Nothing can quite compare to the thrill of being carried along with the current, as though you're just one of the many fish in the sea. While there are countless places to enjoy some truly fantastic drift diving worldwide, a few destinations stand out from the rest, not just because of exhilarating currents, but because the marine life and geologic formations found there are simply spectacular. Choosing the best of the best was no easy task, but Just Gotta Dive's team of experts managed to compile this list of five destinations where the drift diving is second to none.
Cozumel
Not only is Cozumel wonderfully easy to access, it is also home to some of the most spectacular drift dive sites you'll find anywhere. As a matter of fact, almost all dive sites around Cozumel offer the opportunity to drift, with the exception of chilled out inner reef sites that are more often used for snorkeling than for diving. A few of the best drifts Cozumel has to offer include:
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Barracuda Reef - Located on Cozumel's northwestern side, this site features not just a reef, but a wall; both are washed by strong currents. It's not unusual for divers to travel several miles at this site, where eagle rays, reef sharks, and pelagic fish are encountered in abundance.
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San Juan Reef - This site is sometimes too calm for a drift, however most of the time, conditions are ideal. Huge coral formations and enormous barrel sponges create a lovely backdrop for an astonishing array of tropical fish and the occasional pelagic - diving this site is like flying through an enormous aquarium.
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Yucab Wall - Also known as Virgin Wall, this site features a sheer face with pristine coral formations and lush sponge growth, thanks to the fact that the fast paced current provides superior nourishment and to the fact that huge groups of tourists avoid the area. Watch for batfish, groupers, and the occasional turtle as you let the current carry you along.
Galapagos
Diving the Galapagos Islands is fabulous, no matter how you look at it, and no matter where you go. With the exception of very shallow sites close to shore, nearly all Galapagos dive sites can be classified as drifts during at least part of the year, with currents normally being medium to strong. From July to December (Garua season,) the southeast Humboldt current is present, and between January and June, the Panama current arrives from the northeast. Dive operators make plans according to the currents, ensuring you get to enjoy the sites you want to see most. Some of our favorite Galapagos drift dive sites include:
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Gordon Rocks - There are 5 dive sites here, mostly walls with deep bottoms. These sites feature hammerhead sharks as the main attraction, along with huge pelagics, eagle rays and stingrays, turtles, all kinds of reef fish, and even fur seals and sea lions.
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Nameless Island - Surrounded by sheer walls, this little sugarloaf shaped island is the ideal place for a drift among Galapagos sharks, schooling pelagic fish, and many other creatures. The colorful sponges covering the walls add an air of magic to the dive, which is just astonishing. After a bit of a drift, you can duck down behind a rock at about 60 feet and watch the show!
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Floreana Island - There are a total of nine named dive sites here, and when the currents are running, you can visit several of them during the same dive. Against a splendid backdrop of coral heads and endemic black coral, you'll find yourself flying along with eagle rays and turtles; pelagic fish, barracudas, sea lions, and different shark species are often encountered here as well. As a bonus, there's a shallow section where seahorses, garden eels, and a whole host of invertebrates keep you entertained during your safety stop.
Maldives
Most diving in Maldives involves drifting to some extent, and depending on your liveaboard's route, you're bound to see some truly incredible sites. Between the atolls, passages and channels funnel sweeping currents that wind their way from one place to the next; wherever water is flowing, you'll find sleek barracudas, big jacks and snappers, lots of parrotfish , napoleon wrasse, and sweetlips swimming against a varied backdrop that might include caverns and overhangs decorated with a proliferation of huge soft corals, or gorgonians and sea fans mingled with an entire palette of sponges.
Rocky pinnacles, or "Thilas" as they're called locally, attract schooling fish and host a plethora of crustaceans and invertebrates; here, you can alternate drifting with huddling behind a rock formation to watch for manta rays, eagle rays, and even massive whale sharks.
Philippines
If you've never been to the Philippines, you've got to go. You'll notice this beautiful island nation makes a few of our company's "favorites" lists - we love the muck diving, the marine parks, and of course, the fantastic drift diving! You'll find a number of outstanding drift dives throughout the Philippines; here are just a few of our favorite Philippine drift dive sites:
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Channel Drift - Located just off Boracay, this strait features strong tidal currents that provide a thrilling drift through crevices and canyons coated in colorful coral. Along the way, you'll encounter trevally and other fish, along with the occasional reef shark.
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Verde Island Passage - Situated off Puerto Galera, this area is washed by strong currents from the South China Sea. Swimthroughs and spectacular walls create a stunning backdrop for schooling emperors and snapper, barracudas, eagle rays, tuna, turtles, and a few reef sharks.
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Tubbataha Marine Park - If you can visit only one region while diving the Philippines, this one has everything. While there is plenty of placid reef terrain, there are also thrilling drifts along vertical walls, where you'll find yourself among rays, turtles, and a dizzying array of fish, large and small alike. Watch for hammerhead sharks, dolphins, and whale sharks!
Palau
Like other Scuba Divers Travel Network favorites, Palau is a nation with much to offer - no matter what type of diving appeals to you most. For drift dive enthusiasts, the thrills are incredible. A few of our favorite Palau drift dive sites include:
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Blue Corner - King triggerfish, schooling Moorish Idols, and many other incredible fish put on a spectacular show at Blue Corner, which features strong, unpredictable currents. Thanks to its position along a ridge that juts out into the open ocean, and a wall that drops thousands of feet into the abyss, it is also a hot spot for eagle rays, sharks, and other pelagics.
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Ulong Channel - Running east to west and cutting partway through the western barrier reef, this channel is affected by tidal currents that can change in mid-dive. Here, you'll find schooling barracuda, snapper, and jacks, along with territorial titan triggerfish, rays, and the occasional gray reef shark. Unlike nearby sites, this one is fairly shallow, with maximum depth at just 40 feet.
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Peleliu Express - With currents that are unpredictable and which often change direction, this site offers the ultimate in drift diving excitement. Featuring a plateau and a vertical wall that drops away into the abyss, the site is home to an almost unimaginable concentration of fish, including blue marlins, sailfish, barracudas, and massive schools of oriental sweetlips and rainbow runners. Divers have also encountered whale sharks, along with pods of pilot whales, sperm whales and orcas. Once you dive here, other sites will pale in comparison.
To get the most from your drift dives, Just Gotta Dive (JGD) recommends you take a drift diving course - not just to increase your level of safety, but to enhance the dives themselves. Armed with good knowledge, dependable dive gear, and your own spirit of adventure, you'll find our favorite drift dive sites might just top your own list of the world's best places to dive.