Xiaoliuqiu · Taiwan · Reef
Dafuxi
15 resident sea turtles in a calm abandoned harbour
Area photo: Jay Paroline · CC BY 4.0
Dafuxi is a shore dive at an abandoned small fishing harbor that is generally calm, so water entry is relatively easy and safe. Depth reaches about 15 m, and the waters are home to 15 resident sea turtles. It suits scuba, freediving and snorkelling, and is rated a beginner site.
Also known as 大福西, Dafu West.
Where it is and how deep
22.3309° N, 120.3718° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive starts at an abandoned small fishing harbor, generally calm with no waves or currents unless a south wind or typhoon blows, so water entry is relatively easy and safe. Depth reaches about 15 m at most. The waters are home to 15 resident sea turtles, and needlefish are often seen on the surface.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Xiaoliuqiu: Divable year-round; Apr–Jun and October are calmest, while typhoons disrupt Jul–Sep and winter winds raise swell.
Dive videos
大福西 Dafuxi 海底珊瑚 #小琉球潛水 · 日月MING on YouTube
Sources
- Your ultimate guide to Xiaoliuqiu dive sites — Twosevenths
- 小琉球-潛點介紹 — Ming Diving
More dive sites in Xiaoliuqiu
Sand slope
Garden eels and sea turtles on a shallow harbour reef
Large sea turtles beside one of the island's most famous landmarks
Artificial reef
Intact hull with small penetrable cabins at 27-30 m
Similar dives elsewhere
The outer drop-off holds the coral, and it is the advanced end
Reef slopes where sea turtles turn up among the butterflyfish
Reef
Arima
Kozushima · Japan
Goatfish that let divers settle on the sand beside them
A tropical longfin grouper resident here for over a decade