You’ll probably agree with us that our vast oceans are like a separate universe where probably the most beautiful and strange things on the earth float, waiting to be discovered, reports the South China Morning Post.
With year-round sunshine and an enormous number of sea creatures, it goes without saying that we’ve got among the most spectacular diving on this a part of the world.
Asia is home to many attractions, including sharks, whales, and sunfish. Here is an inventory of the 7 best diving spots within the region you could add to your list of places to go to.
1. Komodo Island, Indonesia
The site, about 400 km (250 miles) from tourist magnet Bali, is probably best referred to as the habitat of the Komodo dragon, the most important living lizard on the earth.
What you might not know is that Komodo can also be probably the most vibrant diving spots on the earth, home to a wide range of marine life – from dolphins, dugongs, eagle rays, manta rays, sunfish and whales to blue-ringed octopuses, pipefish and pygmy seahorses.
2. Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
This complex of 4 larger islands and over 1,500 islets is situated on the northwestern tip of the Indonesian province of West Papua.
Raja Ampat, the crème de la crème of diving destinations, is home to the best diversity of fish and coral on Earth – 537 species of coral and 1,074 species of fish, in accordance with The Nature Conservancy.
Here, you may often see jackfish swimming in an agile group – zigzagging at such high speeds that they look like moving in perfect synchronisation.
3. Sipadan Island, Malaysia
Sipadan, situated on the island of Borneo within the eastern state of Sabah, is the one oceanic island in Malaysia and has been voted the most effective diving spots on the earth.
Here, in probably the most biodiverse regions on Earth, you may enjoy a feast for the eyes that nature has to supply. It is just not unusual to see sharks, turtles and schools of fish, reminiscent of barracuda and mackerel, swimming here at any time of 12 months.
If you’re lucky, you would possibly even spot hammerheads and thresher sharks. It’s these exciting encounters that draw divers from everywhere in the world to Sipadan.
Another unique attraction is the “turtle grave” – an underwater limestone cave with many narrow tunnels and chambers containing the stays of green sea turtles that were trapped and drowned.
4. Shark Point, Thailand
This deceptively named dive site just off the coast of Phuket – known to locals as Hin Musang – is suitable for all levels of diving – especially the more adventurous.
Shark Point is a spot where cuttlefish, moray eels, scorpionfish, snapper and squid, in addition to reef and leopard sharks, congregate among the many hard and soft corals.
Swimming with the sharks that live here is taken into account protected, but diving here is unquestionably not for the faint of heart.
5. Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar
This archipelago of around 800 islands continues to be a hidden gem of a dive site, isolated from the remaining of the world.
Nevertheless, this site is popular with experienced exploration divers on account of its huge boulders, caves, tunnels and drop-offs.
This rugged dive site is legendary for its large numbers of sharks, manta rays, barracudas, tuna and red scorpionfish.
6. Soneva Fushi, Maldives
If you’re searching for a luxury diving holiday, this private island is the reply to your expectations.
Start your day with an adrenaline-filled morning swim, afternoon spa treatments and evening gourmet organic meals.
Here you’ll find large numbers of horse mackerel, mackerel, manta rays, snapper and tuna, and infrequently moray eels, bearded sharks and stingrays.
7. Kerama Islands, Japan
When it involves Japan, Tokyo, Osaka and Hokkaido probably come to mind first – but diving there may not even have crossed your mind.
However, the Kerama Islands, situated southwest of Okinawa, offer over 70 dive sites.
They are largely well protected due to local communities who respect and protect the natural ocean ecosystem across the islands while developing tourism.
Common sights here include cuttlefish – known by many as marine chameleons – in addition to larger marine creatures reminiscent of humpback whales and manta rays.
Source : South China Morning Post
