BORAG (AFT SECTION) - Northeast Coast

The Borag's aft section sits in surprisingly shallow water, making it a cracking wreck dive for just about anyone. At only 10 metres deep, you get fantastic bottom time to really snoop around. We love drifting over the propeller, still looking massive after all these years, and then poking our heads into the old engine room. Light filters down from the surface, illuminating schools of small jacks darting through the superstructure. What makes this site a standout for us isn't just the history – a tanker grounded back in '77 – but how the ocean has reclaimed it. Anemones carpet steel plates, their tentacles waving in the gentle surge, and we’ve spotted moray eels peeking out from pipes more times than we can count. Our favourite move is to duck through one of the larger openings, feeling the cooler water inside, and watching the colourful wrasse flit between the corroded metal. It’s an easy, rewarding dive, offering a proper wreck experience without the usual depth challenges.

Location
Northeast Coast, Taiwan, East Asia
Coordinates
25.200832, 121.741670
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
10m

Wreck History - BORAG (AFT SECTION)

Year Sunk
1977
Vessel Type
tanker
Cause
grounding

In February 1977, the Kuwaiti-owned oil tanker Borag was on its final approach to the port of Shenao, Taiwan. Despite having a local pilot on board to guide it through the coastal waters, the massive vessel ran hard aground on the Hsin Lai Shoal. The ship broke its back on the reef, spilling a significant portion of its cargo and creating a large-scale pollution event that impacted the northeast coast.

While the incident was an environmental disaster, the stern section of the Borag remains as a diveable wreck. It rests in only 10 meters of water, making it an easy and accessible dive. Exploring the aft section of this once-mighty tanker offers a sobering look at the power of the sea and the consequences of maritime accidents. Over the decades, marine life has begun to colonize the twisted metal, turning a symbol of pollution into a burgeoning artificial reef, a testament to the ocean's ability to recover and reclaim.

Marine Protected Area: 淡水河紅樹林自然保留區

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