HAFA ADIVE

Diving in Saipan

2010-03-14T20:30:00.003+10:00

Hafa Adai,

Welcome to a Saipan Diver's Blog about Diving in the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota) with descriptions of the Dive Sites in the CNMI, information on Saipan Dive Shop Operators, Saipan Dive Boat Charter Companies, Saipan Restaurants, and Scuba Instruction.

The aim is to provide as much information on diving in the CNMI in general, but most specifically Saipan, as possible. Hopefully visitors will further add to the information on this site by leaving comments. Comments will be posted and the relevant and useful ones will be incorporated in the original post if at all possible.

If you can't find the information you are looking for on this site, feel free to contact me by email at rsikkel@pticom.com

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Saipan Divesites

ANOTHER DAY OF DIVING IN SAIPAN

Tried Saipan's newest divesite Ryuguh yet? Check with Aquasmith for the next trip to Ryuguh. Like going deep? This site starts at 100ft. Spadefish and Baracuda school here and Gray reef sharks frequent the area.

Eagle Ray at Icecream

2009-03-04T20:00:00.001+10:00

Mystery Balls

2008-12-13T21:26:00.008+10:00

Always wanted to know what this is?

Well here's the answer: Bubble Algae (or Valonia). They are also more commonly referred to as Sailor's Eye Balls or Sea Pearls.

Bubble Algae grows on the reef and eventually detaches and floats in the water column or up to the surface. It is thought that the spores for this algae are inside the little liquid filled ball.

So there you have it!

11/30/08 Obyan

2008-12-08T15:15:00.000+10:00

Obyan - OW #3 with Sheila and Rob. Big waves, but the cut was calm enough to make it in and out of the water. Found a sea urchin which I showed to Sheila and Rob while I was doing that the urchin decided to attach itself to my hand. I didn't want to break any of its spines so I tried to shake it off, bad idea! Several of its spines lodged itself in my hand. Rob laughed so hard his mask floaded, serves him right! Viz. was a little murky because of the water movement. Max. depth 43ft. Exit was the old roller coaster ride!

11/29/08 Lao Lao & Grotto

2008-12-08T15:03:00.000+10:00

Lao Lao - OW # 1 & 2 with Rob and Sheila. Conditions at the surface were choppy, but underwater it was nice. Saw two turtles and an octopus among other stuff. Viz. was okay, not the best, but still nice. On the second dive we bumped into a red snapper and a blue fin trevally.

Grotto - Deep Dive with Peter so he could finally finish his advanced course. Was a little reluctant after seeing the conditions at Lao Lao, but I checked out the Grotto an hr before the dive and it looked doable. There were decent size swells rolling into the Grotto, but they were manageble. Peter completed his skill at depth faster than at the surface.....quess the math had come back to him by the time we made it to 90ft. Nice humphead parrotfish outside the second hole. Bit of a current from 1 - 3.

12/6/08 Sugar Dock & Obyan

2008-12-08T14:53:00.001+10:00

Sugar Dock - Confined water dives. The water has been murky at Sugardock for a while now. When you get in the water it is fine, but there's a lot of silt on the bottom so after 30 min. of kicking that around your viz is vizably reduced. One of my students dropped her mask, looked for it for 20 min. but we never found it. Another instructor found it the next day and returned it. Thanks Dennis & Judy!

Obyan - OW #4 with Rob & Sheila. The water initially looked a bit calmer than the week before, but the current at the exit was still ripping. Viz. was okay, a little murky. Quite a bit of current at the exit and in the openwater running West along shore. We survived though and there's two more responsible PADI divers in the world.

9/27/08 Wing Beach and Wing Arches

2008-10-02T21:55:00.002+10:00

Dives Wing Beach & Wing Arches (some of us call this site El Toro). Saw a turtle up close and personal at Wing and two Napoleon Wrasses at Arches. No pictures though! I like Wing, Arches is okay, the coral is nice/healthy, but the sites are very similar in and I'd rather not dive them right after one another. In my opinion the best way to dive them when you are on a boat is to do a drift dive from Arches to Wing, that way you get to see it all in one dive and you have another dive left for some other awesome Saipan site.

Viz: 70ft
Current: Moderate
Water Conditons: Slight Swells

Saipan Sun Company took us (Erick and I, and 10 or so Korean Divers) up there. Brand new Newton boat, very fancy, showers, lots of space, fruits and drinks, very comfortable ride. Highly recommend giving it a shot. I intend to add their contact information to the Saipan Boat Charter Company list.

Capt. Marvel

2008-08-25T09:45:00.000+10:00

Anyone else see the resemblance? Capt. Marvel is alive and here on Saipan.

Agingan Point Project

2008-08-09T21:15:00.010+10:00

The Old Pipe dumping 'treated' sewage at the surface right around the corner from PIC.

The new pipe @ 100 ft. of depth ~600 ft. away from the cliff.

Brady and Mori working on clearing and preparing the site.

The smallest of the two anchors after they were dropped in the water by a crane at Agingan Point in 30 ft of water ~ 900 ft away from the pipe. It is hard to tell, but these things are 6ft tall and weigh a 3 ton.

First Anchor 30 feet away from the pipe @ a depth of 80 ft.

Both anchors in the water ~ 30 & 40 ft. away from the pipe.

Both anchors and diffuser on the pipe. To give you an idea of how large those anchors are - those are Brady's legs sticking out from behind the pipe.

Just to give you an idea of how strong the currents are at Agingan Point; notice Brady's bubbles moving horizontally behind him instead of up. You can also hear the rope hitting the camera housing as the current is jerking the rope.

June from GPPC who made everything run smoothly for us at the surface.

Brady perched on top of the front anchor.

Capt. Marvel and his sidekick diver Bill.

Yours truely.

Muck Diving

2008-06-09T21:57:00.004+10:00

The project I've been working on the last couple of weeks gives a whole new meaning to muck diving. We've been clearing rubble and installing a diffuser on the new sewage pipe at Agingan point. If all goes well we'll be installing two concrete anchors to hold the pipe in place soon.

We call the pipe affectionately 'Saipan's Sphincter'.

Here are Mori and Brady at 95 feet doing some rock removal and measuring.

Mariannense or Fasciola?

2008-04-04T21:23:00.009+10:00

Found the above for Saipan fairly common worm orchid the other day. Finding information about this little plant has been harder than finding the actual plant eventhough it is smaller than my fist. The experts don't seem to agree on what plant it is. It is either Taeniophyllum Mariannense which like the name suggests is endemic to the Marianas or it is the Taeniophyllum Fasciola found in American Samoa or the two are one and the same. Either way it is an orchid that's really all I wanted to know. What's in a name?

Right now it is flowering (4/12). Here's a picture of the miniscule flower.

Update (4/15): Looks like it is Taeniophyllum Mariannense instead of Taeniophyllum Fasciola and they are different. The lavender dots don't seems to appear on the Fasciola. The flowers are open for only one day. It so happens that I found three of these orchids and all three were flowering the day I took the picture above.

Some general info: The epiphytic genus Taeniophyllum has diminutive flowers, scarcely larger than a pinhead. There are some 200 species, most of which occur in Asia. Like the members of the African genus Microcoelia, taeniophyllums have small brown scales instead of leaves and the process of photosynthesis is carried out in the green roots. Most members of this genus grow upon the twigs of rain forest trees and in cultivation they respond well to constant air movement and a high relative humidity.

Pure Gold

2008-01-10T21:48:00.001+10:00

A family of Golden White Eyes (Canario) sleeping on a branch.

Pau Pau Beach

2008-01-09T15:46:00.001+10:00

Great beach for snorkeling and swimming. If you walk to the North end of the beach it is quite possible you will be the only one there.

Directions: When driving North along Middle Rd. (Chalan Pale Arnold, I think) take the first left after the Nikko Hotel.

