Hi SD fans, and welcome back. As well as being addicted to wrecks,
I also have a soft spot for sheer drop-offs. Hanging in the blue off a dramatic vertical wall
is one of the most-exhilarating experiences you can have underwater. Many diving locations around
the world have some fantastic drop-offs, but I have selected 10 of the world’s best wall-diving
destinations to tempt you into the abyss. For those here for the first time, my name
is Mark, I am the editor-in-chief of the Scuba Diver media brand, and welcome to the Scuba Diver
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deal for our YouTube followers. Now, let’s dive into the video!
For me, swimming off the edge of a drop-off and seeing that seemingly endless dark blue open up
before you is one of the most-awe-inspiring things you can do while diving. The fact that
you can often see some of the more-majestic bigger animals in the deep water off a wall
is just another reason these rank highly in my list of favourite types of dive. There
are innumerable destinations with wall dives on offer, but we’ve selected 10 of our top locations.
In at number 10 is Blue Wall in Zanzibar, Tanzania This deep, challenging wall is one of the
signature dives on southeast Zanzibar, and is only offered to experienced divers
who have proved their capabilities on previous deep dives with local operators.
This is not a dive for the faint-hearted - you do a free descent through endless blue water
until the 36-38m bottom comes into view. There is usually a strong current running and,
as you near the seabed, it just drops away from sight. This is the top of the wall.
As you go over the edge, the bottom of the wall can be seen below at 70-75m. You need to have
excellent air consumption, superlative buoyancy skills and be comfortable deep and in a current.
However, for experienced divers, this is a thrilling dive, offering high chances of pelagic
encounters with the big boys, including large rays, yellow-tail tuna, turtles, giant grouper,
Napoleon wrasse, blacktip sharks and bull sharks, all set against the backdrop of a sheer wall.
There is no guarantee that the weather will allow you to dive Blue Wall, and whether you
even get the opportunity lies entirely with the discretion of the dive centre staff,
but meet the necessary criteria and you are in for a seriously wild ride.
At 9 is the Maldives When most people think of the Maldives they
conjure up images of white sandy beaches rolling into shallow, turquoise waters, which in turn drop
onto tranquil, sheltered reefs. And yes, there are plenty of those. But there are also walls.
Some of the dive sites in the Maldives can reach technical depths, and where you get those kind of
depths you naturally get a wall or two. Sites such as Maa Kandu and Mahaala all boast walls,
all bursting with life and colour - as you would expect from a Maldives dive site! These deeper
areas are also commonly home to larger species of fish, including a number of different sharks,
so keep your eyes peeled. Strong currents can also be commonplace so do make sure you’re comfortable
with such conditions and, if you are, maybe consider taking a reef hook to make things a
little simpler. While the walls on offer in the Maldives are perhaps not the best in the world,
they are a very welcome addition to the shallower offerings the area has to offer and, on account of
that combination (as well as the quality of life topside), are well worth a place on this list.
At number 8 is Yapak II off Boracay in the Philippines
The Philippines has plenty of deep water and, as such, plenty of walls.
Perhaps the best of them though, is Yapak II. With the wall starting at 32m and descending to
60m - and with currents not uncommon - this is a dive for more experienced divers only.
Because of the site’s depth, it is the perfect spot to observe larger fish
and some of the ocean’s great pelagic creatures. As well as barracuda, trevally and tuna, divers
can also hope to see a variety of rays, sharks (including hammerheads) and maybe even mola mola.
But this wall isn’t just about the big stuff - not at all. Nestled in among healthy corals are some
of the underwater world’s more-delicate creatures, including nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses,
so don’t forget to check those sea fans as you drift past!
At number 7 is the Great White Wall, Fiji So named because of the soft white corals
that cover its surface, Great White Wall really is a site - and a sight - like no other. The density
of the soft corals beggars belief, with the scene looking more like a ski slope than a reef.
Visiting divers will have never seen anything like it. Whip corals and gorgonian sea fans jut out
from the ‘snowy’ surface, breaking up the sweeping piste. While the white coral is the show-stealer,
there is a great deal more to this site, including a healthy reef top where hard and soft corals
fight for space with sponges and crinoids. There is, of course, a large variety of reef-dwelling
critters to spot too. Topographically, a dive on Great White Wall is also varied - it’s not just
about the wall itself. Divers can also enjoy swim-throughs and a cave that is absolutely
smothered in life. It is worth noting that the Great Wall is often subject to currents
(ranging from very mild to pretty strong), so divers with limited experience are probably better
off upping their experience before giving it a go. But do give it a go - it is a site like no other.
In at 6 is the Turks and Caicos Islands As a wall diving destination, the diminutive
Turks and Caicos Islands is a global giant. The archipelago is made up of two island chains
that sit atop two limestone banks. In between these two chains is the Turks Island Passage,
a Caribbean abyss that reaches down to depths of thousands of metres.
While most divers tend to locate themselves in Providenciales or Grand Turk,
excellent diving can also be found off other isles such as West Caicos and Salt Cay. Marine life is
plentiful in these parts (including, alas, lionfish), with areas such as the Princess
Alexandra National Park having a positive impact on the health of the local underwater world.
Divers can expect busy dives keeping an eye out for all manner of creatures one would expect in
deep Caribbean waters. As well as grouper, grunts and schools of jacks, divers can also hope to see
turtles, rays and eels. Sharks are also a common sight. While Caribbean reef sharks and nurse
sharks are the most regularly seen, blacktips, tiger sharks and hammerheads can also be spotted.
