KENTING NATIONAL PARK
GETTING THERE
Kenting is accessible via the High Speed Rail that connects Taipei with Zuoying, Kaohsiung. The journey should take approximately 90 minutes and upon arrival at the station, travellers must transfer to the Line 88 bus, which will take them all the way to Kenting
MARINE LIFE
Sailfish, umbrella swordfish, mahi-mahi, flying fish, schools of jacks and trevallies, and occasionally humpback and sperm whales as well as Pacific bottlenose dolphins
Located on Taiwan’s southern tip, Kenting National Park (KNP) covers more than 150 square kilometres of ocean and is home to incredible dive sites and an enormous variety of marine life.
Established in 1984, KNP is Taiwan’s first national park and one of the world’s first to have included underwater boundaries. The sea portion was established as a marine protected area, which prevents commercial fishing from taking place within the park’s boundaries for approximately 35 years – protecting the corals and marine life in the area.
DIVE EXPERIENCE All levels, from beginner upwards
BEST TIME TO DIVE End-November to May
WATER TEMPERATURE 22°C to 29°C
VISIBILITY 5 to 25 metres
DEPTH 3 to 32 metres
Home to over 60 percent of the world’s coral species and more than 1,100 different reef fish, the park boasts some of the richest marine biodiversity in the country thanks to the warm, nutrient-rich Kuroshio Current, or “Black Tide”, that runs through the area.
KNP encompasses a wide variety of dive sites, ranging from simple shore dives to boat dives, and is a great location for divers who are looking to advance their skills and get their Open Water or Advanced Open Water training. However, novices looking to dive in the area should exercise caution as the currents can be strong and unpredictable.
Sand Island
Suited for divers of all levels,
Sand Island offers depths between 5 to 13 metres and is an excellent place for divers to come up close and personal with sea turtles. Bristling with rock and coral formations, the site is also home to other marine life such as dash-dot goatfish, pufferfish, porcupinefish, dartfish, and gobies. Blue-spotted rays can be seen swimming in the sandy channels and the anemones are home to clownfish, lionfish, and cuttlefish.
Chu Shui Kou (Water Outlet)
Known locally as Chu Shui Kou (出水口), this dive site has been alternatively named Water Outlet due to the methane gas that bubbles through the sand at the water’s edge. Suitable for divers of all levels, this shore dive is one of the most popular in Kenting. Upon entry, divers will be able to immediately spot fire corals located all along the stone channels. The site is a nursery for juvenile Napoleon wrasse and divers here will be able to spot marine creatures such as schooling garfish,yellowstripe barracudas, blue-barred and bumphead parrotfish, trunkfish, lionfish, and schooling catfish.
Located in a well-protected bay, the site has a maximum depth of just 22 metres and is a great spot for those interested in night diving as it is home to a wealth of crustaceans such as decorator and hermit crabs, as well as cuttlefish, octopus and crocodilefish.
Flower Garden
This dive site is home to an abundance of beautiful soft coral, and a wealth of reef fish including puffers and porcupinefish, gobies, crabs, angelfish, and butterflyfish. With a depth of between 10 and 18 metres, the site can be explored by divers of all levels, but caution should be exercised as the waters can be choppy and there may be some surge in the shallows.
“Home to over 60 percent of the world’s coral species and more than 1,100 different reef fish, the park boasts some of the richest marine biodiversity in the country”