Your ultimate guide to Xiaoliuqiu dive sitesSnorkeling & scuba locations at a glance! 13 Xiaoliuqiu dive spots with depth coordinates

#Beginner-friendly dive sites with easy access

Shanfu Fishing Harbor boasts a natural landscape of extensive reefs and sandy areas. In addition to ancient stingrays and flounders, you might also spot garden eels. These shy creatures emerge from the sand, looking like bent wires sticking out of the seabed; they quickly retract if startled, so if you see them while scuba diving, try not to get too excited and scare them away. Swim a bit further out, and you might even encounter octopuses, snappers, or other schools of fish.

Swim out to a depth of 6 meters, and you'll find a buoy line. To the right of the line is a vast sandy area extending outwards to 8 meters deep, while to the left is a reef formation. Continue swimming left, maintaining a depth of 12 meters, and you'll discover an elongated coral reef teeming with sea slugs. If you're lucky, you might even encounter a barracuda school!

Shanfu Turtle Island is also nearby. This isn't an island above the sea, but a large reef at a depth of 12 meters, serving as a habitat for many sea turtles. You can often spot multiple turtles on the reef top.

Overall, the dive site at Shanfu Fishing Harbor offers clear, shallow waters, making entry relatively easy. It has been assessed by the dive instructors at 潛雪 as a "beginner dive site," making it perfect for those new to snorkeling or scuba diving!

#An Unforgettable Encounter with the World's Densest Clownfish Colony

Clownfish Island, located to the left of Shanfu Fishing Harbor, is formed by multiple coral reefs. These reefs are covered in sea anemones and their symbiotic clownfish, creating a truly spectacular sight. Because the water is not deep, sunlight easily penetrates to the seabed, and on days with good visibility, you can clearly see the clownfish's vibrant colors!

Diving instructors from Snowdiving have collectively assessed this as an "intermediate dive site." It's important to note that Clownfish Island is quite a distance from the shore, so it's recommended to assess your air consumption before heading out to experience it!

#Liuchiu's shallowest shipwreck is beginner-friendly

The Sanfu shipwreck, located to the right of Sanfu Fishing Harbor, is Liuchiu's shallowest shipwreck dive site. It's split into two sections, the bow and the hull, with a maximum depth of 18 meters. This makes it an excellent site for less experienced divers to explore a shipwreck; simply swim a short distance from shore to enjoy its allure.

Evaluated as a "beginner dive site" by the diving instructors at Snowdiving, it's perfect for beginners to experience the magic of an underwater wreck. However, the current entry point requires swimming across a navigation channel or an ecological corridor filled with sea urchins, so exercise caution when heading out!

#Explore a shipwreck with penetrable cabins

The Venice Shipwreck isn't actually from Venice; it's an artificial reef placed by the government, so don't be mistaken! It's called the Venice Shipwreck because it's located near Habanwan, also known as Venice Beach.

Unlike the Broken Shipwreck, this dive site is mostly quite deep, and the ship's hull is intact. The bow deck is about 27 meters deep, the hull to the bottom is around 30 meters deep, and the maximum depth at the very bottom is 34-38 meters. There are even small cabins you can penetrate for photos!

However, don't get too excited. This Xiaoliuqiu dive site is considered an "advanced dive site" by the Snowdiving instructors due to its depth and high danger when currents pick up. It's recommended for divers with a certain level of scuba diving experience; it's not a site for just anyone to visit!

#A beginner-friendly dive site with easy entry

Dafu West is located on the west side of Dafu Fishing Harbor on the south side of Xiaoliuqiu. This abandoned small fishing harbor is generally calm with no waves or currents, unless there's a south wind or a typhoon, making water entry relatively easy and safe. The waters are home to 15 resident sea turtles, and needlefish are often seen on the surface.

