Call it winning the lottery or just perks of the job, but being an editor at Scuba Diving magazine means getting the chance to dive some pretty special places. Our editors came together to list some of their favorite dives worldwide, from backyard dips off the coast of Florida to remote reefs in Raja Ampat. But this is like picking a favorite child—take “favorite” with a grain of salt, and just know that you can’t go wrong at any of these spots.

1. CASINO POINT, CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

This 2-acre underwater park off Catalina Island is absolutely stunning. The kelp forest radiates an otherworldly beauty and is packed with marine life from nudibranchs to sea lions. Thanks to the area’s no-take status, enormous black sea bass thrive here and aren’t afraid to get close to divers. —Robby Myers, associate gear editor

2. GREAT WHITE WALL, TAVEUNI, FIJI

After 14 years of diving, this is the first site that’s actually taken my breath away. The sheer number of vibrant colors and soft corals on this wall will leave you in awe. Drop down to 100 feet, where the Great White Wall starts, and look out to see (almost) nothing but white soft corals in every direction. —Becca Hurley, digital editor

3. THE MEADOWS, LITTLE CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS

The plunging vertical wall festooned with sponges is only half the show—fin up and over to crystalline sandy plains with eagle rays, stingrays, grouper and nurse sharks, along with nudis the size of a grain of rice. —Mary Frances Emmons, editor-in-chief

4. CORRIDOR WRECK TREK, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

You can snag a ride on the exhilarating current of the Gulf Stream as it sweeps you along to connect the dots on a trail of offshore wrecks in the Atlantic Ocean. First stop is the Ana Cecilia, where sights can include dozens of huge goliath grouper. —Roger Roy, ScubaLab director

5. EL CAÑON, REVILLAGIGEDO ISLANDS, MEXICO

Keep your head on a swivel. Mantas, sharks, dolphins—there’s no telling what will pass by and from which direction at this site off San Benedicto Island in the Pacific Ocean. At one point, our dive group had giant Pacific mantas behind, hammerhead sharks to our left and beefy Galapagos sharks straight ahead. Jackpot. —Andy Zunz, senior editor

6. DARWIN’S ARCH, GALAPAGOS, ECUADOR

On the far edge of the Galapagos archipelago, this iconic landmark acts as a magnet for schools of hammerhead sharks and other pelagics. Between June and December, female whale sharks also pass through the area on their way to give birth. —Robby Myers, associate gear editor

7. SHADOW REEF, RAJA AMPAT, INDONESIA

This is where I saw my first pelagic manta, so it will always rank among my favorites. But it isn’t just the mantas that make Shadow Reef special. The amount of reef life, vibrant colors and both soft and hard corals makes this site feel as if you are diving in a fairy tale.
—Becca Hurley, digital editor

8. RASDHOO MADIVARU, ROSS ATOLL, MALDIVES

Beefy gray sharks, lean whitetips, schooling eagle rays—everything shows up to dine when the incoming tide rolls through the narrow pass. You can watch the action tucked in along the reef and roll with it for a safety stop as you glide into the lagoon. —Roger Roy, ScubaLab director

9. JEEP REEF, EXUMAS, BAHAMAS

At this Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park gem, protected since 1959, picturesque coral bommies are scattered like gumdrops on sugar sand so bright the encrusting, vase and rope sponges seem to glow, complemented by colorful fish life from angels to butters, porgies and parrots. —Mary Frances Emmons, editor-in-chief

10. CRYSTAL ROCK, KOMODO NATIONAL PARK, INDONESIA

From giant to miniscule, the sheer amount of fish life at this dive is mind- blowing. Make a negative entry down to one of two pinnacles and find yourself enveloped in the madness, where Napoleon wrasse, clown triggerfish, star pufferfish, schooling Moorish idols and countless other species buzz about while paying no mind to passing divers. —Andy Zunz, senior editor

What’s your favorite dive site? Share your photos and videos with us on Instagram by using #ScubaDivingMag and tagging @scubadivingmag in the post.