East Coast Drop-off
Dive site
The exposed eastern flank of Orchid Island plunges off a basalt ledge into Pacific blue water. Pristine hard coral shelves step down the wall, and the Kuroshio Current delivers visibility often exceeding 30 metres. Hammerheads have been recorded at depth by technical divers; sport divers find healthy reef and blue-water schoolers.
Conditions
Depth
10 to 40 m
Advanced depths
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
21 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 22 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 |
| Vis (m) | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 12 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Whitetip reef shark
Photo: Craig Fujii · CC BY-NC-ND
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Staghorn coral
Photo: pleahy · © all rights reserved
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Scalloped hammerhead
Photo: Kris Mikael Krister · CC BY
Rare
Now and then
Bumphead parrotfish
Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC
Rare
Now and then
Field journal
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Gear