The underwater terrain features a gently sloping sandy bottom at 3-5 meters. Beyond a large reef, you'll find another sandy area at about 8 meters deep. Kicking out a bit further reveals several large reefs at around 15 meters. The crevices hide creatures like pipefish and lionfish, and while they may be hard to approach, it's always a joy to spot cute marine life while diving!

Based on these conditions, the diving instructors at 潛雪 rate this as a "beginner dive site," suitable for scuba, freediving, and snorkeling. Many diving certification reviews, training sessions, and lessons are also conducted here. However, Twosevenths reminds everyone that this area is also a popular spot for SUP and kayaking on the island, so be extra careful when surfacing!

#Beginner-friendly dive site, sheltered from northern swells

The Hou Shi Reefs are located on the south side of Little Liuqiu Island. If you're diving in Little Liuqiu during the winter months of November and December and want to avoid northern swells, this is the perfect spot. The underwater landscape features massive, mountain-like reefs surrounded by numerous large, clustered Porites corals, creating a truly spectacular scene. You might even encounter a spotted eagle ray!

This Little Liuqiu dive site has depths of around 10 meters, making entry and exit easy. Combined with its safe waters, the diving instructors at 潛雪 rate it as a "beginner-level dive site." While there can be occasional currents, overall it's an excellent place for scuba divers, freedivers, and snorkelers to experience!

#A dive site where you can't stop taking photos with Squirtle and soft coral carpets

If you've visited Xiaoliuqiu, you're probably familiar with Lobster Cave, but Twosevenths is here to tell you that the underwater scenery in this area is even more spectacular than what's on land. You'll find an endless carpet of soft corals, truly magnificent. When you dive in, you'll also spot sea turtles resting on the corals, giant clams the size of volleyballs, and of course, plenty of anemones, starfish, and various tropical fish nearby.

This Xiaoliuqiu dive site boasts excellent light penetration and underwater visibility, making it perfect for underwater photography. Xiaoliuqiu's celebrity resident, Squirtle, makes its appearance here! It's very friendly and always obliges with a photo op. There are even rainbow flags and national flags nearby. Dive enthusiasts who love snapping photos underwater absolutely cannot miss this spot!

The right side of Lobster Cave has a depth of 10-15 meters and has been assessed by the dive instructors at 潛雪 as a "beginner dive site." However, this area has significant depth changes and often experiences currents, so beginners should pay extra attention to buoyancy control.

#Experience the Best Drift Dive Site

Lobster Hole Pipeline refers to the pipeline that brings water from Mudan Reservoir in Pingtung to Xiaoliuqiu, supplying all the island's fresh water! During the dive, you can see many soft corals, sea whips, sea slugs, octopuses, mantis shrimp, and lionfish. It's also common to spot sea turtles using soft corals as pillows for a nap, which is an incredibly cute sight!

This dive site is suitable for deep diving. You can drift from Lobster Hole, flowing smoothly to the Lobster Hole Pipeline site. When drifting, be careful not to swim too shallow to avoid being hit by fishing boats.

Snowdiving's dive instructors have rated this a "beginner dive site," suitable for scuba diving novices. However, strong currents can occasionally occur, so be careful not to go beyond the pipeline to avoid missing the exit point.

#Steel Reef: Underwater Photo Ops

The Steel Reef "Yinsen Temple" dive site isn't actually an underwater temple, so don't worry! It earned its spooky name because of its poor visibility, dark, temple-like appearance, and tendency to suddenly loom into view. This artificial reef, deployed by the Fisheries Agency, consists of four structures shaped like traditional houses. Swimming through them for photos is absolutely stunning.

This dive site in Xiaoliuqiu is quite far from shore, requiring an additional 15-20 minute kick past Lobster Cave. The maximum depth is around 32 meters, and strong currents are common, so divers need to be cautious.

