THE WORLD’S BEST DIVING DESTINATIONS Presented by Zegrahm Expeditions celebrating 30 years of adventure travel We created this guide to help you decide where to take the plunge for your next diving adventure. With almost 30 years of experience taking travelers to the ends of the earth, we’ve visited some of the most remote, pristine marine environments on the planet. You won’t find the world’s most popular dive destinations on this list, but you will find the best places in the world to observe healthy coral reefs and abundant marine life. Typically found far from civilization, many of the world’s best diving destinations can be quite difficult to reach on your own. However, once you get there, you’ll have these magical sites all to yourself. To help you expand your diving horizons, here are our top picks for far-flung dive destinations that are sure to take you out of your element and on the life-changing adventure of your dreams. • Australia ................................... page 2 > • Polynesia .................................. page 3 > • Melanesia ................................. page 4 > • Papua New Guinea ................... page 5 > • Palau ......................................... page 6 > • Philippines ................................. page 7 > • Maldives ................................... page 8 > • Seychelles ................................. page 9 > • 25 Facts About Coral Reefs ...... page 10 > • Diving with Zegrahm Expeditions page 12 > AUSTRALIA reef, a 162-mile-long coral reef swarming with turtles, tropical In Brief fish, manta rays, humpback whales, and the elusive whale Australia has six states—each of which offers unique diving shark. Nowhere on Earth do these majestic creatures reliably adventures. From colorful coral reefs in northern, tropical water congregate in such large numbers as at Ningaloo Reef. to giant kelp forests in the south, Australia offers it all. Most non- Australian divers readily associate diving Down Under with the Great Barrier Reef, and rightly so. This UNESCO World Heritage When to Go Site is one of the world’s top diving destinations. For those who Diving is great year-round in most states. Australia has would like to venture beyond the Reef, Adelaide is famous for temperate weather for most of the year, but the northern states its multitude of shipwrecks, South West Rocks is famous for its experience warm weather all the time while the southern states shark action, and Exmouth is famous for Ningaloo reef, where have cool winters. Cyclone season, which affects the northern whale shark and manta ray sightings are common. While you states, runs from November to April. In tropical Queensland, can dive much of Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef, on daytime air temperatures vary from the mid-80°sF in winter to a day trip, the country’s most iconic dive sites are best accessed the mid 90°sF in summer. December through February means by ship. great visibility and warmer water, while June through November pays off with minke and humpback whale spotting and coral spawning. Expect water temperatures around 85°F during the Iconic Diving Experiences summer throughout the central and northern Great Barrier Reef. Great Barrier Reef - The world’s largest and healthiest coral Expect around 75°F in winter and cooler water off the Sunshine reef system is also the only living structure on Earth that can Coast. Tides, current, and surge all affect water clarity inside the be seen from outer space! Made up of nearly 2,900 individual Great Barrier Reef, but it averages 50-70 feet and can hit a high reefs, 600 continental islands, and 300 coral cays, it’s the of 100 feet. Outside the reef, visibility averages a reliable 60- world’s largest single structure comprised of living organisms. 100 feet and often soars to more than 150 feet in the Coral Sea. The Ribbon Reefs area is known for a variety of pristine dive experiences. In late June and July, you may even have the chance to see dwarf minke whales during their annual migration. Explore with Zegrahm At Cod Hole, you’ll see giant potato cod that often approach Underwater Wonders of Western Australia divers with great curiosity. Osprey Reef—only accessible via May 13 - 27, 2019 | 15 Days boat—is an exposed coral mesa that sits in the middle of the Coral Sea far from anything. While scuba diving, expect colorful Best of the Great Barrier Reef shallow coral gardens and a variety of marine life like green sea July 14 - 28, 2020 | 15 Days turtles, white-tip reef sharks, and beautiful Napoleon wrasse. Many bommies serve as manta ray cleaning stations, while schools of jacks, barracuda, eagle rays, and sharks sweep in from the great blue. Curious sea snakes, carpet sharks, moray eels, cuttlefish, and nudibranchs can be found in the shallows. It’s the world’s largest reef system, so you can truly expect to see a bit of just about everything. Ningaloo Reef - The Ningaloo Marine Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site found halfway up the West