Orchid Island, or Lanyu, is a remote and rugged volcanic island, homeland of the Tao people, and it sees far fewer divers than Taiwan's other scuba hotspots. Its two headline dives sit close together: the Badai Bay Wreck and the fish-packed pinnacles of Airport Perimeter Reef. Warship and Lady Rock add pinnacle-hopping dives across lines of jagged spires, and the outer reefs at Hen Rock and Jade Maiden Rock hold shallow rock tops and a dark tunnel.
About diving in Lanyu — Orchid Island
Diving on Orchid Island mixes shore entries with short boat rides; the Badai Bay Wreck lies about five minutes out by boat and can only be dived from one. Guides and boat crews choose each day's sites from the weather and the sea, and night dives and nitrox fills are on offer. Wind sets the pace of a trip: when it picks up, flights are cancelled and visitors can be stranded on the island for days, so a trip needs at least four extra days in hand at the end.
The island is the remnant of a long-extinct volcano, and old lava flows meet fringing coral reefs to make a tumble of pinnacles, bommies and canyons. At Airport Perimeter Reef large gorgonian fans of many colours and carpets of yellow soft coral cover the rock, red soldierfish dip in and out of cracks and angelfish are everywhere. At Lady Rock a long sea cave holds swarms of copper sweepers in near-total darkness, and the pinnacle tops carry anemones, hawkfish and busy cleaner wrasse.
The southern pair suits divers at ease with depth and current, which often runs both on the wreck and at Airport Perimeter Reef. Warship goes deeper still: its prize, a crevice of sea fans at 30 to 36 m above sand at 40 m, is reached only by divers who do not dawdle on their no-decompression time. The Kuroshio and the north-east monsoon drive the currents around the island, so a first dive here starts with a check of the flow.
Best time to dive Lanyu — Orchid Island
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
| Sea surface | 25°C77°F | 25°C77°F | 26°C79°F | 27°C81°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F | 27°C81°F | 26°C79°F |
| Daytime high | 25°C77°F | 26°C79°F | 27°C81°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F | 26°C79°F |
| Rain | 50 mm2.0 in | 37 mm1.5 in | 40 mm1.6 in | 58 mm2.3 in | 170 mm6.7 in | 220 mm8.7 in | 287 mm11.3 in | 379 mm14.9 in | 208 mm8.2 in | 135 mm5.3 in | 84 mm3.3 in | 64 mm2.5 in |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 25°C77°F | 25°C77°F | 26°C79°F | 27°C81°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 25°C77°F | 26°C79°F | 27°C81°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 50 mm2.0 in | 37 mm1.5 in | 40 mm1.6 in | 58 mm2.3 in | 170 mm6.7 in | 220 mm8.7 in |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F | 27°C81°F | 26°C79°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 31°C88°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F | 26°C79°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 287 mm11.3 in | 379 mm14.9 in | 208 mm8.2 in | 135 mm5.3 in | 84 mm3.3 in | 64 mm2.5 in |
2011–2025 averages. Sea surface: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, measured at the surface, so deeper water can run colder. Daytime high and rain: NASA POWER.
Diving runs in every season. From November to March the north-east monsoon blows hard, and sites on the east and north-east coasts carry big waves. From March to June the Tao flying-fish season closes some traditional waters to water activities, so the choice of sites narrows. July to October brings stable seas and summer heat, and it is the best stretch of the year to dive.
Best months: July, August, September, October
Orchid Island water temperature and weather by month
The sea surface runs from 25 °C (77 °F) in January to 30 °C (86 °F) in July. Most rain falls from May to September, peaking at about 380 mm (15 in) in August; it stays largely dry from November to April. Daytime highs reach 31 °C (88 °F) in July and drop to 25 °C (77 °F) in January. The coldest water here is about 24 °C (75 °F), so pack a 3 mm full suit.
Dive types & marine life
Four species of sea snake live around the island; they are abundant deep in the canyons of Lady Rock and often pass divers at Jade Maiden Rock. At Airport Perimeter Reef a running current pulls the schooling fish into tighter groups. Green sea turtles nest on the island, and a small turtle lives under the wreck's freight deck.
- Reef
- Wreck
- Cave & cavern
- Night
- Sea snakes
- Barracuda
- Reef fish swarms
- Sea turtles
- Pristine corals
Best dive sites in Lanyu — Orchid Island
- 1
Badai Bay Wreck
Korean freighter that broke up in bad weather in 1983 and now lies in three pieces at 40 m.
- 2
Airport Perimeter Reef
Pinnacle reef thick with fusiliers, surgeonfish and above all barracuda.
- 3
Warship
Row of jagged pinnacles and spires that wartime aircraft mistook for a ship and bombed.
- 4
Lady Rock
Shallower mountain-hopping shore dive on the north-west coast, with sea snakes in its canyons.
- 5
Jade Maiden Rock
Outer reef with a known cave at about 16 m, a dark tunnel some 15 m long.
- 6
Hen Rock Outer Reef
Rocks about 200 m from the snorkel entry, their tops only 2 to 3 m below the surface.
Site guides
Wreck
Sunk vessel turned artificial reef at 36 m
Deep outer reef with shoals of 金花鱸
Cave & cavern
A 15 m tunnel cave beneath the outer reef
How to get to Lanyu — Orchid Island
Daily Air flies from Taitung Airport in Taitung City to Lanyu Airport on Orchid Island. Boats for the southern sites leave from Longmen Port, and boats for Warship in the north-east from Dongqing Port.
Photos from Lanyu — Orchid Island
othree · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
2013 Taiwan Lanyu Island (Orchid Island) Dive Documentary 1080P 蘭嶼潛水紀錄片 · Howard Chen on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive the Badai Bay Wreck?+
Advanced Open Water. The wreck is a harder boat dive, and a fixed line runs from the surface buoys to the stern, its largest section, for the descent and ascent when a current is running.
Can divers dive during the flying-fish season?+
Yes. From March to June some of the Tao people's traditional waters close to water activities, so diving in those months is best done with a local professional instructor.
Which side of Orchid Island is best in winter?+
The west. From November to March the strong north-east monsoon makes the east and north sites rough and dangerous, while the west side, sheltered by the mountains, gives more comfortable dives.
Is a dive light needed on Orchid Island?+
It helps. A light brings out the most in the sea cave at Lady Rock even by day, and the tunnel at Jade Maiden Rock is dark with only faint light.
Sources
- Orchid Island Dive, Taiwan (Part 5) — X-Ray Mag
- 蘭嶼潛點推薦 — 好好玩FUNIT
- 蘭嶼潛水推薦 — KKday
- 潛水服務 — 藍洋潛水中心
- Orchid Island — Wikipedia
- Orchid Island — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- Rocky volcanic coastline of Orchid Island (Lanyu) meeting the blue Pacific Ocean by othree, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Traditional Tao outrigger canoes pulled up on the pebble beach at Langdao Harbor, Lanyu by othree, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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