Best Diving in the World – Find Your Own Dory

Over 10 years ago, I remember rushing to the theater for the opening night of Finding Nemo. It’s a movie I’ve watched countless times both by myself and with my son. Tonight, we’ll be heading to the theater to watch the premier of Finding Dory. The main thing I love about these movies, aside from the endearing characters, is getting to see how Pixar animates our beautiful oceans.

With a planet made up of more ocean than land, its a habitat to some pretty amazing creatures. I’ve always longed to take a dive below and see it for myself. Although I lack the important things to do that, like a dive license and the funds, I have recruited the help of fellow blogger Justin of True Nomads to share where to go for the best diving in the world.

Finding Dory is in theaters now! Go check it out, it’s incredible and timeless!

Meet Justin

Justin is an avid diver and shares his experiences on his blog, True Nomads. He’s been diving all over the world and has a serious passion for what he does:

The day I found out that I love diving, is the very first day I tried it. On that first day I felt comfortable enough to do some exploring, and in that 30 minutes I saw so many weird and alien things, that I had not even seen on TV. That’s when I became a fanatic.

If you’ve spent even a moment on his blog, you’re sure to have seen some of the most amazing sites ever. Getting down into the water is truly an experience that is unlike any other. From the weirdly beautiful creatures to the never-ending blue, there’s something everywhere you look. Diving isn’t always sunshine and rainbows though, as it does take some skills and quick thinking.

The scariest moment I’ve had diving is when my regulator broke when I was at 30 meters, which means you can’t go up. I could only suck in water. I reached for my alternate air source, and it too was broke. It had come apart when I jumped from the boat I think. The closest person was about 100 feet away, and I couldn’t get their attention. I had to make my regulator free-flow the air into the water, while I tried gulping it from the bubbles, until my dive buddy caught up. It was more annoying then scary actually, trying to drink air bubbles rushing to the surface while holding a giant camera rig and swimming toward my buddy.

There are so many dive sites around the world that it can be difficult to narrow it down to one. They all offer something different.

It’s hard to say what my favorite dive site is, there are so many. And each offers different things. But Egypt has always been one of my favorites, specifically The Canyon in Dahab, in the Res Sea. And just so you know, there are many many Nemos and Dorys there (clown fish and blue tangs). Such a great dive location.

With the help of Justin, I’m going to share with you where to go for the best diving in the world.

Where to Go for The Best Diving in the World

Dahab, Egypt

If Justin mentioned this as his favorite spot for the best diving in the world, then it absolutely had to be at the top of our list. Dahab means gold in Arabic and this spot is full of golden sunny skies and clear, warm waters. The Blue Hole is the most famous, but other spots like The Canyon, The Lighthouse, and The Islands all offer different marine life and are simply amazing to check out. Many of the dive sites in Dahab are easily accessible from your hotel room and with over 20+ spots to dive, there’s a lot to see and explore.

Moalboal, Phillippines

Moalboal, our next spot for the best diving in the world, faces a deep channel that separates the Islands of Cebu and Negros, so most of its dive sites are wall dives along the coastlines. Divers can enter at different spots to explore different areas of the wall. Each area of the wall is unique and all of the dive sites are along a whale shark migratory route, so chances are good you’ll get to see one of these majestic, gentle creatures. It’s also home to the ‘sardine run’ where you can see massive schools of sardines making it feel like you’re staring in your own version of Finding Nemo.

Ras Abu Galum, Egyptian Red Sea

With possibly one of the most unique ways to get to a dive site, a camel trek (or boat ride if you’re feeling less adventurous), Ras Abu Galum is a dive spot not to be missed. In my opinion, camel beats boat any day for this type of adventure. Given that it’s in such a remote location, the marine life is abundant and the waters are pristine. Who knew a national park could be offer some of the best diving in the world?

Layang Layang, Malaysia

Layang Layang makes the list for best diving in the world not only because of the beautiful reefs and fish, but also because it is one of the best places to see schools of hammerhead sharks. The reefs rank as some of the healthiest in Malaysia, as they’ve never been fished or polluted. The waters here are stunningly clear, so be sure to check that you haven’t gone down deeper than you think.

Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea

Our final spot for the best diving in the world is Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea. It is part of the Coral Triangle, the global center of marine biodiversity. There are over 900 species of fish here; some say it’s like being immersed in the most well stocked saltwater aquarium. Also home to over 200 charted reefs, you can find all kinds of different hard and soft coral, barrel sponges, whips, and fans. You never know what you’re going to see when diving here, but you definitely won’t be disappointed.

Our beautiful blue planet is full of so many amazing spots. These are only a few of the places to experience the best diving in the world, but there are countless others waiting for you to explore. Who knows, you may even find Nemo while you’re down there.

Have you visited any of these places? Know of any other spots for the best diving in the world? Leave us a comment and let us know.