We came all the way to Taiwan’s side of the world and I couldn’t resist booking a few dives near the southern tip of the country. Kenting makes up a tourism focused area in the warmest part of the country, so I figured there had to be some good underwater sights for us to check out!

Our dives were booked with Taiwan Dive Center, who I found through TripAdvisor reviews. They’re a 5 star Padi dive center and I’d highly recommend contacting them if you’re interested in diving in that area. Also, they have the MOST adorable pups that just hang around, like this chubby golden retriever I befriended. Anyone who is also a lover of dogs already has points in my eyes!

A short, one minute truck ride to the coast from the dive center and we walked into the ocean for our first shore dive.

We just did a few days in Thailand a couple of months ago where the water was a comfortable 27°C or 75°F. I thought the waters here would be comparable, but turns out we came on a weekend where it was a chilly 16°C. FREEZING!!

It was totally worth it though, because we visited the home of some sea turtles that live around the area and saw five of them eating, lounging, and swimming around. We also saw beautifully colorful coral (dare I say… more colorful than the Similans?), a sting ray, a huge school of barracuda, false clownfish, and the most vibrant nudibranches ever!

It’s not warm, wetsuit-free diving like Thailand or Mexico, but we sure saw a ton of similar sea life in waters with pretty good visibility. Just remember to bring your gloves and hood if you decide to come for a dive. I promise you, it’s worth it!