Wing Beach

2008-01-08T00:16:00.000+10:00

Managha Island

2008-01-07T23:06:00.000+10:00

One of the most popular tourist stops on Saipan is Managaha Island. Getting there is a little steep ($35 for adults, $25 for children) and it can get a little crowded, but the snorkeling and beaches are some of the best on island. Baby black tip sharks are often seen while snorkeling.

Keep in mind: Feeding the fish on Managaha is prohibited.

Strange Sightings

2007-11-09T22:57:00.002+10:00

Godzilla at Bird Island, Saipan

King Kong in Marpi, CNMI

Lochness Monster in Saipan Lagoon?

Mermaid at Naftan, Saipan

Did Kamikaze Pilots wear Helmets?

2007-10-09T22:00:00.000+10:00

The answer is No! Like all WW II pilots they wore flight caps and goggles.

I recently found part of a what I think is a pair of Japanese flight goggles. I know, I know you're not supposed to remove things from sites, but I was afraid that if I didn't pick it up that a small piece like this would be lost for all enternity. A recent storm uncovered this eye piece and I thought I'd better bring it up. The plan is to donate it to HPO or the museum. Pretty cool shades though aye?

10/04/07

2007-10-05T10:30:00.001+10:00

The plan was to go to Tinian. Before we even left the Marina it was decided that was a no go. Attempted to make it to Dimple and Icecream, but after battling the 10 foot swells through the channel the captain decided we'd dive Chinsen and H8K today (again). We checked out Eagle Ray City, but found only 1 eagle ray already surrounded by 6 divers so we opted for H8K only 150 ft away.

Site: Chinsen Maru

Viz: 60ft.

Current: Weak

Water Conditions: Choppy

Site: H8K Emily (formerly known as B-29)

Viz: 50ft.

Current: Strong

Water Conditions: Choppy

10/03/07

2007-10-03T21:43:00.000+10:00

Site: B-29/Emily
Viz: 40ft.
Current: Weak
Water Conditions: Rough

Site: Chinsen Maru
Viz: 30ft.
Current: Weak
Water Conditions: Rough

For a fair weather diver like me it was quite the challenge today. The water was rough, which doesn't bother me, but nothing bugs me more than cloudy skies, getting rained on when on the way to the dive site and windy conditions during surface intervals. Needless to say it was freezing! I really have to move somewhere where the temperature is a little better. Underwater the viz. was crummy, but it was calm and almost warm.

9/30/07

2007-10-01T18:02:00.000+10:00

Site: Dump Cove (Tinian)
Viz: 70ft.
Current: Weak
Water Conditions: Calm

Site: Tinian Grotto
Viz: 80ft.
Current: Weak
Water Conditions: Calm

9/28/07

2007-09-28T21:13:00.000+10:00

Site: Chinsen Maru

Viz: Crummy (40ft.)

Current: Weak (South)

Water Conditions: Little choppy

Site: Emily (H8K)
Viz: 40ft.

Current: Weak (South)

Water Conditions: Little choppy

9/26/07

2007-09-26T18:36:00.000+10:00

Site: Dimple

Viz: 80ft.

Current: Moderate (North)

Water Conditions: Relatively Calm

Site: Sanctuary

Viz: 70ft.

Current: None

Water Conditions: Calm

A day of Eels. Saw 4 eels at Dimple. 3 White Mouth Eels, 1 Moray Eel. At the end of our dive at 'Sanctuary' Rodney noticed a Giant Moray Eel Tail underneath a rock. I playfully tapped the tail with my finger and then swam around the rock to see what was attached to the tail. To my surprise it was attached to the monstrous head of the biggest Giant Moray Eel I have seen in Saipan to date. I couldn't help but think about the pharyngeal jaws they have (see Concealed Weapons). He turned out to be pretty friendly and allowed me to take a couple of pictures. The site 'Sanctuary' is not an actual sanctuary by the way, its just a name.

9/25/07

2007-09-25T14:36:00.001+10:00

Site: Obyan (Aquarium - East side of Obyan)
Viz: 90ft
Current: Moderate East to West
Water Conditions: Calm, Low Tide
Notes: Small octopus

9/24/07

2007-09-25T14:31:00.000+10:00

Site: Lau Lau Beach
Viz: 70ft.
Current: None
Notes: Turtle, no Big eye Scad, dive boat anchored at the sandy patch at the end of the 'mussel rock' entry.

9/16/07

2007-09-25T14:14:00.000+10:00

Tuturam - Again - Almost

Since I couldn't make it to the Marianas Dive dive and beach cleanup due to prior engagements, I decided to treat myself to a dive at Tuturam. Some of us have been trying to dive Tuturam for years. I figured that with the west swell the diving might be doable. From my porch it looked like there were some waves, but nothing too crazy. It's only a 10 min drive from my house so why not give it a try, right? On the short hike to the beach I could hear the waves crashing; not a good sign. Waves breaking in the entry/exit cut is a sure way to tell that a site is not divable. In short another failed attempt to dive Tuturam. Conditions need to be close to perfect to try this dive it seems like. Another tip not quite dive related: don't drive this road after recent rain! Rain turns the red brown soil into red brown mud, which is surprise! slicker than cat shit. I managed to get my truck stuck at the bottom of the road. Not until 4 local boys helped me out by adding a little weight to the truck and a few strategically placed rocks did I make it back to the paved road my dive gear, my truck, and I caked with mud. Better luck next time.

Tawny Nurse Shark

2007-09-16T20:44:00.000+10:00

This 7 foot Tawny Nurse Shark (Nebrius ferrugineus) was hiding next to the rock at Eagle Ray City. Nurse Sharks are docile and harmless, and spend most of their time resting on the bottom. It is most active at night and feeds on a variety of animals, including crustaceans, fishes, and sea urchins. They can grow to be 10 feet.

H8K Emily Pictures

2007-09-14T21:37:00.000+10:00

Here are some pictures of the wreck and the only surviving H8K. Bruce Bateman (Saipan Saipanuvian Speaks) didn't sleep for days in order to ID the plane wreck 'formerly known as' B-29.

Below is a comparison of the nose bubble.

Check out the match of the bubble and antenna placement on the cockpit in the pictures below.

No Sting Ray

2007-09-12T15:21:00.001+10:00

Managed to capture this Thorny Ray (Urogymnus Africanus) with my camera at Bird Island. This ray lacks a venomous barb, but its upper surface is covered with sharp thornlike tubercles. It is considered uncommmon to rare. We can add it to the list of things we can brag about on Saipan.

About Saipan

2007-09-12T14:26:00.000+10:00

About Saipan - Saipan is the largest island and capital of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 14 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Located at latitude of 15° north and longitude of 145° east, about 120 miles north of Guam. You should be able to find Saipan on the map south of Japan and east of the Philippines. The western side of the island is lined with sandy beaches and an offshore coral reef which creates a large lagoon. The eastern shore is composed primarily of rugged rocky cliffs and a reef. Its highest point is a limestone covered mountain called Mount Tapochau at 1,554 ft.

History - Saipan, along with neighboring Guam, Rota, Tinian, and to a lesser extent smaller islands northward, was first inhabited around 2000 BC. The Spanish were the first Europeans to encounter the Chamorros and eventually annexed Saipan as part of its claim to the Mariana Islands. Around 1815, many Carolinians from Satawal settled Saipan during a period when the Chamorros were relocated to Guam. Germany ruled Saipan from 1899 until 1914, when the Empire of Japan took over the island under a League of Nations mandate. The Japanese developed both fishing and sugar industries, and in the 1930s garrisoned Saipan heavily, resulting in nearly 30,000 troops on the island by 1941.

On June 15, 1944 during World War II, U.S. Marines landed on the beaches of the southwestern side of the island, and spent more than three weeks fighting the battle of Saipan to secure it from the Japanese, an event which was dramatized in the film Windtalkers (the movie was not filmed on Saipan by the way). The US used Tinian to stage air raids on Japan, including the atomic bomb drops on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Bypassed by the US invasion forces, Rota came out of the war relatively unscathed; Saipan and Tinian, though, were devastated, as was the sugar cane industry. The United Nations made the Marianas a department of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1947 and gave the USA exclusive rights to administer them and to establish and maintain military bases.