And then there are the dolphins and, if you’re really lucky, maybe even a humpback whale or two…
At 5 is Sipadan, Malaysia The island of Sipadan is widely regarded
as one of the finest wall diving destinations on the planet, and for very good reason. What makes
this tiny island off the northeast coast of Borneo so special is that, unlike nearby islands such as
Mabul, which slope off to relatively shallow depths, the waters off Sipadan drop to 600m.
As such, all manner of pelagic marine life can be found marauding the water column,
from manta rays to hammerhead sharks. In among the many turtles (both hawksbill and
green) and the shoals of barracuda, divers also have the chance of seeing whalesharks.
Once home to numerous dive centres, the island is now protected and only accessible by dayboat - and
with a limited number of spots available. As such the reef has, in the years since the change,
benefited hugely - it is now healthier than ever. Most dive centres run two or three dives on the
Sipadan walls during a day, with lunch spent on the island itself,
with sheltered benches and palm-tree-lined beaches making for a lovely setting to
off-gas and chat through the great diving with your fellow guests. It is a special day out.
At 4 - The Brothers, Egypt Few would argue with the Brothers being featured
on this list. With coral-clad walls dropping to technical depths, visibility that can reach in
the 40-50 metre range and a selection of marine life that will just about get any diver excited,
it is a wall diving destination that has it all. Add to this the destination’s
accessibility (as far as European divers are concerned) and you really are onto a winner.
Made up of two islands - Big Brother and Little Brother - the site is a regular on the Red Sea
liveaboard scene, and for very good reason: sharks. A variety of shark species can be found
in the waters around these isles, including threshers, grey reef and oceanic whitetips.
Hammerheads are also often spotted. Sharks tend to mean healthy reefs and boy, are these reefs
healthy. A natural protectorate since 1983, the Brothers’ reefs have thrived. The walls are awash
with black corals, gorgonian sea fans and myriad other hard and soft corals. All manner of critters
can be found hiding within, while schools of fish gather in the blue. Oh yeah… Big Brother
also boasts two wrecks, the Aida and Numidia. That’s right, folks: wreck diving on a wall!
At 3, the Bunaken Marine Park in North Sulawesi, Indonesia
The seafloor in Bunaken Marine Park reaches to almost 2,000m in parts.
Located in the Coral Triangle and having benefitted from marine park status since 1991,
the deep waters here are home to a considerable array of marine life.
As well as being home to nearly 400 different species of coral, about 90 species of fish
also inhabit the park. The variety of walls on offer is extensive, and visiting divers will no
doubt leave with a list of favourites, but be warned: the competition is fierce. With clear
water and walls that start from just a few metres below the surface and disappear to technical
depths, the reefs are bouncing with life, from brightly coloured nudibranchs to schooling fish.
The challenge is splitting your time looking through the colourful reef for critters such
as scorpionfish and leaf fish and staring at the more-attention-stealing creatures such as
barracudas and Napoleon wrasse that hang on the reef’s edge. And then there is the Big
Blue... don’t forget to commit some decent time to that or else you might miss the various sharks,
rays and turtles that cruise around on a regular basis. And the occasional whaleshark, of course…
In at 2, Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
Little Cayman is regarded by some as the wall diving destination, and mostly because of Bloody
Bay Wall, an undersea cliff face off the north of the island that drops to thousands of metres.
The thing that makes this sight so spectacular is something of a surprise, however. Yes,
sharks occasionally patrol the waters and other impressive creatures such as barracuda and turtles
can be seen, but they’re not the highlight. Diving Bloody Bay Wall is all about the sponges.
No, that’s not a typo. The colours are incredible: red rope sponges, orange
vase sponges and emerald tube sponges fight for your attention along with fiery basket sponges.
It is this dense, colourful backdrop that makes the scene so special. The sponges are a particular
treat for photographers, who are guaranteed vivid foregrounds as they busily snap shots of grouper,
jacks and barracuda - and, of course, the aforementioned sharks. Best of all, as part of the
Bloody Bay Marine Park, this site is guaranteed to remain a true diving spectacle for years to come.
And at 1 - Blue Corner in Palau Palau’s Blue Corner is not for the
faint-hearted. Easily the Republic’s most-famous dive site, Blue Corner consists of a ridge
that juts out into deep Pacific waters and typically punchy currents. The strength and
unpredictability of these currents makes this a dive for advanced divers only. Those with
suitable experience will not be disappointed - the currents, as well as being great fun, bring
in plenty of nutrients, which attract fish life of various sizes all the way up the food chain.
So, once you’ve soaked up the health of the reef itself, which includes a multitude of soft corals,
gorgonian sea fans and anemones, you’ll be able to focus your attention on the bigger stuff:
schools of jacks, snapper and barracuda to name but a few.
And the even bigger stuff: sharks! Below, to the side, overhead… the sharks are everywhere.
Mantas are also not an uncommon sight. Because the currents can be so strong, reef hooks are
commonly used - the upwelling currents can pop you up and over the wall with ease. Hooks
are especially useful if you’re a photographer and need both hands to operate your equipment.
More generally speaking, it’s nice to hook in and watch the show. And it is one hell of a show!
This is our selection of iconic wall diving sites, but there are many more. What are some of your
favourite wall dives? Leave your comments below, and if you have a question, fire away – if we
can’t answer, maybe someone in our community will be able to. Remember, if you enjoyed this video,
be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, and don’t forget you can grab a free digital
magazine subscription in the description below. As always, stay safe – and if you are one
of the lucky people who lives somewhere you are able to get out and dive, enjoy!