10 UNESCO Dive Sites to Explore Before You Die
Looking for destinations to add to your scuba bucket list? Discover 10 incredible UNESCO dive sites that are protected as natural and cultural treasures.
While there are hundreds of magical underwater destinations around the globe, a few have a special status as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are places that we are slowly ticking off our bucket lists and none have left us disappointed!
After World War Two, UNESCO was founded to rebuild devastated schools, libraries and museums. As reconstruction progressed, the organisation expanded its mission – to safeguard humanity’s cultural and natural treasures, both above and below the water’s surface.
For divers, exploring a UNESCO dive site is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience. As you descend, you’ll understand why these exceptional marine realms deserve special protection so future generations can enjoy their wonders too.
In this article, we’ll highlight 10 UNESCO dive sites to add to your bucket list, from Australia to the Galapagos and the Philippines.
Looking for eco-dive resort inspiration? Check out 13 of our favourite sustainable scuba stays around the globe.
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Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Encompassing 2,500 coral reefs, the Great Barrier Reef is an immense underwater wonderland.
This UNESCO World Heritage-listed marine park is home to over 1,500 fish species and 4,000 types of mollusks, as well as one-third of the world’s soft corals. Dugongs and sea turtles call these waters home, as do leopard, black tip and white-tip reef sharks.
But this UNESCO dive site is under threat. Climate change, pollution and other human impacts have damaged parts of the reef, particularly in the remote north.
Thankfully, vast swaths remain unspoiled and are easily accessible to divers from the tropical city of Cairns. The Great Barrier Reef can also be explored on multi-day liveaboard trips or during shorter dive excursions from Port Douglas.
Planning an Australian dive vacation? Here are 7 destinations to add to your list or check out these 10 incredible ways to experience the Great Barrier Reef.
Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, Palau
Emerging from the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean are Palau’s Rock Islands. This cluster of green “mushrooms” have become a poster child for conservation efforts worldwide.
But while the archipelago’s beauty above water is stunning, it’s the treasures below the waves that will leave divers in awe.
Surrounding these 445 limestone islands lies the planet’s highest concentration of marine lakes. Many provide habitat for newly discovered endemic species.
Underwater, you’ll find a maze of channels, tunnels and caves that make for incredible diving. Highlights of this UNESCO dive site include the legendary Ulong Channel and the Peleliu Wall, as well as the German Channel’s manta cleaning stations.
To learn more about exploring the Rock Islands, check out our sustainable guide to diving in Palau.
Palau is just one of several incredible dive destinations in Micronesia – discover more here!
Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands
The once-pristine lagoon of Bikini Atoll holds a tragic yet fascinating history and serves as a haunting reminder of Cold War hostilities.
From 1946 to 1958, the United States detonated 67 nuclear tests here, irradiating the region. In 2010, Bikini Atoll was designated as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Marshall Islands and is once again thriving.
An underwater paradise awaits divers who make the remote journey to this far-flung atoll, located partway between Australia and Hawaii.
Descending into the depths, you’re greeted by an aquatic wonderland teeming with life but also a ghostly fleet of sunken WWII-era warships. Including aircraft carriers and cruisers, these massive wrecks were deliberately sunk during nuclear testing and offer a unique insight into the past.
Komodo National Park, Indonesia
With Indonesia sitting at the heart of the Coral Triangle, its marine diversity is unparalleled.
One of the many jewels in its crown when it comes to diving is Komodo National Park. Encompassing 29 islands in Nusa Tenggara, the park was originally established in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon and has since been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While the world’s largest lizard is a highlight on land, below the water’s surface are brilliantly coloured soft and hard corals. Sea turtles glide through the shallows as large fish swarm seamounts, luring predatory sharks.
You can drift dive through the raging currents at Karang Makassar or watch manta rays being cleaned at Manta Alley. The muck diving here is incredible too, with rhinopias, ghost pipefish and octopuses hidden in the sediments.
Komodo is home to some incredible dive resorts, some of which are taking strides towards sustainability. Check out these 5 eco-friendly Komodo Islands resorts for inspiration.
Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica
Located 340 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, this UNESCO World Heritage dive destination boasts jaw-dropping underwater landscapes that feel straight out of a National Geographic documentary.
The archipelago has been compared to the legendary Galapagos Islands. In fact, Cocos Islands’ first two proposals to UNESCO were rejected for being too similar to its Ecuadorian counterpart.
Now dubbed the “Little Galapagos” of Costa Rica, Cocos boasts massive schools of scalloped hammerheads. Additionally, it offers frequent encounters with whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales.
