Can you imagine that Su Huai — the dive instructor who jokingly calls himself a "sea turtle fanatic" — was once so afraid of water he couldn't even put his face below the surface? Su Huai has lived and dived across the globe, exploring the waters of Australia, Thailand's Koh Lanta, and beyond. So why did he ultimately choose Xiaoliuqiu, a tiny speck of an island off Taiwan, as the place to put down roots — even opening an ocean-themed bookstore called Linger Bookstore there? And now that Xiaoliuqiu has gone viral thanks to its sea turtles, what concerns does he see on the horizon? We hope that as you read this article, you will not only gain insight into a dive instructor's career journey, but also come away with a broader perspective on how Taiwan can develop diving-based ecotourism in a more meaningful way.
Before I turned 20, my connection to the ocean was a complete blank — because I was terrified of water!
From Landlubber to Dive Instructor — Su Huai
As a sophomore in college, a young Su Huai joined a group of classmates on a snorkeling trip to Kenting. By his own recollection, the experience could only be described as miserable. Not only did he need a long time to work up the courage to put his mask-covered face underwater, but the feeling of being unable to control his own body while snorkeling left him feeling completely helpless. Too proud to let that define him, he made a decisive move in his junior year: he signed up for a swimming class during PE, and that was the moment his lifelong bond with the ocean began.
True to form, he was placed in the beginner's group — the "landlubbers" — and the early days were painful. Fortunately, a classmate with a lifeguard qualification stayed by his side throughout, and that small act of support unexpectedly pushed him a step further: he went on to earn his own lifeguard certification. In doing so, he discovered that he genuinely loved what the ocean made him feel — though at that point, scuba diving was still entirely off his radar.
Every young person needs a grand adventure. His first extended solo trip took him to Sabah, Malaysia. While earning his entry-level dive certification at a local dive shop, the instructor mentioned in passing that being a dive instructor was a job that could take you around the world — living and working in different countries. It was the first time he had ever given the profession a serious thought.
2013 Instructor Course in the Philippines
Unlike most Taiwanese divers, Su Huai obtained the majority of his diving certifications abroad — aside from summers between 2010 and 2014 when he worked in marine recreation in Penghu. He later headed to Queensland, Australia, to work on liveaboards, independently handling everything from trip planning and dive shop communications to researching course information on his own. In our interview, he laughed and called himself a rebel — someone who wanted a different path from the crowd. Perhaps that stubborn, never-give-up streak is precisely the personality trait that would later draw him deeper and deeper into his obsession with sea turtles.
- 2012 — Earned his Divemaster certification in Koh Lanta, Thailand
- 2013 — Earned his instructor certification in Malapascua, the Philippines
- 2014–15 — Worked on liveaboards in Queensland, Australia
2013–14 Liveaboard Work in Australia
After becoming a professional dive instructor, he quickly discovered that passion and profession are two very different things. Once diving becomes your job, you have to pour far more energy into it — pre-dive preparation, in-water safety, ensuring every guest has a great experience, and dealing with everything that needs wrapping up afterward. The goal is no longer your own enjoyment; it is delivering the best possible service. Fortunately, his years living abroad gave him exposure to both the high-volume, assembly-line style of large dive operations and the boutique, experience-focused approach of smaller dive travel specialists. He came away wanting to bring what he had learned overseas back to Taiwan — to plant those ideas in his own soil.
Taiwan offers a wide range of dive destinations. Generally speaking, instructors focused on teaching tend to gravitate toward the Northeast Coast, while those focused on dive travel lean toward Green Island or Kenting. Returning from Australia, he had originally planned to go back to Penghu, the place he knew best. But he arrived in winter, and Penghu — heavily exposed to the northeast monsoon — was not suitable for diving at that time of year. Xiaoliuqiu, sheltered from the northeast monsoon and diveable year-round, became the natural alternative.
A wide-angle underwater photographer at heart with a passion for observing large marine animals, he arrived at Xiaoliuqiu and felt as though he had stumbled into a treasure trove. The tiny island was home to an almost uncountable number of sea turtles that he could observe regularly at fixed locations. From that point on, his camera roll filled with all manner of endearing turtle portraits. Thanks to his dedicated and obsessive documentation, fellow divers have been treated to remarkable glimpses of sea turtle behaviour — shells being cleaned, sea grass being grazed, mating rituals, and more. But pure photographic documentation quickly stopped being enough to satisfy his curiosity, and so the Turtle Spot TW citizen-science project quietly came to life.