Forbidden Island (Isleta Maigo Luao)

Rather than encourage economic development, the USA administered the islands by providing handouts. In 1948, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) closed off half of Saipan to islanders and outsiders alike, using the northern part of the island for covert military manoeuvres. When the CIA moved out of Saipan in 1962, the Northern Marianas were finally opened to visitors. The following year, the Trust Territory headquarters was moved into the CIA's old offices on Saipan. The people of the Northern Marianas voted to become a US commonwealth in 1975. In return, the US military got to lease nearly 30 square miles of land in the islands. Under the terms of the commonwealth agreement, the Northern Marianas retain the right to internal self-government, while the USA retains control of foreign affairs. In 1986 a new commonwealth covenant became effective, granting islanders US citizenship.

Weather - According to The Guinness Book of Records, Saipan has the world's most equable temperature, averaging 81°F year-round. Humidity is always high but the even temperature and fresh sea breezes means conditions are never too stuffy. The rainy season is from July to October.

Visas - US citizens need no visa and can stay as long as they like; non-US citizens can stay visa-free for up to 30 days. Tourists can get an extension of up to two months.

Managaha Island

9/11/07

2007-09-11T21:57:00.001+10:00

Site: Bird Island

Talked to Brady yesterday and we decided we should try to do a dive at Bird Island. Cooper, always up for doing something crazy, joined us. The water turned out a little rougher than expected. From the lookout it looked pretty calm, but then again you are quite a ways up there. Once we made it down to the beach the waves looked a whole lot bigger. The two normal cuts looked too rough, so we decided to look for an entry on the other side of the island. Found our way into the water inside a canyon (with a hellish current ripping through it) on the South side of the island. Brady and Cooper, carried out by the current, disappeared around the corner in a jiffy and I, the pussy that I am, took my time getting my bearings and trying to figure out if there was even a way for us to make it back alive. Passed the canyon however the water was much calmer and the diving very nice.

Brady and Cooper gearing up in the Bird Island parking lot. They had a little trouble finding the road to Bird Island. When I showed up they were trying to find a way in by the Bird Island Drive sign. I guess they forgot that that sign was placed in the wrong spot and that the road leads to nowhere. The actual road to Bird Island parking lot is the dirt road before the sign.

Brady sliding down the trail aided by an old rope

Looks pretty calm right? Well it wasn't!

This Thorny Ray was chillin' on the bottom of the canyon unaffected by the strong current. I was holding on for dear life with one hand while with the other trying to take this picture. The topography underwater is really interesting with huge rock formations, caves, and passages.

We didn't venture out too far because of the water conditions, but this is definitely a site worth visiting more often. Saw lots of large fish and healthy coral. It is a pain to get down there, but the diving is well worth the effort. On a calm day this could be one awesome dive.

Concealed Weapon

2007-09-10T18:16:00.001+10:00

Eels' Second Set of Teeth.

This is a little ALIAN-esque, but interesting. Researchers say Moray eels have a second set of long, curved, canine-like teeth used for pulling prey down their throats. As the Moray eel feeds, a second set of jaws emerges from the throat to help the eel swallow its prey.

These radiographs from Nature depict the position of the pharyngeal jaws in Moray eels during prey transport.

Once the Moray eel secures its prey with its first set of jaws, the pharyngeal jaws reach up (REACH UP!) from its throat, grabbing and pulling the prey down through its esophagus. Researchers used a slow-motion video camera to record a Moray feeding saw the pharyngeal jaws peek forward. When examined the researchers were surprised by the jaws range of motion. "What we discovered is that the pharyngeal jaws of Moray's have the greatest mobility of any pharyngeal jaws ever documented," Mehta says.

Mark Westneat curator of zoology at the Field Museum in Chicago says it's common for fish to have a pharyngeal jaw when they lack teeth used for grinding food. Westneat says the Moray eel's pharyngeal jaw is somewhat different. "Having a jaw in your throat that has long, recurved, canine teeth — and can actually shoot out of your throat into your mouth, grab a fish or something, and pull it down the throat — is highly unusual," he says.

9/09/07

2007-09-09T21:47:00.000+10:00

Site: Icecream
Vis: So So, 60ft.
Current: None
Water Conditions: Calm
Notes: Only two Eagle Rays

Site: Chinsen Maru
Vis: 80 ft.
Current: Weak
Water Conditions: Calm
Notes: White Tip Shark

9/8/07

2007-09-09T21:12:00.000+10:00

Site: Lau Lau Beach
Vis: 60ft.
Current: None
Water Conditions: Little choppy

Notes: Marianas Dive! Dive.

9/5/07

2007-09-07T18:12:00.000+10:00

Spearfishing trip to the back side (East side) of the island.

Stopped at Banzai on the way over. Did a bit of free diving at the base of the cliff, there is some airplane debrie at ~60 ft. No interesting coral formations, just rocks and small coral patches.

Fished at a spot called Brady's Crack past Bird Island. The haul for me; one tiny goatfish.... I just hope it was legal size.

On the way back stopped at Banzai divesite. Saw 5 adult Napoleon Wrasses and hundreds of Jacks. Had to get out because of the strong current.

9/3/07

2007-09-04T21:11:00.000+10:00

Site: Naftan

Vis: 100 ft.
Current: Weak

Water Conditions: Flat

Notes: Napoleon Wrasse

Site: Drift from Boyscout 1 to Obyan

Vis: 100 ft.

Current: Weak

Water Conditions: Flat

9/2/07

2007-09-04T14:32:00.000+10:00

Site: Banzai
Vis: 100 ft.
Current: Strong
Water Conditions: Calm
Notes: Dolphins & Stingray

Site: Wing Beach
Vis: 70 ft.
Current: Weak
Water Conditions: Calm
Notes: Turtle

9/1/07

2007-09-02T21:43:00.000+10:00

Site: Boyscout 2
Vis: 80ft
Current: Weak
Water Conditions: Calm

8/30/07

2007-08-31T22:06:00.000+10:00

Site: Lau Lau Beach
Vis: So so
Current: None
Water Conditions: Calm

Blackened Catfish

2007-08-30T01:31:00.000+10:00

Didn't know we had Catfish here did you? I wonder how they taste blackened? This here is the Striped Eel Catfish (Plotosus lineatus). Pretty tough to find fish, because they hide during the day and hide well. If you do find them, you'll find lots. Watch out for the dorsal and pectoral fins they have highly venemous spines.

8/27/07

2007-08-29T23:07:00.000+10:00

Site: Lau Lau Beach

Vis: Decent

Current: None

Water Conditions: Calm

Saipan Hotels

2007-08-29T23:06:00.001+10:00

A more complete list of Hotels on Saipan will follow here shortly. For now check out the Summer Holiday Hotel. Centrally located in Garapan, walking distance from everything. Prices are reasonable (~$55 a night) and the rooms are decent. They also have weekly rates. Tel: (670) 233-6080

If you have a big party check out the Aquarius Beach tower, they have larger rooms with kitchens facilities. Split between a certain number of people you might end up having a cheaper daily rate. Aquarius is also located right at one of Saipan's nicest sandy beaches. The hotel is not so centrally located, but a scooter solves that problem. Taco Bell is at walking distance.

Dive Log

2007-08-29T23:00:00.004+10:00

When I started this section on my blog I didn't realize how hard it was to keep up with my dives. Reality is that I dive more than I get the chance to update my blog. This means that I will try to post a profile/pictures/conditions of my dives here and there.

