Best kelp forest Dive Sites in the World
Explore top-rated dive spots tagged with kelp forest across multiple destinations.
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Australia
1Ireland
2Malin Head
Carndonagh · County Donegal · Ireland
Ireland's most northerly point offering dramatic cold-water diving on WWII wrecks, kelp forests, and basalt reef systems teeming with seals and nudibranchs.
Aran Islands
Galway · County Galway · Ireland
Three limestone islands at the mouth of Galway Bay where Atlantic walls, kelp forests, and dramatic drop-offs shelter blue sharks, seals, and extraordinary cold-water biodiversity in wild western Ireland.
New Zealand
3Goat Island Marine Reserve
Auckland · Auckland Region · New Zealand
New Zealand's oldest marine reserve, where fearless snapper, blue maomao, and crayfish crowd the kelp-fringed rocky reefs just an hour from Auckland.
Tawharanui Marine Reserve
Auckland · Auckland Region · New Zealand
A pristine coastal marine reserve on the Tawharanui Peninsula where kelp forests, sandy flats, and sheltered rocky reefs support thriving populations of snapper and crayfish.
Poor Knights Islands
Tutukaka · Northland · New Zealand
Jacques Cousteau's pick for the world's top ten, a subtropical marine reserve where cathedral-sized caves, archways, and kelp forests teem with life.
Norway
1Peru
1South Africa
1South Korea
5Dokdo / Ulleungdo Approach
Ulleungdo · Gyeongsangbuk-do · South Korea
The volcanic waters surrounding Ulleungdo and the approach toward Dokdo in the East Sea offer dramatic basalt walls, pristine kelp forests, and encounters with large pelagic species in some of Korea's clearest and most remote waters.
Ulleungdo Island
Dodong · Gyeongsangbuk-do · South Korea
A remote volcanic island in the East Sea with underwater caves, kelp forests, and visibility exceeding 30 metres in pristine temperate waters.
Marado Island
Seogwipo · Jeju Province · South Korea
South Korea's southernmost island offers exposed oceanic diving over volcanic rock formations where the warm Tsushima Current brings tropical fish species alongside temperate kelp forests and large pelagic visitors.
Seogwipo Submarine Volcano
Seogwipo · Jeju Province · South Korea
A submerged volcanic cone rising from the seabed off Seogwipo, where basalt columns and lava tubes host dense kelp forests, soft coral gardens, and seasonal aggregations of striped beakfish in one of South Korea's most dramatic underwater landscapes.
Geomun Island
Yeosu · Jeollanam-do · South Korea
A remote island cluster off Yeosu known for dense kelp forests, vibrant soft corals, and an unusual overlap of temperate and subtropical marine species where the warm Tsushima Current meets cooler Korean coastal waters.
United Kingdom
1United States
3Catalina Two Harbors
Long Beach · California · United States
The remote western end of Catalina Island where kelp forests, rocky reefs, and blue-water walls offer Southern California's finest diving among giant black sea bass, bat rays, and the resident population of garibaldi damselfish in crystal-clear Pacific water.
San Diego Kelp Forest
San Diego · California · United States
The kelp forests off La Jolla and Point Loma rank among California's most accessible temperate diving, where giant kelp canopies shelter leopard sharks, garibaldi, and harbour seals in rocky reef habitat.
Anacapa Island
Ventura · Channel Islands · United States
The closest of California's Channel Islands, where cold nutrient-rich upwelling creates towering kelp forests teeming with giant black sea bass, harbour seals, and vibrant invertebrate-encrusted walls.