New Pearl River

Best months: Mar–May

Protected Area

嘉義縣鰲鼓野生動物重要棲息環境

Why dive here

With 537+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, giant moray eels, seahorses, sea turtles and sperm whales - New Pearl River offers some of Kenting National Park's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 24-30°C, warmest July, August, September.

Best timeMar–May

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeBarracuda, Giant Moray Eels, Seahorses, Sea Turtles and Sperm Whales · 537+ species recorded

Water24-30°C · warmest July, August, September

CharacterWreck dive · max 29m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

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.