A Day in the Life of a Sea Turtle — Feeding
He had always wondered: just how many sea turtles are there in Xiaoliuqiu, and was the turtle he encountered on today's dive the same one he saw last week? Over a casual meal with Feng Jia-ling — known in the community as the "Turtle Sister" — the idea sparked: what if they invited the public to help identify and record turtles using a citizen-science approach? The scales on each sea turtle's face form a unique pattern, so a clear photo of the left and right sides of a turtle's face is enough to identify it as a distinct individual. After launching in June 2017, they gradually collected turtle photos from divers, compiling monthly sighting reports and sharing them on their website. In addition to documenting turtle behaviour, they have incorporated turtle knowledge and ocean education content. There is even hope that future cross-border collaborations might help lift the veil on more of the mysteries of underwater sea turtle life.
A Day in the Life of a Sea Turtle — Sleeping
Everyone always asks the same question: just how many sea turtles are there in Xiaoliuqiu? From June to December 2017, the Turtle Spot TW project recorded sightings of 137 distinct individuals. However, that figure does not mean there are only 137 turtles around Xiaoliuqiu — the ones that get spotted tend to be those less afraid of humans, or those found at dive sites that see the most diver traffic. This is why he hopes to integrate other observation methods in the future. Using a drone over Duozaiping, for example, he once recorded more than 100 turtles at a single location simultaneously. If funding and manpower allow, he would love to be able to share findings like that more widely.
A Day in the Life of a Sea Turtle — Mating
In recent years, Xiaoliuqiu has become famous for its sea turtles. Every peak season, tourists pour onto this tiny island in droves. Its proximity to the Taiwanese mainland means ferry services are expanded almost without limit to meet demand — but is that really a good thing for Xiaoliuqiu?
- All waste generated on Xiaoliuqiu must be transported back to the mainland for processing
- Wastewater treatment infrastructure on the island is severely lacking, and most sewage is discharged directly into the sea
- Guesthouses and dive shops continue to multiply
Xiaoliuqiu is like a miniature Taiwan — most people are busy making money and accustomed to fast, convenient living. As we draw on natural resources to enjoy prosperity and comfort, shouldn't we stop and ask ourselves whether we can do something for the environment?
Linger Bookstore — A Bookshop by the Sea
Su Huai speaks with a weight of feeling when he reflects on this: tourism is a double-edged sword. Unchecked, relentless development can deliver an enormous blow to the environment. Visitor numbers to Xiaoliuqiu have grown every year, and introducing a cap on tourist arrivals might be the key to keeping things sustainable over the long term.
But rather than standing on the sidelines, he chose to act. After settling in Xiaoliuqiu in 2015, Su Huai and his partner Chen Peng-yu began asking themselves: was a dive shop really the only way to inspire more people to care about the ocean and the environment? In a moment of idealism, they imagined that a gentle, ocean-themed bookstore — a space dedicated to ocean and environmental topics, stocked with relevant books and hosting eco-friendly events — might just be enough to change something. And so Linger Bookstore, the island's charming pocket-sized bookshop, was born on 1 January 2018.
Linger Bookstore — carrying the islanders' vision for the ocean
When they were looking for a space to rent, they were fortunate to find a landlord willing to believe in them. When they shared their vision at the time of signing the lease, the landlord was fully supportive. As he bid the islanders farewell, he told them warmly: "I hope you run this place well, so that we too can feel proud of our building." When everyone involved in something keeps their intentions simple — not purely focused on the bottom line — the world becomes a warmer place.
Linger Bookstore is more than a bookshop; it is an ocean-centred community space. The team regularly organises talks and events, inviting veterans and experts to share their knowledge, with the aim of gradually narrowing the gap between island residents and the ocean. This is not about physical distance — it is about encouraging residents to reflect, in their everyday lives, on their own relationship with the sea. Do you really need a plastic bag when you shop? Would you support a government policy capping tourist numbers? This is a quiet revolution of the heart — one that asks whether, deep down, we truly care about our connection to the ocean.
May the sea turtles of Xiaoliuqiu always have a happy home
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