Click on the date for details:

12/06/08 Sugar Dock & Obyan
11/30/08 Obyan
11/29/08 Lao Lao & Grotto
9/27/08 Wing Beach & Wing Arches
10/04/07 Chinsen Maru & Emily (H8K)
10/03/07 Emily (H8K) & Chinsen Maru
9/30/07 Dump Cove & Tinian Grotto
9/28/07 Chinsen Maru & Emily (H8K)
9/26/07 Dimple & Sanctuary
9/25/07 Obyan (Aquarium)
9/24/07 Lau Lau Beach
9/16/07 Tuturam Almost
9/11/07 Bird Island
9/09/07 Icecream & Chinsen Maru
9/08/07 Lau Lau Beach
9/05/07 Spearfishing Trip
9/03/07 Naftan & Boyscout - Obyan
9/02/07 Banzai & Wing Beach
9/01/07 Boyscout
8/30/07 Lau Lau Beach
8/29/07 Lau Lau Beach
8/27/07 Lau Lau Beach

About me

2007-08-29T21:49:00.003+10:00

I have been working as a freelance PADI dive instructor on Saipan for seven years. Sometimes it feels like I spend more time underwater than I do at the surface and I am loving it!

Thinking of visiting the islands for fun diving or taking a PADI course? Several Japanese Dive shops direct their English speaking divers to me and chances are that if you email a Japanese shop about dive tours or dive instruction the email eventually finds its way to my inbox. As far as I know I am the only full-time English speaking PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer on the island of Saipan (I might be mistaken, but hey ignorance is bliss).

You can also contact me directly by sending an email to rsikkel@pticom.com

Richard Sikkel
PADI MSDT

8/29/07

2007-08-29T11:05:00.000+10:00

Site: Lau Lau Beach
Vis: Bad
Current: None
Water Conditions: Choppy
Notes: Big Eye Skad School is growing

Fleming

2007-08-26T16:20:00.001+10:00

FLEMING (B)- The best wall dive in the CNMI in my opinion. The site has great coral formations and is abundant with smaller animals and fish. It is common to find Turtles grazing on top of the wall. The wall drops off to more than 200 feet and has some of the best visibility on Tinian. When diving along the side of the wall in this crystal clear water you would think you were flying.

Current: Ranges from Mild to Strong

Visibility: 80ft - 150ft

Dump Cove

2007-08-26T16:20:00.000+10:00

DUMP COVE (B)- This is a relic dive with many artifacts from WWII such as planes, tanks, ammunition, and jeeps that were pushed of the cliff directly from Tinian's North Field. Dump Cove is also a turtle feeding ground so the chances of running into a turtle are very high. The dive is relatively shallow with a max depth of 70 feet.

Current: None to Moderate

Visibility: 50ft - 100ft.

WARNING: Because many of the artifacts are encrusted with Phosphorus, DO NOT bring any artifacts to the surface as the Phosphorus is highly flammable and pyrophoric (self-igniting) upon contact with air. That means, it will go up in flames as soon as it hits the surface. White Phosphorus (WP) or Willie Pete Bombs were used during WWII for flares or smoke producing weapons. It was used in bombs, artillery shells, and mortar shells which burst into burning flakes of Phosphorus upon impact.

Tinian Grotto Image

2007-08-26T13:52:00.001+10:00

Twin Corals

2007-08-25T12:41:00.000+10:00

TWIN CORALS (B)- The name of the site comes from the two coral formations sitting next to each other. The boat moors between the two and the divers are free to explore. The site is also known as Turtle Point for obvious reasons. The fish life here is fantastic with varieties of Parrot Fish, Grouper, Damsel Fish, and more. With great visibility, Two Coral Head is a photographer’s dream.

Visibility: 80 ft - 120 ft

Current: None to Moderate

Click here for Google Earth Image

Twin Corals

2007-08-25T12:40:00.001+10:00

Tinian Grotto

2007-08-25T11:04:00.000+10:00

TINIAN GROTTO (B)- This is the most popular cavern dive in Tinian. Unlike the Saipan Grotto the Tinian Grotto is fully submerged and only divable from a boat. The cavern has three main entry points and most divers enter from the hole on top finding a beautiful room inside. The cavern is a great place to find Lionfish. For the more experienced divers a wall that reaches into oblivion is nearby. At the end of the dive, look back towards the cavern to see tiny bubbles escaping from the inside.

Current: None to Moderate

Visibility: 80ft - 120ft.

Click here for Google Earth Image

Lau Lau Beach Image

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Wing Beach Image

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Banzai & Spotlight Image

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Map of Saipan

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Richard's Saipan Restaurant Picks

2007-08-22T14:43:00.006+10:00

You can't be underwater all day, you have to come up for food at some time, so I thought I would add Richard's Saipan Restaurant Picks. I have given up on cooking myself almost entirely and eat most of my meals out. Below is a list of restaurants worth checking out. Feel free to leave your own comments.

Click here for a map of Saipan with the restaurants

1. Wild Bill's:
Wild Bills possibly has the most eclectic menu of all restaurants on island. Dishes range from breakfast with hashbrowns ($5!), Thai food, Mexican food, chilly dogs, salads, to even vegetarian dishes. The Thai food at Wild Bill's is in my opinion the best on island. The prices are very reasonable and range from $5 to $15. They've recently made the restaurant part NO SMOKING! Wild Bill's offers free Wi-fi. If you have trouble getting in touch with me, check Wild Bill's.

2. Hamilton's: CLOSED
Set back deep in the heart of Gualo Rai, Hamilton's is a classic local restaurant. You get the feeling you were invited to someones house. If you find the place, try their Seared Ahi, it's awesome. No place on island serves better pizza's. Prices range from $10 to $20.

3. Oleai Beach Bar & Grill:
Right on the beach Oleai is a nice spot to enjoy the sunset. Their food is decent and reasonably priced. Prices range from $5 to $15. Their Dollar Taco days (Fri, Sat, Sun) are very popular with the locals. They have free Wi-fi.

4. Coconut-Tei:
Japanese fish restaurant located on Hotel street in Garapan. They have cheap bento boxes for lunch. Prices range from $10 to $15.

5. Coffee Care:
Located half way up Capitol Hill, Coffee Care has a beautiful view of the langoon for some spectacular sunsets while you are having dinner. Food is good, prices range from $10 to $20. They do hotel pick-ups and offer free Wi-fi.

6. Taste of India:
The only Indian restaurant on Saipan. Their Chicken Tikka is my favorite. Prices range from $10 to $15. Their lunch buffet for $7 is a really good deal.

7. Saigon Restaurant:
The closest thing to authentic Vietnamese food you can get on Saipan. Located on Middle Rd above the Flair bar in Garapan. Their $5 lunch is especially popular. Normal prices range from $7 to $ 15. I recommend their spring rolls on cold noodles. Not to mistaken with the not so authentic Saigon Restaurant in Hotel street.

8. Hyatt Brunch:
If you want to splurge the Hyatt Sunday brunch is the way to go. No place on island has a better spread. Price is a little high at $35.00 a person, but you are getting your monies worth. Located in Garapan.

9. Pierre's: CLOSED
Located next to the Saipan Ocean View Hotel. Very reasonable lunch & dinner prices. The real reason I go is their salad bar and soup that's included with their main courses. Open for lunch every day, dinner only Friday and Saterday evening. The original restaurant is still open under new management and name Grillin' food, service, and prices and nearly as good.

10. 360:
On top of the Nauru building in Sususpe (can't miss the building its just off beach rd. accross from the World Resort and it looks like an airport control tower). The only revolving restaurant in Saipan. Food is decent and the prices range from $10 - $20. Can't beat the view. Even if you just go for a cup of illy coffee it's a fun ride. It takes a little getting used to, but once you get your sea legs you'll be fine.

11. Hawaiian Grill: CLOSED
Hawaiian Grill is located on Hotel street. Their Poki is good and spicy. If you like fruity drinks ask for Andrews secret punch mixture.

12. Diamond Restaurant:
Chinese more your cup of tea? Try Diamond restaurant across from Wild Bills. This hole in the wall place has real decent food for very reasonable prices.