Due to its depth, poor visibility, strong currents, and the need for precise entry points, as well as careful monitoring of decompression time and air consumption, the Yinsen Temple dive site has been rated a "medium-level dive site" by the dive instructors at Snowdiving. It's recommended that divers have some experience and go with a guide familiar with the terrain; attempting to dive here without proper guidance might mean you won't even find the site!

#Sea turtles abound, with a chance to spot barracuda schools

Vase Rock is one of Xiaoliuqiu's most famous attractions, a coral reef formation uplifted by tectonic movement, resembling a vase. The terrain here is simple, with numerous sea turtles visible even in the shallows, making it a prime snorkeling spot for the whole family to enjoy water activities.

For scuba diving, you'll enter the water from the platform on the left side of Vase Rock, then snorkel to the deeper area. Proceeding to the right, maintaining a depth of 8-12 meters, you'll encounter an endless expanse of sandy seabed and underwater reefs.

At this Xiaoliuqiu dive site, sea turtles are large and plentiful. The underwater reefs are covered with finger soft corals and gold anthias. Occasionally, you might spot Kuhlii's stingrays and flounders hidden in the sand, and there's a chance to encounter schools of barracuda—hundreds or even thousands of fish, creating a spectacular sight!

According to the dive instructors at 潛雪, while the shore is suitable for snorkeling, the Vase Rock dive site itself is considered an "intermediate dive site" once you're in the water. Strong currents often occur during high tides and tidal changes, so extra caution is needed when entering the water. Those interested in trying "drift diving" can arrange it with an experienced dive guide, entering the water at Beauty Cave and drifting to Vase Rock for exit.

#The drift dive site with the most sea turtles

Beauty Cave is arguably Xiaoliuqiu's most turtle-rich dive site, where you'll also often encounter stingrays, sea fans, and nudibranchs. Its relatively safe waters make it a popular spot for snorkeling experiences. For scuba divers, be mindful of the trench topography when descending; visibility can exceed 20 meters when the water is clear.

To the left of Beauty Cave, you'll find a series of circular cages, formerly used for cobia farming. The seabed beneath these cages is sandy, but it takes about 10 minutes to kick over from the Beauty Cave shore, and you might encounter strong currents, so gauge your abilities accordingly!

Another way to experience Beauty Cave is through "drift diving." You enter the water at Beauty Cave and drift to Vase Rock before surfacing, effortlessly observing Xiaoliuqiu's abundant marine life. See how many sea turtles you can count on this journey!

This dive site has been assessed by the diving instructors at 潛雪 as an "intermediate dive site," requiring some prior diving experience. Additionally, shore diving here is inconvenient due to limited parking for trucks and the need to carry gear down stairs, so boat diving is recommended.

#A premium dive site for rare marine life

The Abandoned Baby Cave dive site is located 500 meters southwest of Beauty Cave, next to a cliff. Its name comes from a sad ancient tale where, due to a preference for sons, second daughters were abandoned here. While the story is heartbreaking, this practice no longer exists, so you can visit with peace of mind!

This Xiaoliuqiu dive site requires boat access. Underwater, there's a natural coral reef fault where you can spot pink fluorescent anemones, porcelain crabs, white anemones, lionfish, sea slugs, sea turtles, and eels. Beyond the fault, you might even encounter eagle rays and thresher sharks!

Evaluated as a "premium dive site" by the dive instructors at Snowdiving, this site often has strong currents and significant changes in slope on the outer side. Divers should be mindful of these conditions, and it is recommended for those with some diving experience.

#Taiwan's Largest Artificial Warship Reef

The Zhenhai wreck dive site is Taiwan's largest artificial warship reef. With an average depth of about 25 meters and a maximum depth of around 34 meters, the ship is broken into three sections, and there are cabins to penetrate, making it well worth 2-3 dives for a thorough exploration.

This dive site has strong, turbulent currents and is considered challenging, suitable only for experienced divers. The diving instructors at 潛雪 have rated it an "advanced dive site"—seeing this shipwreck isn't an easy feat!