While the rugged volcanic terrain above water is dramatic, it’s the thriving underwater ecosystem that makes it such a bucket list UNESCO dive site. The sheer walls, plunging pinnacles and stunning blue waters are teeming with pelagic life and will reward those adventurous enough to travel here.
To learn more about diving Cocos Island National Park, check out our detailed guide here.
Belize Barrier Reef, Belize
With ecosystems ranging from mangroves to sandy cayes, the Belize Barrier Reef UNESCO World Heritage Site is more than just its underwater marvels.
It forms part of the magnificent Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Over 450 cayes within the Belize Barrier Reef System provide sanctuary for rare and endangered species. These include manatees, sea turtles and crocodiles.
Belize is also a top dive destination for encountering whale sharks and great hammerheads. Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument and the Blue Hole are among its UNESCO-listed highlights.
In our opinion, scuba diving in Belize is an opportunity to explore stunning coral walls and discover the fascinating story of reef evolution.
For more inspiration, check out these 5 amazing places to dive in Belize.
Rapa Nui National Park, Chile
A dive in the crystalline waters off Rapa Nui (famed for its iconic Moai statues) promises an unforgettable underwater adventure. While fish may not abound here, the visibility is unparalleled, extending up to 60 metres in the contamination-free water.
As you fin through the dramatic seascapes of walls, caves and caverns, it’s like being on another planet.
While exploring this UNESCO dive site, keep your eyes peeled for sea turtles gliding gracefully by or strange lobe corals swaying in the current.
While the reefs aren’t as large as other Pacific Island destinations, the coral species that do flourish here are uniquely dramatic. In fact, more than 25% of the species are endemic to Easter Island.
For us, diving in Rapa Nui National Park has a mystical beauty that is like nowhere else on Earth.
For more information about diving in Rapa Nui, check out our detailed article here.
Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles
Imagine the most colossal doughnut you’ve ever seen and drop it in the middle of the Indian Ocean. That’s Aldabra Atoll.
Largely untouched by humans, this remote UNESCO dive destination is home to the planet’s largest population of giant tortoises, even more than the Galapagos!
The four main islands encircling the shallow lagoon are sliced through with channels, allowing the tides to rush in and out.
Diving here is an exercise in timing, calculating each dive precisely with the ebb and flow. A drift dive starting outside the channel, then floating through into the inner lagoon, is as thrilling as scuba gets.
Shoals of fish and sharks patrol the entrance while inside, you’ll discover reef fish and elusive dugong sea cows. Diving in Aldabra is truly something special!
If you’re planning a Seychelles dive vacation, check out these 5 eco-friendly resorts for a sustainable stay.
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The underwater world of the Galapagos is a diver’s paradise, bursting with life at every turn. Schooling hammerheads and walls of rays are just a taste of the wonders that await beneath the waves.
The remote northwest islands, like Darwin’s Arch and Wolf Island, are especially prized by divers. You can expect huge schools of fish and frequent sightings of sharks.
If you’ve got a diving bucket list, chances are that most of the marine species can be found in the Galapagos. From mola mola to whale sharks, mantas and sea lions, it can be hard to know where to look.
The riches above water are just as wonderous. Landlubbers will delight in the lumbering tortoises, marine iguanas and Darwin’s finches that make the Galapagos such a legendary destination and one of the most treasured ecosystems on Earth.
Discover everything you need to know about planning a sustainable scuba vacation in the Galapagos here.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines
Located in the heart of the Sulu Sea (between the Visayan Islands and Palawan) lies an underwater oasis that only the most intrepid divers reach.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993 and for good reason. Spanning nearly 1,000 square kilometres, it comprises two stunning atolls and the Jessie Beazley Reef. Collectively, they harbour a mesmerising diversity of marine life.
Dolphins, turtles and Napoleon wrasse are just a few of the magnificent creatures found in these rich waters, alongside fascinating shipwrecks just waiting to be explored.
Remarkably, Tubbataha contains around 90% of all coral species in the Philippines. It is also home to the world’s largest concentration of whitetip reef sharks. Sightings of tiger sharks, manta rays and whales are not uncommon.
For a sustainable dive vacation in the Philippines, check out these 8 eco-friendly dive resorts. You can learn more about diving Tubbataha Reefs in our detailed article here.
Discovering the underwater wonders of our UNESCO dive sites
Across the globe, there are countless underwater destinations that captivate the imagination. These include vividly coloured coral reefs, mysterious shipwrecks and ancient submerged ruins.
Among this array of magical aquatic realms, a select few have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. These are places of exceptional significance from a cultural, historical or ecological perspective.
For intrepid divers, the opportunity to explore these UNESCO dive sites offers up incredible experiences. Throughout your underwater adventures, you’ll gain a deep understanding of why these sites should be preserved for generations to come.
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