New Pearl River - Kenting National Park

The *New Pearl River* is a proper hulk, a 182-metre bulk carrier that went down in 1999 during a force 10 gale. We love a wreck with a story, and this one’s got a dramatic one – a sinking in a storm, a missing master. It sits upright at 29 metres, and while it’s classified as dangerous, the sheer scale of it is what pulls us back. Dropping down, the ship materialises out of the blue, a vast, dark shadow. We’ve found the bow to be particularly atmospheric, often swathed in schools of fusiliers so thick they momentarily block out the light. Inside the cargo holds, it’s dark, almost cathedral-like, with shafts of light occasionally piercing through where the hull has deteriorated. You’ll see plenty of barracuda hovering in the current off the deck, and we always spot nudibranchs tucked into crevices around the superstructure. It’s a site for advanced divers, no question, due to the depth and potential for currents. Our tip: go slow, take your time exploring the different sections, and bring a good torch to really appreciate the scale of this place. It’s a proper dive into history.

Location

Kenting National Park, Taiwan, East Asia

Coordinates

23.673065, 119.995390

Type

wreck

Maximum Depth

29m

Marine Protected Area: 嘉義縣鰲鼓野生動物重要棲息環境