Xiaoliuqiu (Lamay Island)

Donggang · Pingtung County · Taiwan

Xiaoliuqiu is a small coral limestone island six kilometres off Taiwan's southwestern coast, a 25-minute ferry ride from Donggang. Virtually unknown in the wider diving world, it is celebrated among marine biologists as one of the planet's most remarkable sea turtle habitats, where hundreds of green sea turtles graze shallow reefs in concentrations few places on Earth can match. The island is barely six square kilometres, but its waters have become a green sea turtle sanctuary. Taiwan's wildlife protection laws, combined with a local gillnet ban enacted in 2013, allowed the population to recover dramatically. Researchers estimate over 300 individuals in residence at any time, and encounters are virtually guaranteed. On a single shore dive at Vase Rock, I counted over twenty turtles, some feeding in water barely a metre deep, others resting on sandy patches between coral heads. The diving is straightforward and accessible. Maximum depths rarely exceed fifteen metres, currents are mild, and multiple sites offer easy shore entries down concrete ramps. The reef is predominantly hard coral with healthy brain corals, table Acropora, and massive Porites supporting a subtropical fish community of parrotfish, triggerfish, and damselfish. What sets Xiaoliuqiu apart is the intimacy of encounters. These turtles are habituated to human presence without being fed. They graze within arm's reach, surface alongside snorkelers, and return to the same resting spots dive after dive, allowing photographers extraordinary opportunities. Above water, the island is a subtropical coral-rock landscape with fishing villages, temple festivals, and seafood restaurants. The local economy increasingly centres on marine wildlife rather than fishing, and conservation programmes run by local NGOs have transformed community attitudes, making Xiaoliuqiu a genuine example of sustainable marine tourism in Asia.