The tropical regions of this vast continent have always been highly praised by divers for the staggering richness of their marine life and their glorious reefs, but adventurous new diving opportunities are also beginning to open up to the north—even in Siberia.

Reefs Under Threat

The geographical span of Asia, the largest continent, is reflected in the vast range of diving available. For many divers and marine biologists, the highlight is the famed “Triangle of Diversity”—a region in the Indo-Pacific that boasts the world’s greatest diversity of coral and fish species.

The many thousands of islands of the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia are host to some legendary dive sites, with evocative names such as Sipadan, Lembeh, Tubbutaha, Komodo, and Kimbe. Sadly, while these are all dream destinations for any diver, destructive fishing techniques in the Indo-Pacific region, such as dynamite and cyanide fishing, are damaging some of these delicate ecosystems. In the Philippines, only 4 percent of all reefs remain unaffected by human activity, with up to 30 percent reported to be impacted beyond recovery. Beautiful pristine reefs can still be found in the Indo-Pacific, but when diving on these threatened reef systems, be mindful of your responsibility to minimize any impact your presence could have.

Beyond The Tropics

The classic perception of Asian diving tends to be the archetypal tropical island chain fringed by glorious technicolor reefs. Dive sites throughout the region, including the Maldives, the Andaman Islands, and the Similan Islands, are all justifiably famed for their extraordinary diversity and beauty, both above and below the surface.

However, although much of the diving in Asia tends to be concentrated in the tropics, there are some excellent dive sites to be explored; farther north. One of the most notable is Lake Baikal in Siberia. This is the world’s deepest lake, and the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet’s surface. Because of its size and varying depths, Lake Baikal contains a huge variety of ecosystems.

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