Asia Dive Site

the concept ...
Our aim is to put together the largest online collection of dive site information for the Asian region. This resource is being developed by divers for divers, we are still adding dive sites to our listings so if what you are looking for isn't online yet be sure to check back frequently or let us know. At the moment we cover Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Maldives dive sites in detail. We will be expanding this site to include Korea, Japan, and the Andamans as soon as we can and are currently adding dive sites of Micronesia.

Latest added Asia Dive Site:
Guam : Apra Harbour
Most popular Asia Dive Site:
Philippines : Boracay

Latest Asia Pacific dive news and marine ecology headlines:

Whale shark watching in the Mergui Archipelago (May 06)
Sea Turtles almost gone from Thailand's Andaman coast (May 06)
Philippine Danajon Bank reefs targeted for conservation (May 05)
Malaysian tourism board targets Hong Kong divers (May 04)
PADI announces 2008 Asia Pacific Member Awards (Apr 07)
Divers help reduce starfish threat to Philippine coral reefs (Mar 06)
Thailand's reefs to get protection from starfish and tourists (Jan 22)
China Dive Exhibition 2008 (Dec 11)

Asia Dive Feature : Diving the Similans: Day trips from Khao Lak

The advantage of using Khao Lak as a base for scuba-dive trips is its proximity to the premier dive sites. A speedboat can have a group of divers in the Similan Islands or other sites further north in less than an hour and a half. Over a week stay in Khao Lak we visted some of the top dive sites of the Andaman and reported our findings back to Asia Dive Site ... [read on]

Asia Dive Feature : Diving with mantas at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang

The idyllic island of Koh Lanta lies on the Andaman coast in southern Thailand. It is striving for the popularity of neighbouring tourist destinations such as Koh Phi Phi and Phuket but has a long way to go, and this is what attracted me to spend a week or so there over the holiday season. It is also close to some of Thailand's best dive sites and mantas were the talk of the town ... [read on]

Asia Dive Hot Spot

It is now the season for the gentle giants of the marine world to put in an appearance off the coast of the laid back island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand. The annual whale shark visits have been inspiring divers from across the globe to journey to the sleepy tropical paradise island for a chance to swim with the worlds largest fish. Unfortunately numbers are getting rarer each year due to overfishing of these splendid creatues for their meat and fins which are a delicacy on the Asian market. Scientifically known as Rhincodon Typus the plankton eating whale shark is considered harmless however as a diver you should respect all marine life so passive interaction only please. The two spots off Koh Tao where you'll have the greatest chance of seeing a whale shark are Chumphon Pinnacle and Sail Rock.

Image of the month

This juvenile scorpionfish was hiding amongst some Acropora coral [click to enlarge or view our readers photo gallery].

Dive site: Koh Bida Nok, Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Camera: Sony DSC W1

Copyright: M.J. Young

[ Any amateur photographers out there are welcome to send us your images ]

Diving in Asia

The coral reefs of Southeast Asia are said by conservationists to be the most important in the world as they are among the most diverse and productive communities on the Earth. Of the 800 different species of coral known to science, three-quarters are found in Asian waters. A rich marine ecosystem stretching over thousands of kilometers and crossing many countries makes this region the best on the planet for the scuba enthusiast.

Interactive Dive Map

The map below highlights dive regions that we have covered, click on each one to get a larger map and more information on the country. Each country also has area dive site maps that will link to a local map with descriptions of the dive sites.