiger sharks can be seen in a single dive. When the currents allow it, the drift dive along the west wall reveals beautiful soft corals and magnificent gorgonians.

    • Type of dive: Shark / Drift

    • Recommended level: Beginner

    • We meet there: gray sharks, silver sharks, hammerheads and tiger sharks

    • When to go: from June to November

    RICHELIEU ROCK – SIMILAN ISLANDS, THAILAND

    Most of the diving cruises of Thailand, in any case on the liveaboard itinerary of the Andaman Sea visit this exceptional site. Richelieu Rock is located 120 miles 200 kilometers northwest of Phuket and only a few tens of kilometers from Khao Lak. Here, you will swim in the midst of beautiful soft corals, a multitude of fish but also and especially, with majestic pelagics such as barracuda, manta rays, huge merits and even probably whale sharks. BEcause yes, the climax of any liveaboard in the Andaman is to dive with whale sharks. You are never 100% sure but there is a really good chance that you will be able to dive with this majestic creatures. The site is also listed for the ranking of your best sites to dive with whale sharks. You can visit the Similan on a dive cruise. It is possible to book a day or twoliveaboards trip from Khao Lak or even longer dive cruises that will often go to Myanmar Burma.

    • Type of diving: Pinnacle

    • Recommended level: Intermediate

    • You will dive with: Manta rays, whale sharks, sharks and a multitude of fish, moray eels and others.

    • When to go: from October to early May