One key to planning a successful dive trip is knowing exactly what you want — for those metalheads who love to fill their dive logs with wrecks top to bottom, it pays to do some research ahead of time. Luckily, there are plenty of destinations around the globe brimming with top-tier wreck dives. Here are a few destinations that pack in plenty of options, from the Pacific, United States, Europe and more.

Bermuda

Bermuda and shipwrecks go hand in hand. In fact, settlement of the island can be attributed to a wreck. A Virginia Company ship packed with Englishmen headed for Jamestown wrecked here in 1609, marking the beginning of an established settlement. Today, hundreds of ships are scattered on the ocean floor; divers love to explore the highlights, such as the Hermes, Mary Celestia, King George and more.

WHY: Bermuda’s location — east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina — in the North Atlantic Ocean and surrounding shallow coral reef gave it the perfect formula for dooming seafaring vessels. It’s estimated that the reef extends for about 200 square miles off the coast — and, of course, we can’t rule out the role of the Bermuda Triangle.

HOW: Just a two-hour flight from New York City, Bermuda is easily accessible for divers on the U.S. East Coast. Dive shops are located on the northeast and southwest stretches of the island, giving travelers their pick when planning the ultimate Bermuda wreck trek.

Coron Bay, Philippines

The island of Coron, in the western Philippines, acted as a safe haven for Japanese ships during World War II — until a squadron of U.S. bombers attacked and turned Coron Bay into a world-class wreck-diving site. Coron Town — about a one-hour flight from Manila, plus an hour drive — now attracts divers eager to explore huge wrecks in ideal conditions.

WHY: A group of 96 Hellcat fighters did serious damage to the Japanese ships taking refuge in Coron Bay on September 24, 1944, sinking the supply ship Olympia Maru, tanker Okikawa Maru and seaplane tender Akitsushima, among others.

HOW: There’s a wide variety of operators who depart from Coron Town (an hour-plus boat ride from most of the wrecks). Or visit Sangat Island Dive Resort for closer proximity.

Oahu, Hawaii

The island of Oahu — a magnet for travelers thanks to Hawaii’s capital city, Honolulu — is home to more than 10 accessible wrecks. Divers can enjoy a variety of sunken vessels, from a small World War II-era Corsair plane to a 175-foot purpose-sunk sea turtle favorite, YO-257.

WHY: There’s no naval conflict or major storm responsible for Oahu’s sunken fleet — most of the nearby wrecks were purpose-sunk. The San Pedro and YO-257 were scuttled by Atlantis Submarines to spice up the company’s underwater tour. The lone wreck that wasn’t purpose-sunk, the Corsair, met its fate in the 1940s, when a pilot ditched the plane in the water.

HOW: Dive Oahu has a convenient location in Honolulu, and the operator takes divers to six of Oahu’s nearby wrecks.

Palau

Dozens of Japanese ships and planes were sunk around Palau during battles in World War II. While Palau might be less synonymous with wreck diving than its Micronesian neighbor to the east, Chuuk, it delivers some world-class wrecks for diving. Photographers especially flock to the Jake seaplane to capture its ­eerie outline, while the 470-foot-long Iro Maru and artifact-filled Helmet wreck are good enough for multiple dives.

WHY: The U.S. Navy’s Operation Desecrate One sent 60-plus Japanese ships and planes to the ocean floor at the end of March 1944.

HOW: Sam’s Tours Dive ­Center, offers dives to at least 11 of the local wreck sites, allowing you to plan for as many wreck dives as you can handle.

Scapa Flow, Scotland

Scapa Flow, a sheltered body of water in Scotland’s Orkney Islands, is about 120 square miles wide and full of historic shipwrecks. This cold-water destination features cruisers such as SMS Dresden and Cöln, and battleships such as König and Kronprinz Wilhelm.

WHY: A fleet of 70-plus German ships was intentionally scuttled during World War I to prevent the vessels from being overtaken by British forces — seven of those ships can be accessed by divers today. But many more wrecks rest on the seafloor in Scapa Flow, thanks to this body of water’s key position for trade and battle throughout history.

HOW: Several dive shops and liveaboards operate out of Stromness, allowing advanced divers with drysuit experience to make multiple wreck dives a highlight of their stay.

Solomon Islands

Iron Bottom Sound earned its name the hard way — hundreds of ships met their fate on the ocean floor in this stretch between Guadalcanal and the Florida Islands during World War II. Many of them are divable — along with a fleet of other wrecks in the Solomons — making this one of the best destinations for high-concentration wreck diving in the world.

WHY: The Battle of Guadalcanal — a key military campaign between Allied and Japanese forces — resulted in many of these ships sinking. The campaign endured for more than six months, resulting in about 70 lost ships. The bow of the damaged USS Minneapolis, the 348-foot-long USS Aaron Ward and New Zealand’s own HMNZS Moa are some of the highlights for wreck ­lovers here.

HOW: Solomons PNG Master liveaboard hosts a World War II Wreck Week during which all dives are made within recreational limits; Lust4Rust Diving Excursions plans trips to Guadalcanal geared toward tec divers.

Tobermory, Canada

Drop into one of the Great Lakes, and odds are you will eventually fin into a shipwreck. That might be ­slightly ­overstated, but the fact is there are ­thousands of wrecks in these massive freshwater lakes, and thousands yet to be ­discovered. One of the best places to plan a dive trip is Tobermory, Canada, which will give you close access to Lake Huron’s Fathom Five National Marine Park. This protected marine park is home to 20-plus divable wrecks, including favorites such as the Sweepstakes, Tugs, Forest City and Arabia, just for starters.

WHY: The area that Five ­Fathoms ­National Marine Park covers is ­dotted with islands and sharp inclines ­underwater. This topography resulted in captains cruising into what they thought was deeper water, and colliding with an unexpected shoal instead.

HOW: Local dive shops in Tobermory, such as Divers Den (diversden.ca), make boat trips to the marine park, but you can also visit some sites on your own with the appropriate park registration fee and identification.