Coral Reef20 sites13 countries

Dive sites: Coral Reef

Coral Reef dive sites — depth, conditions, and required training level.

Australia

Ribbon Reefs - Steve's Bommie

Cairns · Queensland · Australia

A legendary coral pinnacle on Ribbon Reef No. 3, where dense soft corals, nudibranchs, and swirling fish schools create arguably the Great Barrier Reef's finest single dive.

Colombia

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Gorgona Island

Guapi · Colombian Pacific · Colombia

A former prison island turned national park in Colombia's Pacific, where vibrant coral reefs host whitetip sharks, turtles, and seasonal humpback whale encounters.

Islas del Rosario

Cartagena · Corales del Rosario National Park · Colombia

A 23-island Caribbean archipelago just off Cartagena, housing Colombia's most accessible coral reefs with over 28 dive sites in a protected national park.

Playa Grande

Santa Marta · Taganga, Santa Marta · Colombia

A colourful Caribbean reef near the fishing village of Taganga, perfect for beginners and open-water students with calm waters and abundant tropical fish.

Djibouti

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Moucha Island

Djibouti City · Gulf of Tadjoura · Djibouti

A pristine coral island in the Gulf of Tadjoura where whale sharks, dolphins, and sea turtles congregate in warm, crystal-clear waters at the gateway to the Red Sea.

Ecuador

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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.

Isla de la Plata

Puerto Lopez · Machalilla National Park · Ecuador

Ecuador's 'Poor Man's Galapagos' harbours the world's largest manta ray population, humpback whales in season, and the country's best-preserved coastal coral reef.

Egypt

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Gota Abu Ramada

Hurghada · Red Sea Governorate · Egypt

A small reef island south of Hurghada known as 'The Aquarium' for its extraordinary density of colourful reef fish, offering shallow, calm diving on a pristine coral plateau that delivers the Red Sea's best fish-watching in waist-deep water.

Indonesia

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Waigeo Island

Waisai · West Papua · Indonesia

The largest island in Raja Ampat, Waigeo offers house reefs teeming with endemic species, dramatic karst scenery above and below the waterline, and some of the highest coral fish diversity on Earth.

Kenya

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Diani Reef

Diani Beach · Kwale County · Kenya

A vibrant fringing coral reef off Kenya's most popular beach, where green turtles, whale sharks, and manta rays visit warm Indian Ocean waters teeming with tropical life.

Madagascar

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Nosy Tanikely

Nosy Be · Diana · Madagascar

A tiny marine reserve island off Nosy Be with giant gorgonian sea fans, hawksbill turtles on every dive, and leopard sharks resting on the sandy bottom.

Philippines

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Sumilon Island

Oslob · Cebu · Philippines

The Philippines' first marine sanctuary, a tiny coral island off Cebu's southern tip where decades of protection have created thriving reef slopes with exceptional hard coral coverage, schooling fish, and a famous shifting sandbar.

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.

Samal Island

Davao City · Davao del Norte · Philippines

Mindanao's most accessible island dive destination, sitting in the sheltered Davao Gulf where healthy coral reefs, a Japanese World War II wreck, and giant clam sanctuaries offer diverse diving minutes from the Philippines' third-largest city.

Honda Bay

Puerto Princesa · Mimaropa · Philippines

A sheltered island-dotted bay near Puerto Princesa offering easy coral reef diving, abundant marine life on shallow house reefs, and access to multiple island snorkel sites in one day.

Saudi Arabia

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Farasan Islands

Jizan · Jazan Province · Saudi Arabia

A remote and largely unexplored archipelago of 170 islands in the southern Red Sea, boasting pristine coral systems, dramatic walls, and encounters with manta rays, dolphins, and whale sharks.

South Africa

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Two Mile Reef

Sodwana Bay · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa

The southernmost tropical coral reef in Africa, packed with over 1,200 species of reef fish, curious potato bass, and seasonal whale shark sightings.

Tanzania

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Chole Bay

Kilindoni · Mafia Island · Tanzania

A sheltered bay within Mafia Island Marine Park offering pristine coral walls, whale shark encounters, and over 400 fish species far from tourist crowds.

Mnemba Atoll

Matemwe · Zanzibar · Tanzania

A pristine marine conservation area off northeast Zanzibar hosting 600 reef fish species, playful dolphins, and green turtles in crystal-clear tropical waters.

Venezuela

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Cayo de Agua

Gran Roque · Los Roques Archipelago · Venezuela

A pristine Caribbean cay on the western edge of Los Roques, where untouched coral reefs and crystal-clear waters rival any dive site in the Caribbean.