Indonesia :: Sumatra

The waters surrounding Sumatra cannot offer the stunning visibility found at other Indonesian dive sites however its prolific marine life and proximity to Singapore more than make up for it. Sumatra is more renowned for its tigers and orangutans, its volcanic lakes, and high mountain treks, and is relatively unknown as a diving destination. Its west coast faces the Indian Ocean, making for a slightly different distribution of species than elsewhere. The Indian Ocean also brings rough conditions, so the best diving is found in the shelter of smaller islands such as Pulau Weh on the northwestern coast. There are many undiscovered dive locations around Sumatra and a couple of well known ones where encounters with big pelagics are common.

Tsunami
While northern parts of the island suffered tsunami damage most of the dive sites were spared and are fully intact with damage being reported only on the shallower reefs.