13. Samurai:
Located upstairs next to Remmington's. Japanese food prepared with care. Tiny place, great ambiance.

14. Shenanigans:
Located across from Winchell's in Garapan. New restaurant with a well respected cook. Good eats. If they'd offer slightly bigger portions I think this could be a hungry diver favorite.

Other places to check out: Abyss (fish restaurant), Cafe at the Park (American), Mom's Round Two (Burgers), Len (Japanese)

Boyscout Beach

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BOYSCOUT 1 & 2 (B/S): Both Boyscout beaches are rarely visited by divers or anybody else for that matter, because they are hard to get to. The picture above is the view of Boyscout One from the top of the road to Obyan Beach. If conditions are like they are in the picture above, Boyscout should be divable. A dirt road runs to close to where the two beaches are, this road can be quite over grown at times.

From where you park it is a short hike to the beach and especially the 1st beach is a bit of a scramble down some rocks. Divers who go through the trouble of getting to the beach are awarded with beautiful coral and white sand. Some of the largest clams can be found here. On a calm day you can do a surface swim from the second beach to Naftan and dive all the way back. Getting in and out of the water can be tricky as there are no ropes.

Boyscout 1 Entry & Exit

Once at the beach the easiest place to enter and exit at Boyscout 1 would be straight out from the mushroom rock. In the picture you can see a pool of blue water in front on the rock; a swimthrough takes you out towards the ocean.

Boyscout 2 Entry & Exit

The easiest entry & exit at Bouscout 2 is to walk straight in and out from the North end of the beach.

Current: Ranges from None to Strong. BEWARE: The currents can be strong on this part of the island and pick up in no time. Be sure to plan your dive accordingly.

Visibility: 80ft - 100ft

Boat diving: Boyscout 1 has a mooring buoy for small boats straight out from the mushroom rock. Boyscout 2 does not have a mooring buoy. Best way to dive these sites from a boat right now is to do a drift dive in the direction of Obyan.

Obyan Beach

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OBYAN BEACH (B/S)- Located near Naftan Point, this site has some of the best visibility on the island. On a good day, there will be 150 + feet of visibility. After entering through the first reef, there is a beautiful patch reef with hundreds of small fish and some interesting animals to see. The second reef starts at about 50 feet where one finds Barracuda, sharks, and garden eels. This dive site is ideal for all skill levels, especially people interested in photography.

Visibility: 50ft - 150ft

Current: Ranges from none to moderate. If a current is present, drifting from the East side of the beach to the West side (the current is usually East to West) is an excellent option.

Spotlight

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SPOT LIGHT (B)- This dive site is very close to Banzai and as with Banzai only accessible during a brief time period. This cavern dive is named Spot Light, because when the sun shine through a hole in the top of the cavern, it is like a spotlight shining on a stage. There is always the possibility of seeing large fish and animals such as turtles and sharks. The cavern has some of the largest lionfish you've ever seen.

Current: None to Moderate

Visibility: 50ft - 100ft

Click here for Google Earth Image

I am looking for some good pictures from Spotlight to add to this page, if you are willing to share drop me a line at rsikkel@pticom.com

Wing Beach

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WING BEACH (B/S)- A fantastic dive that can be done from the beach or a boat. Wing Beach is located on the northwest part of the island. There are some great geographical features here, such as large crevasses and breathtaking drop-offs. This site is well known for Shark encounters, Giant Moray Eels, and Spanish Dancers at night. As a Beach dive Wing is only divable for a short time during the year. The entry and exit can be hairy when the water is rough.

Wing Beach is a turtle nesting site and if you are lucky you might run into turtles hatching.

Visibility: 50ft. - 100ft.

Click here for Google Earth Image

Current: None to Strong. Currents can be strong and usually run away from the entry and exit cut when beach diving, meaning you will start your dive with the current. Plan your dive accordingly and dive with someone who has done this site before, before you attempt it by yourself.

Banzai

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BANZAI CLIFF (B)- A beautiful pinnacle or wall located on the North side of the island. There is only a brief time during the year when conditions are suitable for diving, but it is well worth the wait if you like the big blue dives. If you are offered the chance to do this dive, don't pass it up. The coral on top of the pinnacle (which is only 45ft.) is exceptional and since it rises out of the blue large fish such as sharks, rays, tuna, napoleon wrasses are often seen.

Depths range from 45ft to 130+ft.

Season: June - September

Current: None to Strong. Because of the currents this site is only divable a brief time during the year. Even during the season currents can be very strong.

Visibility: 80ft - 150ft.

Click here for Google Earth Image

Naftan

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NAFTAN (B)- One of the best wall dives in the CNMI, with amazing visibility and fish live, located on the southern tip of the island. The top of the wall starts at 45 feet and goes down to over 130 feet. On the top portion, there are some great coral formations that are home to huge clams among other things. As one starts to descend on the wall, you will find magnificent fan coral and colorful animal life. Since this dive is at the edge of the abyss there is always the possibility of running into the larger fish like Napoleon Wrasses, Groupers, and Sharks.

Visibility: 80ft -150ft

Current: None to Strong. BEWARE: The currents can be strong on this part of the island and pick up in no time. Be sure to plan your dive accordingly.

Dimple

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DIMPLE (B)- This is a seamount on the Western side of Saipan. Entering the water you will see a large school of Red Snappers in the distance, towards the base you will find hundreds butterfly fish. Eagle Rays, Eels, and Surgeons are also seen often. Depth on this dive ranges from 40 feet to 130 feet making it suitable for all skill levels.

Visibility: 50ft - 100ft.

Current: None to Moderate.

The Grotto

2007-08-20T23:59:00.000+10:00

The GROTTO (S)- Considered by many as one of the best cavern dives in the world is a Must Do dive site in Saipan.

The Stairs: The 117 steps (I've counted them) that take you down into this huge sinkhole will help you work up a sweat, making the giant stride into the cool water wonderfully refreshing. After the dive most divers bounce back up the stairs ready to change their tanks and to do it all over again. Okay, so they don't really bounce and the 100+ steps feel more like 200 on the way up, but it is part of the experience and I haven't met anyone yet who thought that the climb wasn't worth it!

From the central cavern divers can take three different exit holes out to open ocean. Once outside, there are beautiful walls, swim-throughs, and caves to explore. Turtles and Clown Triggerfish are some of the many types of sea life to be seen at this magnificent dive site. Several resident White Tip Sharks lounge on the bottom during the day.

Tip: Bring a light. Eventhough this is a cavern and there is natural light to guide your way. You would enjoy looking around in the carvern more if you can could what is hiding in the darker corners. Lots of cowries, nudebranchs, and firescallops can be found inside the cavern.

Note: It is recommended you do this dive with a local dive guide, because of the overhead environment and a little local knowledge will make the getting in and out of the water so much easier. Diveshops use the general guideline that you should have over 15 logged dives to attempt this dive.

Depth: 50ft - 150+ ft

Visibility: 50ft - 150ft.

Current: Inside the cavern there is no current to speak of. Going through the holes you might feel a surge when the water is rougher. On the ocean side the current ranges from mild to moderate.

Icecream

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ICE CREAM (B)- Is a seamount located on the west side of Saipan that is home to eels and octopus. Swimming slow circles around the site you will have plenty of time to explore every inch of this beautiful site.

It is not uncommon for a couple of Eagle Rays to visit the site. They are skittish though and the best way to view them is by letting them approach you instead of the other way around. The base of the seamount is at 50-60 feet and the top at 18 feet.

Visibility: 40ft - 100ft

Current: None to Moderate. When the swells are South, West or Southwest you can feel them underwater creating a Waltz effect.

Eagle Ray City

2007-08-19T13:35:00.000+10:00

EAGLE RAY CITY (B)- Eagle Ray City is one of the most unique dives in Saipan. Rising out of the sand at a depth of 30 feet is a rocky formation that on a good day will have up to 40 Eagle Rays hanging out. While divers hold on to the rock Eagle Rays glide overhead. Do not approach the rays. If you wait long enough the naturally curious animal will come and check you out. At times they will hover mere inches above your head.

