Subtropical7 sites5 countries

Dive sites: Subtropical

Subtropical dive sites — depth, conditions, and required training level.

Japan

Amami Oshima Coral Reef

Amami · Kagoshima Prefecture · Japan

A subtropical island between Kyushu and Okinawa where pristine coral reefs thrive in the warm Kuroshio Current, supporting sea turtles, humpback whales in winter, and some of Japan's healthiest hard coral coverage.

Yakushima - Isso Beach

Miyanoura · Kagoshima Prefecture · Japan

An ancient cedar island turned sea turtle sanctuary where green and loggerhead turtles nest on the beach and swim alongside divers in the Kuroshio Current.

New Zealand

reef

Poor Knights Islands

Tutukaka · Northland · New Zealand

Jacques Cousteau's pick for the world's top ten, a subtropical marine reserve where cathedral-sized caves, archways, and kelp forests teem with life.

Philippines

reef

Batan Island Reef

Basco · Batanes · Philippines

The northernmost dive site in the Philippines, where the Luzon Strait's powerful currents nourish volcanic reefs teeming with subtropical species, surrounded by the dramatic stone houses and rolling green hills of the Ivatan homeland.

South Korea

reef

Jeju Island - Seogwipo

Seogwipo · Jeju Province · South Korea

South Korea's premier subtropical dive destination where volcanic rock walls draped in vivid soft corals meet temperate and tropical marine life.

Geomun Island

Yeosu · Jeollanam-do · South Korea

A remote island cluster off Yeosu known for dense kelp forests, vibrant soft corals, and an unusual overlap of temperate and subtropical marine species where the warm Tsushima Current meets cooler Korean coastal waters.

Taiwan

reef

Green Island (Ludao)

Taitung · Taitung County · Taiwan

A Kuroshio Current-kissed volcanic island with some of Taiwan's healthiest coral reefs, year-round warm water, and one of only three saltwater hot springs on Earth.