Conservation15 sites13 countries

Dive sites: Conservation

Conservation dive sites — depth, conditions, and required training level.

Australia

Montague Island Grey Nurse Shark Gutters

Narooma · New South Wales · Australia

Surge channels and rocky gutters on Montague Island's western face where critically endangered grey nurse sharks aggregate in dense groups year-round, hovering motionless among boulders alongside wobbegong sharks and enormous bull rays.

Bahamas

reef

Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

Staniel Cay · Exuma · Bahamas

The Caribbean's first no-take marine reserve, where 40 years of protection have created reef fish populations five times denser than surrounding waters and Nassau grouper aggregations found nowhere else.

Bangladesh

reef

Sonadia Island

Cox's Bazar · Cox's Bazar District · Bangladesh

An emerging snorkelling and shallow dive destination off Cox's Bazar where mangroves, rocky reefs, and migratory marine species converge in the Bay of Bengal.

Ecuador

reef

Galera San Francisco Marine Reserve

Muisne · Esmeraldas Province · Ecuador

Ecuador's largest continental marine reserve, where warm Choco currents nurture vibrant coral reefs, whale sharks, and humpback whales along a wild Pacific coastline.

Fiji

reef

Beqa Lagoon Shark Dive

Pacific Harbour · Viti Levu · Fiji

The world's premier multi-species shark dive, offering face-to-face encounters with up to eight shark species including bulls and tigers.

Pacific Harbour – Beqa Passage

Pacific Harbour · Viti Levu · Fiji

A deep channel off Fiji's southern coast where organized shark feeds bring up to eight bull shark species within arm's reach, creating one of the world's most intense multi-species shark encounters.

France

reef

Le Port Artificial Reef

Le Port · Reunion Island · France

A purpose-built artificial reef complex off Reunion's west coast designed to restore marine habitat lost to coastal development, now attracting groupers, turtles, and diverse reef fish in the shadow of the Piton des Neiges volcano.

Kenya

reef

Malindi Marine National Park

Malindi · Kilifi County · Kenya

Kenya's oldest marine park protects coral gardens at the edge of the Sabaki River estuary where green turtles nest, dolphin pods patrol, and the nutrient-rich waters support remarkable fish diversity on accessible shallow reef.

Malaysia

reef

Redang Marine Park Center

Kuala Terengganu · Terengganu · Malaysia

The protected heart of Redang Island's marine park where a coral rehabilitation centre anchors diving among recovering reef gardens, blacktip reef sharks patrol the shallows, and conservation meets recreation.

Redang Tanjung Tokong

Kuala Terengganu · Terengganu · Malaysia

A coral-rich rocky promontory on Redang Island's southern coast, known for green turtle nesting grounds, dense hard coral coverage, and abundant reef fish in shallow, clear waters.

Maldives

open-water

Hanifaru Bay Manta Aggregation

Dharavandhoo · Baa Atoll · Maldives

A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve bay in Baa Atoll where seasonal plankton concentrations create the largest known feeding aggregations of reef manta rays, with dozens gathering simultaneously in shallow water.

Mauritania

open-water

Banc d'Arguin Fishing Waters

Nouadhibou · Dakhlet Nouadhibou · Mauritania

A UNESCO-protected shallow bank off Mauritania's Saharan coast where cold Canary Current upwelling sustains one of West Africa's richest marine ecosystems amid vast seagrass meadows and sandy flats.

Philippines

reef

Apo Island Turtle Point

Dumaguete · Central Visayas · Philippines

A thriving marine sanctuary off Apo Island where decades of community-led protection have created one of the Philippines' greatest conservation success stories, with dense turtle populations and pristine coral walls.

Timor-Leste

wall

Atauro Island

Dili · Dili Municipality · Timor-Leste

The world's most biodiverse reef fish site per area surveyed, with walls dropping into 3,000-meter depths and regular whale and dolphin sightings.

Togo

reef

Lome Artificial Reef

Lome · Maritime Region · Togo

A developing artificial reef project off the capital of Togo where submerged concrete structures and decommissioned vessels are attracting Gulf of Guinea marine life to create West Africa's newest dive destination.