Season: October - April

Visibility: ~100 ft.

Current: General rule here is; the stronger the current the more Eagle Rays you will see. Using the anchor line to make your way to the bottom it is only a short swim to the rock. By staying close to the bottom and sticking your fingers in the sand you should have no problem getting to the rock formation. Reef hook is not needed.

Tip: Bring 2lbs extra weight that way you'll sit nicely on the bottom.

This tawny nurse shark was hiding at the rock formation at Eagle Ray City.

Lau Lau Beach

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LAU LAU BEACH (S) - With an easy beach entry and one of the largest reefs on the island, this is one of Saipan's the most frequently visited sites. Lau Lau has an array of Wrasses, Butterfly Fish, Surgeons, Snappers, and more. At times large balls of Big Eye Skad hang out just outside the the cut in the reef.

For the diver that likes to go slow, you will also have frequent encounters with nudibranchs, scorpionfish, and octopus.

Spinycrown Scorpionfish

Octopus

This is an ideal dive site for beginners and if you do your SCUBA certification in Saipan you will most likely end up doing at least one or two dives at Lau Lau. For people interested in smaller, more colorful animals Lau Lau is an ideal site. You can stay shallow and get dives in that will last over an hour or two if you are good on air. If you look closely you might even find a Leaffish, a Helmet Gurnard or a Banded Snake Eel.

Leaffish

Lau Lau's Big Eye Skad (Atulai) - This is a little clip of the largest school of Atulai I have seen at Lau Lau to date. This video was taken last year with my crappy camera, but it is still pretty impressive. The dark areas you see on the background are more Skad. The Skad are out there right now and the school is growing steadily. Go check it out!

Click here for a Google Earth Image of Lau Lau

Visibility: 40 ft - 100ft

Current: None

B-29/Emily

2007-08-19T13:30:00.000+10:00

B-29/Emily (B)- Okay, so it is not a B-29 like the name let you to believe. The wreck is that of a Japanese H8K or Type 2 Large Flying Boat. The Allied reporting name for this type of plane was 'Emily'. The Emily was an Imperial Japanese Navy Flying boat used during World War II for maritime patrol duties. Because its defensive armament made it a nasty customer to deal with the Allied pilots also called it the "Flying Porcupine".

The 4 large props, guarded by Jewel Damselfish, are still in tact as is most of the wing. White Tip Sharks can sometimes be found under the wings.

The nose of the plane with the 7.7 mm machine gun still sticking out can been seen off to the side. A chair and control panel lie close by. At 30 feet this is a good dive for photography.

Visibility: 80 - 100 ft

Current: Ranges from none to medium.

See some of the pictures used to verify the make of the airplane

Saipan Dive Sites

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Saipan offers a wide variety of great dives. Listed below are the sites that are most commonly visited by divers, but its a big ocean out there and there's always new places to be explored. By clicking the Dive Site Name you will be linked to a site with more information about and pictures of the particular dive site that interests you.

(B) Boat dive (S) Shore dive

EAGLE RAY CITY (B)- Eagle Ray City was one of the most unique dives in Saipan. Rising out of the sand at a depth 30 feet is a rocky formation that on a good day would have up to 40 Eagle Rays hanging out. While divers held on to the rock Eagle Rays would glide overhead. For some reason the rays no longer congregate in the same spot. Eagle Rays can still be seen in Saipan.

ICE CREAM (B)- A seamount located on the west side of Saipan that is home to eels and octopus. It is not uncommon for a couple of Eagle Rays to visit the site. This is a shallow dive with the base of the seamount at 50 feet and the top at 18 feet.

LAU LAU BEACH (S) - With an easy beach entry and one of the largest reefs on the island, this is one of Saipan's most frequently visited sites. Lau Lau has an array of Wrasses, Butterfly Fish, Surgeons, Big Eye Skad, Snappers, and more. For the diver that likes to go slow, you will also have frequent encounters with nudibranchs, scorpionfish, and octopus. This is an ideal dive site for beginners or people interested in smaller, more colorful animals.

DIMPLE (B)- This is a seamount on the Western side of Saipan. Entering the water you will see a large school of Red Snappers in the distance, towards the base you will find hundreds butterfly fish. Eagle Rays, eels, and Surgeons are also seen often. Depth on this dive ranges from 40 feet to 130 feet making it suitable for all skill levels.

NAFTAN (B)- One of the best wall dives in the CNMI, with amazing visibility and fish live, located on the southern tip of the island. The top of the wall starts at 45 feet and goes down to over 130 feet. On the top portion, there are some great coral formations that are home to huge clams among other things. As one starts to descend on the wall, you will find magnificent fan coral and colorful animal life. Since this dive is at the edge of the abyss there is always the possibility of running into the larger fish like Napoleon Wrasses and Sharks.

CHINSEN MARU (B)- Chinsen Maru is a large Japanese freighter that sits at 30 foot of depth in the lagoon. The ship has been in the water for over 50 years, allowing for some significant coral growth as well as becoming a home to thousands of fish. There are monstrous Red Snappers as well as Big Eye Emperors patrolling the wreck while huge schools of Goat Fish sit on top. The wreck is probably the best place on island to find Stonefish, several Stonefish call Chinsen home. To top it off a resident White Tip rests underneath the wreck.

BANZAI CLIFF (B)- A beautiful wall located on the North side of the island. There is only a brief time during the year when conditions are suitable for diving, but it is well worth the wait if you like the big blue dives. Large pelagic fish such as sharks, rays, huge tuna, and dolphins are often seen. There are also amazing anemones and coral formations. This is an advanced dive due to the depths and currents.

WING BEACH (B/S)- A fantastic dive that can be done from the beach or a boat. Wing Beach is located on the northwest part of the island. There are some great geographical features here, such as large crevasses and breathtaking drop-offs. This site is well known for shark encounters and Spanish Dancers at night. A drift dive from a boat is the best way to do this dive.

SPOT LIGHT (B)- This dive site is very close to Banzai and as with Banzai only accessible during a brief time period. This cavern dive is named Spot Light, because when the sun shine through a hole in the top of the cavern, it is like a spotlight shining on a stage. There is always the possibility of seeing large fish and animals such as turtles and sharks. The cavern has some of the largest lionfish you've ever seen.

GROTTO (S)- Considered by many as one of the best cavern dives in the world , this Must Do dive site in Saipan is sure to amaze you. After a giant stride into the water from a rock in the cavern, divers can take three different exit holes out to open ocean. Once outside, there are beautiful walls, swim-throughs, and caves to explore. Turtles and Clown Triggerfish are some of the many types of sea life to be seen at this magnificent dive site. Several resident White Tip Sharks lounge on the bottom during the day.

OBYAN BEACH (B/S)- Located near Naftan Point, this site has some of the best visibility on the island. On a good day, there will be 150 + feet of visibility. After entering through the first reef, there is a beautiful patch reef with hundreds of small fish and some interesting animals to see. The second reef starts at about 50 feet where one finds Barracuda, sharks, and garden eels. This dive site is ideal for all skill levels, especially people interested in photography.

B-29/EMILY (B)- Okay, so the wreck is not a B-29 the name let you to believe, but that of a Japanese H8K or Type 2 Large Flying Boat. The Allied reporting name for this type of plane was Emily. The Emily was an Imperial Japanese Navy Flying boat used during World War II for maritime patrol duties. The 4 large props are still in tact as is most of the wing. The gun turret can been seen off the side. A chair and control panel lie close by. At 30 ft of depth this is an easy and relaxing dive.

BOYSCOUT 1 & 2 (B/S) - Both Boyscout beaches are rarely visited by divers or anybody else for that matter, because they are hard to get to. Diver who go through the trouble are awarded with beautiful coral and white sand. Some of the largest clams can be found here. On a calm day you can do a surface swim from the second beach to Naftan and dive all the way back to the beach.

