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World’s Best Underwater Photography Sites

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Why do the Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, now in their 23rd year, still matter to divers? Because these are your picks, based on thousands of votes from the most experienced dive travelers on the planet. Why do they matter to us? Because every month you hear from our editors on what we think matters in the world of dive travel. For the January/February issue of Scuba Diving we get to listen to you, and we’re taking notes.

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Underwater Photography category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Underwater Photographer Diving in Cayman Islands

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Cayman Islands

Best Underwater Photography in Caribbean and Atlantic

It’s no coincidence that Grand Cayman is home to several photo pros, and is a favorite classroom for a handful of shutter-snapping instructors. Clear skies with consistent sunlight, plus the Caribbean’s famous visibility, grant a reliable baseline, letting you focus on the good stuff — adjusting settings to capture a tarpon just as the silversides all turn, sparkling. — Brooke Morton

Caribbean and Atlantic

  1. Cayman Islands
  2. Bonaire
  3. Bahamas
  4. Bay Islands
  5. Mexico
Anemones Green Water Underwater Photo British Columbia

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British Columbia

Best Underwater Photography in North America

Photographers can improve their portfolios in BC’s cool, marine-populated waters. There’s a wealth of colorful photo subjects, and many animals grow to epic proportions: giant plumose anemones, playful Steller sea lions, and the eight-tentacled crowd favorite, Enteroctopus dofleini, aka the giant Pacific octopus. Don a drysuit to ignore the cold, and focus instead on creating award-winning images. — Brandon Cole

North America

  1. British Columbia
  2. California
  3. Florida
  4. North Carolina
  5. Washington
Manta Ray Underwater Indonesia Coral Diving

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Indonesia

Best Underwater Photography in Pacific and Indian Oceans

The problem isn’t deciding what lenses to pack for your trip to Indo, but which one to bring on each dive. If you take a macro down to shoot pygmy seahorses, you’ll regret not having the fisheye for the massive mantas. You don’t just need a second camera system — you need a buddy/porter to carry a third and fourth. — David Espinosa

Pacific and Indian Oceans

  1. Indonesia
  2. Chuuk
  3. Philippines
  4. Palau
  5. Red Sea

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The Sea Tiger Wreck in Honolulu

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spotted eagle ray hawaii

Dive Oahu

The Sea Tiger wreck in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Location: West of Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii
Depth: 80-110 Feet
Visibility: 15-30’
Who it’s For: Advanced Divers

What Makes it Special:

The Sea Tiger is a former Chinese trading vessel originally named Yun Fong Seong No. 303. It was confiscated in the early 1990’s for carrying 90+ illegal immigrants into the state of Hawaii. Purchased by Voyager Submarines, then cleaned up and sank in 1999 as part of a dive enrichment effort, the Sea Tiger is 150-feet of incredible sights.

honolulu hawaii sea tiger wreck

Dive Oahu

The Sea Tiger is located in 90 feet of water.

It teems with myriad species of marine life. Resident whitetip reef sharks, six-foot sea turtles, moray eels, eagle rays and massive schools of fish weave through the ship’s swim-throughs, while eagle rays circle the ship to greet divers.

The ship’s deck sits at roughly 90 feet. The bottom rests on the sand at approximately 110 feet making bottom time between 20-to-25-minutes. Divers can penetrate the Sea Tiger through the cargo holds and bridge. Despite some minor decay inside the ship, the wreck is remarkably intact making it a unique dive for wreck enthusiasts.

To book a dive of the Sea Tiger wreck, visit www.diveoahu.com/divenew today!

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Dive Pyramid Pinnacle in Lanai, Hawaii

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kona diving

Jeff Milisen

Takahashi ray over reef.

Location: South Lanai, Hawaii
Depth: 40-120 ft
Visibility: 15-30’
Who it’s For: Intermediate Divers

What Makes it Special:

This dive site, as its name implies, belongs to the pyramid butterfly fish that school around the reef. The submerged lava arches, caverns, pinnacles and finger corals peppering this site offer plenty to explore.

spotted moray scuba diving hawaii

Stacy Herman

Spotted moray at Pyramid Pinnacles dive site.

After a brief kick, you’ll glide above a large, hollow lava pinnacle replete with nooks, crannies and all sorts of marine life. Pyramid Pinnacle’s aesthetic beauty is rivaled only by the site’s incredible biodiversity—of both coral and fish. Black and soft snowflake corals hide cleaner shrimp and lobster, while squirrelfish dance among several species of eels.

The resident conger eel, sleeping sea turtles, schooling chubs and Hawaiian flagtails swim in and around the site’s swim-throughs. Sand channels to the west shelter helmet shells, razor wrasse and peacock flounder. No matter which direction you turn, you’re surrounded by some of Lanai’s best diving.

To book a dive at Pyramid Pinnacle, visit www.konahonudivers.com

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Vertical Awareness in Lehua, Hawaii

Rebreathers, Scuba_News, Seasport Divers, signature dives, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, UW Photography, Wrecks /
monk seal hawaii

Seasport Divers

Vertical Awareness dive site

Location: Lehua Rock, Lehua, Hawaii
Depth: 40-130 ft
Visibility: 13-30’
Who it’s For: Advanced Divers

What Makes it Special:
Highly developed dive skills are necessary to tackle this exhilarating site. Due to potential for strong currents, maintaining neutral buoyancy and depth perception is crucial. The time spent honing your skills will pay off when you lay eyes on the dive’s majestic, sheer-sided seamount.

monk seal hawaii

Christina Hepburn

Monk seal at Vertical Awareness.

This site also hosts a smattering of larger marine life. Uluas, tunas, wahoos, Galapagos sharks, and even monk seals coast along the imposing rock face. Coral blooms cling to the crags and deep crack in the seamount, providing smaller fish refuge from the site’s apex predators. The 240+ feet of rock face means you can explore the site for hours, but the most popular features are found between 50 and 100 feet.

If you like being challenged on a dive, Vertical Awareness offers much to be explored. Seasport Divers fields two custom-built, Coast Guard-certified dive boats on charters to Vertical Awareness and other sites around Hawaii. For more information and to book a dive at Lehua Rock, visit www.seasportdivers.com.

Vertical Awareness in Lehua, Hawaii Read More »

Vertical Awareness in Lehua, Hawaii

Rebreathers, Scuba_News, Seasport Divers, signature dives, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, UW Photography, Wrecks /
monk seal hawaii

Seasport Divers

Vertical Awareness dive site

Location: Lehua Rock, Lehua, Hawaii
Depth: 40-130 ft
Visibility: 13-30’
Who it’s For: Advanced Divers

What Makes it Special:
Highly developed dive skills are necessary to tackle this exhilarating site. Due to potential for strong currents, maintaining neutral buoyancy and depth perception is crucial. The time spent honing your skills will pay off when you lay eyes on the dive’s majestic, sheer-sided seamount.

monk seal hawaii

Christina Hepburn

Monk seal at Vertical Awareness.

This site also hosts a smattering of larger marine life. Uluas, tunas, wahoos, Galapagos sharks, and even monk seals coast along the imposing rock face. Coral blooms cling to the crags and deep crack in the seamount, providing smaller fish refuge from the site’s apex predators. The 240+ feet of rock face means you can explore the site for hours, but the most popular features are found between 50 and 100 feet.

If you like being challenged on a dive, Vertical Awareness offers much to be explored. Seasport Divers fields two custom-built, Coast Guard-certified dive boats on charters to Vertical Awareness and other sites around Hawaii. For more information and to book a dive at Lehua Rock, visit www.seasportdivers.com.

Vertical Awareness in Lehua, Hawaii Read More »

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