[Carol's Dive Diary] Love at First Sight at Taiwan's Northeast Coast Dive Sites — Where It All Began

Back during classroom sessions and pool training, I often heard Coach Ada mention that our open-water skills exam would be held at Longdong Bay on the Northeast Coast — but he always added that it was simply a training ground for northern divers, with not much marine life to speak of, and that we shouldn't set our expectations too high.

I still remember the day of our open-water skills test. We woke up at the crack of dawn, piled half-asleep into a van, and set off in high spirits. After cruising down the highway and through a tunnel, just as we were bracing ourselves for what was supposed to be an unremarkable stretch of the Northeast Coast, a vast expanse of ocean suddenly opened up before us — a brilliant, crystal blue that swept away every worry. The mountains rising alongside the shore gave the sweeping scenery a sense of quiet solidity, and as the van rolled forward, I felt as though my soul had finally found its way home.

I later learned that Coach Ada had deliberately downplayed the Northeast Coast so that we'd be pleasantly surprised when we first laid eyes on it. All I can say is that his plan worked perfectly — and I hadn't even made a single dive yet when the Northeast Coast had already left me completely awestruck.

For a long time, I assumed that "Northeast Coast dive sites" referred solely to Longdong Bay. Even at the start of this year, I told Divemaster Ah-Jia that I hoped to dive every site on the Northeast Coast before the year was out — little did I know how naïve I was being. Longdong Bay alone is divided into Sites No. 1, No. 3, and No. 4, and beyond that there are sites like the Bunker, Jinsha Bay, Mao'ao Bay, and more. One summer simply isn't enough to dive them all!

And that's before I later discovered that the Northeast Coast dive area actually stretches all the way from Yilan to Chaojing in Keelung. Every site has its own character, but because divers visit so frequently, they tend to take them for granted — and few think to compare our Northeast Coast with destinations abroad, or even with other dive sites around Taiwan.

Yet no matter how stunning those other places may be, the Northeast Coast dive sites hold a special place in my heart. For me, they are more than just a nursery for northern divers — they are where I first came to know the sea, and they feel like home. That's why I'd like to gradually share more of my Northeast Coast diving experiences here. The ocean is full of endless surprises, and I believe that every time you or I explore the Northeast Coast from a different angle or at a different time, we'll discover something entirely new. I always look forward to hearing what you find.

Note:

The main dive sites on the Northeast Coast include Thumb Rock, 84K, Longdong Bay Site No. 1, Longdong Bay Site No. 2, Longdong Bay Site No. 3, Longdong Bay Site No. 4, Siji Bay, Hemei, Mao'ao, Jinsha Bay, Xianglan, Magang, Yingge Rock, and Shicheng — not to mention the renowned Chaojing. (The above information is referenced from the Northeast Coast Divers' Inn official website: https://diver228.divers.com.tw/)

【Carol's Dive Diary: 2020/1/7】

The Northeast Coast — mountains on one side, ocean on the other

On one dive, just as we were ascending to the surface, we were startled to find ourselves in near-zero visibility. It was only when we were drifting on the surface that we realized the clear skies from when we had descended had given way to rain, turning the sea surface a muddy yellow. As it turned out, we were lucky enough to have encountered Longdong Bay's famous yin-yang sea.

Related links:

• Carol's Dive Diary Facebook Page

• 【Carol's Dive Diary】Northeast Coast Dive Site — Yingge Rock: A Special Ocean Cleanup Dive to Remove Mantis Shrimp

• An Overview of Taiwan's Diving Environment — Northern Region

• Diving into the Northeast Coast: Must-See Marine Life for Underwater Photography — Gold Medal Marco

• 【Carol's Dive Diary】Northeast Coast Dive Site — Mosquito Pit (Hemei Street / 83.9K): The Adorable "Beginner's Village"

• 【Taiwan Northeast Coast 82.5K】Dive Site Introduction — A Macro Paradise Along the Coastal Highway

• 【Taiwan Northeast Coast Longdong Site No. 4 / Hemei Elementary School】Dive Site Introduction — The Hidden Lembeh