RYUGUH - Saipan Newest divesite. Depth starts at 100ft. I refer to it as Saipan's Little Palau.

Saipan Sights & Activities

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Saipan has some amazing spots and activities not always visited/experienced its by visitors. Click on the links for more information on the particular sites and activities.

Snorkeling & Swimming:

Managaha Island, Pau Pau Beach and Wing Beach are probably the easiest places to snorkel without having to go outside the reef. For the more adventurous snorkeler, try the Boyscout beaches.

Managaha Island: One of the most popular sites on island. Amazing beaches with some of the best snorkeling on Saipan.

The nicest sandy beaches are probably Managaha Island, Micro Beach in front of the Hyatt, and the beach just South of Sugar Dock.

Outrigger Canoeing:

No visit to Saipan would be complete without having tried outrigger canoeing. There are 3 canoe clubs on island; Saipan Fatuul, Napu, and Saipan Outrigger Canoe Club, contact them and they'd be more than willing to show you the finer points of paddling.

Hiking:

Mt. Tapochau: See the whole island from the top of Mt. Tapochau

The best way to see some of the more hidden places of Saipan is by hiking. As of right now there are no established hiking trails so having a local show you around would be your best option. Another good way to get of the beaten path is to run the hash. The Saipan Hash House Harriers meet every Saturday (3:30 or 4 pm) at the bank of Guam in Garapan.

Forbidden Island: One of my favorite spots on the island. A 15 min hike along a trail takes you down to a deserted beach with a swimming hole and a hidden pool inside a cave.

Elusive Natives

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You can still find them on Saipan, but this one didn't get this big by showing himself too often. The Coconut Crab (Ayuyu) is considered a delicacy and you will have a hard time finding one this size.

Coconut Crab (Ayuyu)

The Marianas Megapode (Sasangat) is possibly even harder to find than the Coconut Crab. Good thing they don't taste very good!

Micronesian Megapode (Sasangat)

The Monitor Lizard likes the bask in the morning sun on the many dirt roads of Saipan.

Monitor Lizard

Two natives still missing from my list are the Marianas Fruitbat and the Japanese Eel. I've seen them, I know where to find them, just haven't had my camera handy.

Rota Dive Sites

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Tranquil Rota is a hop and a skip (by plane) away from Saipan. Diving in Rota is ideal for observing the many different fish indigenous to these waters. Here are just a couple of the many Rota Dive Sites. Check out the following link from Dive Rota for more in depth information.

SHOUN MARU (B)- A WWII Japanese freighter that is large enough to dive several times. There are many interesting items inside the ship such as tanks, bikes, and bathtubs. The visibility is usually exceptional so divers can see the whole length of the ship. In the sand around the ship there is a large colony of Garden Eels.

CORAL GARDEN (B)-From a depth of 15 feet to 60 + feet, you will find a variety of coral formations and over 50 different species of colorful tropical fish. Octopus, nudibranchs, sharks, and turtles can also be found here. This is a protected area, collecting shells or artifacts and the taking of any sea life is prohibited.

SENHANON CAVE/ROTA HOLE (B)- The most popular dive site in Rota is an advanced dive that is done from a boat. The diver enters the cavern from the ocean at about 40 feet. Once inside there are many schools of fish and sometimes lobster. However, the highpoint of the dive is when the light shines through the opening in top of the cavern.

TABLE TOP (B)- This is an interesting geographical feature created by two adjoining seamounts at 15 feet to 90+ feet of water. On the backside little Gobies and various shells live in the sand. On the ocean side, the variety and numbers of fish surrounding the diver will make an enjoyable dive.

Tinian Dive Sites

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Tinian and its pristine waters is a short 45 min boat ride away from Saipan. The water is such a deep blue at times that I have had customers scoop up the water in their hand expecting it to be blue. Clicking the dive site name links you to more information on the particular site.

FLEMING (B)- The best wall dive in the CNMI. The site has great coral formations and is abundant with smaller animals and fish. The wall drops off to more than 200 feet and has some of the best visibility on Tinian. When diving along the side of the wall in this crystal clear water you would think you were flying.

TWIN CORAL (B)- The name of the site comes from the two coral formations sitting next to each other. The boat moors between the two and the divers are free to explore. The site is also known as Turtle Point for obvious reasons. The fish life here is fantastic with varieties of Parrot Fish, Grouper, Damsel Fish, and more. With great visibility, Two Coral Head is a photographer’s dream.

DUMP COVE (B)- This is a relic dive with many artifacts from WWII such as planes, tanks, ammunition, and jeeps that were pushed of the cliff directly from the North Field. Dump Cove is also a turtle feeding ground so the chances of running into a turtle are very high.

TINIAN GROTTO (B)- This is the most popular cavern in Tinian. With three main entry points into the cavern, most divers enter from the hole on top finding a beautiful room inside. The cavern is a great place to find Lionfish. For the more experienced divers a wall that reaches into oblivion is nearby. At the end of the dive, look back towards the cavern to see tiny bubbles escaping from the inside.

GOAT ISLAND/AGUIJAN (B) - Goat Island is a small island to the South West of Tinian. The dive sites around the island are some of the best kept dive secrets in the CNMI waters, they don't even have names! Very few operators venture that far from Saipan, but the diving is well worth the trip and money. If nothing else, sharks are common and they are not shy.

Saipan Dive Boat Companies

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Local divers can book a spot on any one of these dive boats. The companies usually have a set schedule for the day. Half and full day charters are available. Prices range from $30-$50 for a two tank dive depending on the dive sites. Price does not include gear or dive guide. Boat companies reserve the right to refuse anyone if they feel the divers are not experienced enough to dive without guide.

Blue Sea Sports: Japanese owned dive boat charter located in Susupe. Tel: (670) 234-7903 FAX: (670) 234-9497 E-mail: bluesea@pticom.com

Coral Dive: (670) 233-0690/(670) 483-6519 Email: jun@coraldive.com

Dolphin Quest: Call Captain Fred (670) 287-6533

Pacific Quest: Owned and operated by Captain Lee. Tel: (670) 235-0669/(670) 287-1073

Saipan Aquajet: Enjoy boat diving and snorkeling on Saipan and Tinian. Owned and operated by Scott Eck. Phone (670) 233-8633 Fax (670) 233-4329 E-mail aquajet@pticom.com

Saipan Dive Shops

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The island of Saipan has a large number of diveshops, the vast majority being Japanese diveshops. I have made an effort to list most of them below. If I have the wrong information on the diveshop or missed one feel free to leave a comment with the contact information of the diveshop in question.

(E) - Indicates that I am 100% sure the diveshop has English speaking staff for instruction.

Ace Tomato: Garapan. Tel: 670-233-3483

Aqua Connections: Located in Garapan. Tel: 670-233-3304

(E) Aquasmith: A one-stop service PADI dive shop located in Garapan offering a wide selection of fun dive packages and certification of all levels of divers in English and Japanese. Owned and operated by Morito Asai. Tel: 670-233-5055 Fax: 670-233-5055 Email: dive@aquasmith.com

Aqua Del Ray: Email: adr@itecnmi.com

Big Dog: San Jose. Tel: 670-235-7706

Blue Sea Sports: Susupe. Tel: 670-234-7903

CMLC ARTHA: Tel: 670-234-9157 Fax: 670-234-9149 Email: cmlc.sgh@vzpacifica.net

Dive Saipan: Formerly known as All American Divers. Korean owned dive shop located in Garapan. Tel: 670-235-8505 Fax: 670-235-8506 Email: aad@saipan.com

Lighthouse Diving Shop: Run by 'Ken.' Tel: 670-256-5473/483-7585 Email: lighthousedive2005@hotmail.com

(E) Mariana Sports Club: MSC is a Japanese owned PADI diveshop located in Gualo Rai offering instruction in English and Japanese. Run by NMDOA vice president Hitoshi "Toshi" Yamaguchi. MSC is a five-star PADI dive center that has been accident free since it was established in 1972. Tel: 670-233-0670/1234 Fax: 670-233-1234 Email: msc@pticom.com

