Reader Rankings: Top 10 Specialty Dives
Whether you enjoy descending into blue holes, riding a ripping current or exploring cenotes, you'll find an unforgettable dive in this group. Here are our reader rankings for the 10 best specialty dives.
These rankings are part of our 2017 World's Best Platinum Awards, a readers survey. For more on the survey and method, click here.
TOP 10 SPECIALTY DIVES
| SITE | RESULTS |
|---|---|
| 1,000 Steps, Bonaire | 16.03% |
| Manta Night Dive, Kona, Hawaii | 14.10% |
| Great Blue Hole, Belize | 14.01% |
| Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands | 13.87% |
| Devil's Throat, Cozumel, Mexico | 12.98% |
| Mary's Place, Roatan, Bay Islands | 10.59% |
| Christ of the Deep (Abyss), Key Largo, Fla. | 8.81% |
| Chac Mool Cenote, Riviera Maya, Mexico | 6.98% |
| Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Fla. | 6.89% |
| Blue Corner Wall, Palau | 6.56% |
The Top 3
1,000 Steps | Bonaire
The marker for 1,000 Steps in Bonaire
iStockphoto
The water couldn’t be more turquoise at the shallow entry point of this Bonaire repeat-visitor favorite, found on the northern part of the Caribbean island. But before you can wade in, you’ll have to descend 67 limestone stairs. Not nearly as many as the name suggests, and thank goodness — although the name also serves to deter those who haven’t been before, keeping crowds away. The reef itself, with its endless mushroom, brain and star corals, sparks that curiosity to keep swimming and see what lies ahead: squid, hawksbill turtles, squirrelfish, boxfish and blennies. On the return, those steps may feel daunting, with your legs tired from finning over so much reef. But the stairs serve as an excellent landmark, making it a sure thing that you’ll find your way back to your car.
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Manta Night Dive | Kona, Hawaii
A manta ray off the coast of Hawaii
iStockphoto
The best part of this dive is the amount of manta action. Unlike at cleaning stations, where mantas often are sedentary, here they actively feed, swooping low, spinning somersaults and moving through the water in every which way, scooping up all the plankton attracted to the high-power underwater lights.
Great Blue Hole | Belize
The Great Blue Hole
iStockphoto
It’s an experience like no other to drop inside a tubelike shaft 984 feet across and 410 feet deep. From the ceiling, stalactites, big around as classic Greek columns, point toward the abyss below. For its quiet, voidlike stillness, as well as seemingly endless depth, it’s a memorable experience.