Australian coastline. While not as well known as the Great Barrier Reef, here you will find the world’s largest fringing ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS < 2 > POLYNESIA gray sharks, dragon moray eel, lobster, boxer crabs, manta In Brief rays, scorpion fish, and schools of juvenile fish that dance and Wherever you go throughout Polynesia, from the low-lying shimmer when perused by predators such as giant trevally or coral atolls of the Tuamotus to the steep green mountains and tuna. With luck, you may even spot the occasional scalloped waterfalls of the Marquesas Islands, you are never going to hammerhead or pods of whales. be far from some spectacular diving. Due to its exceptional Tuamotu Islands - The largely uninhabited islands of the biodiversity (over 800 recorded species), scientists consider the Tuamotu Archipelago boast dreamy lagoons of jade and Polynesian sea zone to be the “richest aquarium on Earth.” In turquoise waters surrounded by low-lying coral atolls. Here 2000, the entire region was classified as an Exclusive Economic you will find multi-colored fish species and nearly a third of Zone (EEZ), a wildlife sanctuary where, among other things, all dolphin species from every ocean. Schools of damselfish, drift fishing is prohibited, earning French Polynesia top honors mullet, and soldierfish frolic in and around the fringing coral from the World Wildlife Fund. The narrow channels and passes reefs, while deeper waters may reveal the humpback whales that leading to the inner lagoons from the open ocean teem with life. breed here from August to October. Marine creatures cluster near these focal points and make the most of the bounty the current brings. In some spots, divers can expect to see hundreds of fish and other marine species as they When to Go drift through the underwater canyons. French Polynesia has a tropical climate. November to April is warm and rainy, while May to October is cooler and drier. Although you can dive year-round, late October to April is Iconic Diving Experiences considered the best season thanks to an influx of pelagic- While there’s no denying the lure of Bora Bora’s turquoise attracting plankton. Water temperature averages about 76°F in lagoon, the abundant marine life is often joined by hordes winter and 86°F in summer, and visibility is frequently stunning, of tourists! To experience the true underwater treasures of often in excess of 130 feet. Polynesia, you must venture further afield, where boat traffic consists of dugout canoes and the fishing industry relies on hand-woven nets. Explore with Zegrahm Marquesas Islands - The Marquesas are geologically and culturally distinct from the rest of French Polynesia. These Tahiti to Easter Island: Marquesas, Tuamotus & dramatic islands rise straight from the sea and have no fringing Pitcairns reefs. You’ll explore steep cliffs and caves, while the plankton- October 10 - 29, 2019 | 20 Days rich waters attract a variety of unusual marine life, including ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS < 3 > MELANESIA wealth of incredible experiences. The huge caverns and drop offs, In Brief abundance of marine life, beautiful bright corals, stunning sea fans, Amazingly diverse, yet wonderfully uncrowded, Melanesia offers as well as its world-famous wrecks have all helped in giving Vanuatu a wide range of tropical dive environments. These include its incredible underwater reputation. Vanuatu is also one of the best caverns, reefs, wrecks, large sea fans, steep walls, soft corals, places for divers to see the rare and endangered dugong. Some and muck. The marine biodiversity is stunning, and the World incredibly vibrant corals can be seen around Vanuatu, with a healthy War II history found in the wrecks hearken to times past. Little population of marine life buzzing about. Rays, triggerfish, clownfish, tourism has contributed to healthy reefs. All of these factors eels, and octopi hide out near the coral heads. A little farther out you combined create a dive destination that is out of this world. will likely spot huge barracuda and bigeye tuna making their rounds, gleaming in the filtered sunlight. Iconic Diving Experiences Solomon Islands - From big to small, the Solomon Islands When to Go have it all. The reefs are covered in colorful fish and macro subjects Diving is available year-round in Melanesia. However, monsoon are plentiful. Divers might see pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, season does occur from January until April and brings a nudibranchs, xenon crabs, mantis shrimp, ribbon eels, and hairy greater chance of rain and windy days. June through August is squat lobster. Clownfish, bumphead parrotfish, and cuttlefish are slightly cooler than the rest of the year, although temperatures also commonly spotted. Schools of jacks, barracudas, and tuna remain fairly warm and humid. Water temperatures make for often approach from the blue. Lucky divers may spot reef sharks, comfortable diving, ranging from 81-88°F.