Mermaid Saipan: Capitol Hill. Tel: 670-322-0563

Pal Divers: Garapan. Tel: 670-233-5066

S2 Club: Tel: 670-322-5079 Fax: 670-322-5082 Email: s2saipan@vzpacifica.net

Sea Force: Owned and operated by Sakamatsu-san. Located in Oleai. Tel: 670-235-8303/670-286-1212 Fax: 670-235-8303 Email: sakamatsu@saipan.com

Sea Lovers: Tel: 670-233-5216/483-9040 Fax: 670-233-5216 Email: shigeru@sealovers-saipan.com

(E) Speedy Tertle: Russian owned NAUI diveshop located in Garapan. Tel: 670-234-6284 Fax: 670-234-6286 Email: sasha@speedytertle.com

Super Fish Diving: Tanapag. Tel: 323-7772

Wondersea: Tel: 670-233-7011/483-7011 Email: wondersea@saipan.com

World Pinnacle: Tel: 670-234-7031/670-888-5785 Fax: 670-234-7031 Email: saipan@worldpinnacle.com

When on Rota check with Mark from Dive Rota: Dive Rota, P.O. Box 941, Rota MP 96951 E-mail: mark@diverota.com

Chinsen Maru

2007-08-17T13:15:00.000+10:00

CHINSEN MARU (B)- Chinsen Maru (or really Shohan Maru) is a Japanese Freighter that sits at 30 foot of depth in the lagoon. The ship has been in the water for over 50 years, allowing for some significant coral growth as well as becoming a home to thousands of fish.

The wreck is probably the best place on island to find Stonefish (not to be confused with scorpionfish), several Stonefish call Chinsen home. Watch where you put your hands, they are amazingly cryptic.

There are monstrous Red Snappers as well as Big Eye Emperors patrolling the wreck while huge schools of Goat Fish sit on top. To top it all off a resident White Tip rests underneath the wreck.

Visibility: Ranges from 150 ft on a good day to 50 ft on a crummy day. When the viz in bad it gives the wreck this eerie look making for still a really good dive.

Current: Ranges from none to moderate.

* If you are lucky you might even have an encounter with the yellow submarine.

Stonefish vs Scorpionfish

2007-08-17T10:17:00.000+10:00

For some reason divers have a hard time telling these two fishes apart. Stonefishes although closely related to scorpionfishes differ by lacking scales.

Stonefish are extremely cryptic with large head with upturned eyes and mouth, fringed lips, tiny eyes, and leathery skin with wartlike projections and short tassles. This hideous creature is probably the world's most venomous fish. Beneath its skin are grooved spines along its back, each with a large venom sack at its base. The stonefish has been responsible for numerous debilitating and occasionally fatal injuries. The wounds are extremely painful and may result in death of the surrounding tissues or loss of the wounded fingers or toes.

Stonefish

Most scorpionfishes aren't quite as cryptic as the stonefish. Pictured below is one of the more common scorpionfishes in the CNMI, the Spinycrown Scorpionfish.

Scorpionfish

Venemous fish are rarely aggressive and usually contact is made by accidentally stepping on or handling the fish. Venom is generally heat-labile and may be decomposed by hot water. Antivenim is available for stonefish and scorpionfish stings. The anti venom is specific for the stonefish but may have some beneficial effects against the scorpionfish.

Local symptoms following a sting include severe pain which may persist for many days. Generalized symptoms are often present and may include respiratory failure and cardiovascular collapse.

First Aid and Treatment:

1. Get victim out of the water; watch for fainting.

2. Lay patient down and reassure.

3. Observe patient carefully for the possible development of life threatening complications. The venom is an unstable protein which acts as a myotoxin on skeletal, involuntary, and cardiac muscle. This may result in muscular paralysis, respiratory depression, peripheral vasodilation, shock, cardiac dysrhytmias, or cardiac arrest.

4. Wash the wound with cold salt water. Suction is not effective to remove toxin.

5. Soak wound in hot water for 30 to 90 minutes. Heat may break down the venom. The water should be as hot as the victim can tolerate. Adding magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) to the water offers no benefit.

6. If anti venom is used, the directions on the package should be followed and the physician must be ready to treat for anaphylactic shock (severe allergic reaction).

Name this critter...

2007-08-17T09:50:00.001+10:00

Nope, it is not a dead bird underwater. This guy here was actually the first one of its kind to be recorded in the CNMI. Thank you! Scientific name is Eurypegasus draconis. This bizarre little fish is a rarely seen dweller of sandy bottoms that feeds on minute invertabrates.

Short dragonfish

Enriched Air/Nitrox

2007-08-16T14:15:00.000+10:00

Price: Depending on diveshop

Time: 2-3 days

Air consumption no longer the controling factor during your dive? Add more bottom time by diving Nitrox. I am qualified to teach several other specialties, email me for details at rsikkel@pticom.com

Divemaster

2007-08-16T14:13:00.001+10:00

Price: depending on length of the course

Time: 2 weeks - 1 month

Learn all there is to know about diving and earn a little extra pocket money doing what you love. Email me for details at rsikkel@pticom.com

PADI Rescue Course

2007-08-16T13:39:00.000+10:00

Price: $300-$400 (depending on the diveshop)

Time: 3 days - week

Course includes extensive rescue technique training in confined water and four rescue scenarios in open water. As with all the courses, rental gear, PADI book, and transportation are provided.

PADI Advanced Open Water

2007-08-16T13:11:00.000+10:00

Price: $300 - $350 (depending on the diveshop)

Time: 2 - 3 days

The Advanced course consists of 5 dives, PADI book, rental gear, and transportation. The deep and navigation dives are mandatory. You decide which adventure dives you would like to do for the 3 remaining dives.

PADI Open Water

2007-08-16T12:58:00.000+10:00

Price: $300-$400 (depending on the diveshop)

Time: 3 days to a week.

The course includes 5 confined water dives, 4 open water dives (beach), PADI book, rental gear, and transportation.

Weather permitting, two dives will be done at Lao Lao and two at Obyan. If you would rather do boat dives this can be arranged. Email me for details at rsikkel@pticom.com

HAFA ADIVE

Diving in Saipan

Eagle Ray at Icecream

Mystery Balls

11/30/08 Obyan

11/29/08 Lao Lao & Grotto

12/6/08 Sugar Dock & Obyan

9/27/08 Wing Beach and Wing Arches

Capt. Marvel

Agingan Point Project

Muck Diving

Mariannense or Fasciola?

Pure Gold

Pau Pau Beach

Wing Beach

Managha Island

Strange Sightings

Did Kamikaze Pilots wear Helmets?

10/04/07

10/03/07

9/30/07

9/28/07

9/26/07

9/25/07

9/24/07

9/16/07

Tawny Nurse Shark

H8K Emily Pictures

No Sting Ray

About Saipan

9/11/07

Concealed Weapon

9/09/07

9/8/07

9/5/07

9/3/07

9/2/07

9/1/07

8/30/07

Blackened Catfish

8/27/07

Saipan Hotels

Dive Log

About me

8/29/07

Fleming

Dump Cove

Tinian Grotto Image

Twin Corals

Twin Corals

Tinian Grotto

Lau Lau Beach Image

Wing Beach Image

Banzai & Spotlight Image

Map of Saipan

Richard's Saipan Restaurant Picks

Boyscout Beach

Obyan Beach

Spotlight

Wing Beach

Banzai

Naftan

Dimple

The Grotto

More Diving Links

Icecream

Eagle Ray City

Lau Lau Beach

B-29/Emily

Saipan Dive Sites

Saipan Sights & Activities

Elusive Natives

Rota Dive Sites

Tinian Dive Sites

Saipan Dive Boat Companies

Saipan Dive Shops

Chinsen Maru

Stonefish vs Scorpionfish

Name this critter...

Enriched Air/Nitrox