Where are the Top Diving Spots to go to in Asia?
As you might have known, about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. This means that there is more water than land on Earth. There is so much to discover in the ocean that the land can never provide equally. If you’re an adventurous one and you are curious about what lies beneath the ocean, you might want to take up diving lessons to explore further.
Once you are a certified diver, you definitely cannot wait to feed your curiosity with what is deep under the blue ocean. Here are some islands or diving sites you might want to cross off your diving list.
1. Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
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Swim with big green turtles, big fishes and even sharks in the Derawan Islands. What’s more exciting to discover is the Stingless Jellyfish that can only be found here. It is through thousands of years of evolution that these jellyfish has lost its natural defense system because they are free from natural predators. Swim and be unafraid of getting stung by jellyfish whilst admiring over 50 different types of coral.
2. Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar
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For a place that consists of about 800 small islands, the Mergui Archipelago is quite the desolated hidden gem. It is hidden away from the rest of the world and mostly uninhabited making is a great spot for seasonal divers. You’ve probably only seen the red lionfish in an aquarium, but in the Mergui Archipelago, you’ll probably be swimming next to one casually. However, do be careful as their spines are venomous and are only used for defense.
3. Pulau Sipadan, Malaysia
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The only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising 600 meters from the seabed and located off the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia. Pulau Sipadan is rated as one of the top dive destinations in the world. It is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, with abundant marine habitats and living corals that grew on top of an extinct volcanic cone. You will be amazed by the turtle tomb that has many narrow tunnels and chambers containing the remainings of green sea turtles that got trapped and drowned. However, don’t be sad as there are still living green sea turtles for you to swim with on this island.
4. Pulau Mabul, Sabah, Malaysia
Borneo Divers
Pulau Mabul is a small island in Sabah and it is only 15km from Pulau Sipadan. It started out as a fishing village in the 1970s and in the 1990s, it became popular and was discovered by divers because of its close proximity to Pulau Sipadan. Pulau Mabul is rich with exotic small marine life such as the flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, spike-fin goby, black sail-fin goby, frogfish, and even clownfish.
If you’d like to dive and explore this uncommercialized small island in Sabah, check out for more details here.
5. Komodo Island, Indonesia
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Have you heard or seen a Komodo dragon before? It’s the largest lizard on earth and also known as a monitor lizard. Komodo Island is named after the lizard as it is the habitat of this creature. Despite having scary carnivorous lizard living on this island, this island provides a great dive with manta rays, sharks, dolphins, and even rare blue-ringed octopus. With over 50 sites, the most popular site is the Cannibal Rock with a range of soft corals and unique marine life.
6. Tubbataha Reef, Philippines
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Declared a world heritage by UNESCO in 1193, Tubbataha Reef is filled with over 300 species of corals, 600 fish species, 11 shard species, 13 dolphin species and many more. It is indeed one of the best dive spots in the world.
The U.N. describes the area as “a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100-meter perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands.”
7. Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
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If you’re not so much of a diver, you can go snorkeling instead in this island and get up close with the marine life. Enjoy the colorful views of the beautiful corals while diving in Phi Phi Islands. If you’d like to swim with leopard sharks, this island is the one for you. You are likely to see black tip sharks, eel, turtles, octopus, bearded scorpionfish, lionfish, and schools of snappers as well.
8.Soneva Fushi, Maldives
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If you’re feeling luxurious and would like to do more than just diving- relaxing by the beach, a spa massage, sipping coconut water by the pool, then Soneva Fushi is the right place for you. It is a private island with private resorts where you can tailor and customize your own island activities. The island is so clean that the water in the sea is transparent, whilst the sand on the beach is white.
