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Asia's best dive sites
Posted on Tue, Mar 26 2013

Camera, mask and BCD at the ready, here are Asias best dive spots.
Picknmix Proximity: Similan Islands, Thailand
Named after sembilan, the Malay word for nine (the number of ranite islands in the
ar!hipelao", the #imilan $slands lie %&km north'west of (huket. A!!essible only by boat
(usually by liveaboard thouh some !ompanies offer day trips via fast speedboat", the
islands are virtually uninhabited and the sea life is fantasti!. Durin the dive season from
November to May, there are fre)uent sihtins of manta rays and also the o!!asional whale
shark. Add to this turtles, leopard sharks, barra!uda and the usual tropi!al'reef suspe!ts,
and youre in for a treat. $f you are on a liveaboard dive boat, o north up to *i!helieu
*o!k, the best dive in the area. +n the way, stop at ,oh Bon and ,oh -a!hai for a possible
manta e.perien!e.
What to see: Manta rays, leopard sharks, barra!uda and tropi!al reef life
Depth: /m 0 12m
The bubble from: 3ane Marsden, avid #4 Asia Diver
Beinner Wreck Di!in: Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia
Not dived a wre!k before5 Che!k out 6iberty, an Ameri!an Arm -ransport #hip that was
torpedo by a 3apanese sub in the se!ond 7orld 7ar. A simple shore entry (as lon as the
sea is fairly !alm" and iant barra!uda will reet you at the rudder sinallin reat thins to
!ome. Cruise down the !oral'en!rusted bow of the wre!k with keen eyes or the riht uide,
to spot rare pymy sea horses or host pipefish. +n full'moon days there are often mola
mola (sunfish" sihtins at the wre!k, addin another dimension to one of Balis most
popular dive sites. 7hale sharks have also been spotted at the drop'off at the opposite end
of the bay.
What to see: 8# 77$$ -ransport #hip and mola mola
Depth: /m 0 9%m
The bubble "rom: 3ane Marsden, avid #4 Asia Diver
#obust Shark Seekers: $andidasa, %ili, Indonesia
Conditions !an vary at Candidasa: with stron !urrents, its for advan!ed divers only but
theyll be rewarded with sihtins of some of the bier marine life like the mola mola. -wo
popular sites are Mimpan and -epekon islands. Mimpan (#hark (oint" is !omprised of
a series of underwater and out'of'the'water pinna!les. As the name suests, there are
often sharks found lyin on the sandy bottom or takin advantae of the !urrent washin
over.
A!!ordin to lo!al leend, -epekon $sland was on!e inhabited by ods who took the form
of oats. 6u!kily these oats stayed mun!hin on dry land and left the islands waters to
thrive. 8nderwater, the ro!k formations are dramati! and in!lude a fantasti! swim'throuh
that starts at around 9/m and oes up to around ;%m.
What to see: *eef sharks, mola mola and tropi!al reef life
Depth: ;%m 0 9/m
The bubble "rom: Amanda 7hitin at Crystal Dive
& Bit of '!erythin: Shark Island, (oh Tao, Thailand
Named after its resemblan!e to a dorsal fin, #hark $sland offers beautiful !orals and
abundant fish life. As well as the o!!asional leopard shark, youll find blue spotted rays,
starry pufferfish and titan trierfish as well as shoals linerin near <fish =un!tion> on the
northern end of the site. -he best way to see all sites in and around ,oh -ao is to book a
pla!e on a liveaboard so you !an visit the sites day'trippers dont dive.
What to see: 6eopard shark, blue spotted ray and tropi!al reef life
Depth: ?m 0 92m
The bubble "rom: @ary #avins at @# Divin
Somethin Spectacular: Sipadan, )alaysia
Aoull need some patien!e and a bit of lu!k to dive the famous #ipadan. -he islands
offi!ials only allow ;92 divers to visit ea!h day so its worth bookin a five'day trip so your
!han!es of bein ranted a permit are hiher. -he bounty will be worth the wait thouh, as
s!hool bara!!uda, matin hawksbill and reenba!k turtles, manta rays, bi'eye trevally and
hammerhead sharks are waitin. $ts best between April and De!ember when visibility !an
rea!h up to ?2 meters.
What to see: -urtles, barra!uda, rays, sharks and an abundan!e of tropi!al reef life
Depth: ;9m 0 &2m
Wreck *ea!en: Pala+an, The Phillipines
Divers o to Coron for three reasonsB wre!ks, wre!ks and more wre!ks. +n 9& #eptember
in ;C&&, Ameri!an bombers sank 9& 3apanese vessels: ;9 are diveable today. -he wre!ks
are inta!t so divin them feels like visitin an underwater war museum with hard and soft
!orals benefitin from the !arnae.
What to see: 3apanese war ship, oil tanker, provision ship and freihters
Depth: /m 0 12m
Brain #ihts
Considered the ape. of divin in the (hilippines, -ubbataha *eef Natural (ark is a
;22,222 he!tare marine san!tuary and 8N4#C+ 7orld Deritae #ite. Divers !an e.pe!t to
see an unspoiled array of !orals, from humonous seas fans and barrel spones, to massive
fields of hard !oral.
7hen it !omes to fish life, think bi. Bi s!hools of =a!ks and barra!udas, turtles and
sharks are )uite !ommon with Dammerheads, 6eopard and @uitar sharks makin an
o!!asional. Bein out of the way, -ubbatha divin is done e.!lusively from liveaboards
durin the dry months from Mar!h to early 3une and !an offer visibility of up to ?2 meters.
What to see: A vast e.panse of unspoilt tropi!al marine life and hammerhead and
leopard sharks
Depth: ;?m 0 E2m
The bubble from: Avette 6ee at Dis!over Fleet and MGA Has!o
#ay #ubberneckin: )alapascua, The Philippines
Monad #hoal is one of the only pla!es in the world you are almost uaranteed to spot the
lon'tailed thresher shark. Dome to many !leanin stations, the underwater island on the
ede of a 922m drop'off is reularly visited by manta, devil and eale rays.
What to see: -hresher sharks and manta, devil and eale rays
Depth: 9/m 0 922mI
Doin it like they do on the Disco!ery $hannel
@ato $sland reulars say, <Aou !ome to Malapas!ua to see the thresher sharks, but you
leave rememberin @ato>. -he pla!e is teamin with banded sea snakes, !uttlefish (often
matin", larer and pymy seahorses, nudibran!hs, frofish, s!orpion fish, por!upine fish,
harle)uin shrimp and smashin mantis shrimp. Away from the reef you !an see s!hools of
s)uid and bi'mouthed ma!kerel attra!ted by the baitballs.
What to see: Matin !uttlefish, nudibran!h and s!orpion fish
Depth: ;9m 0 12m
The bubble from: Andrea Aarwal owner of -hresher #hark Divers
$oral %ardenin: Sula+esi, Indonesia