The largest of the Marianas Islands, Saipan is also the most heavily populated. With fantastic attractions topside and exceptional diving opportunities beneath the clear, blue water that surrounds it, this island offers everything from relaxing snorkel sites to steep walls and cliffs. There are many excellent dive sites to explore around Saipan, but as is true with most areas, some really do stand out from the crowd. Here are seven to help you begin planning for your Marianas vacation.
Obyan Beach
A fun site for all divers, and popular for training as well as snorkeling, Obyan Beach can be accessed from shore or by boat. Offering depths between 15 and 60 feet, and sometimes featuring visibility up to 150 feet, the site is home to a wealth of reef fish, including butterfly fish and angelfish, Moorish idols and brilliant blue tangs, puffer fish, and lots of different species of wrasse.
If you do this as a shore dive, you’ll see a dilapidated piece of artillery called a Pillbox onshore, and from there, you can take a path that leads to a rope anchored inside a break in the coral plateau near the beach. After snorkeling for a short distance, you’ll come to a deeper cut in the reef which leads to the edge of the reef’s outer boundary. The hard coral here is splendid, and if you are fortunate, you’ll encounter green sea turtles, sharks, and barracuda as you explore. Be careful not to touch or move any of the leftover WWII artillery shells you might find, as they are susceptible to exploding. Snorkelers should be careful to stay in the sheltered area closer to shore, since there is a bit of surge outside that can push even the strongest swimmer up against the coral near the reef top.
Lau Lau Beach
Easy to access from shore, Lau Lau Beach offers one of Saipan’s largest reefs and is one of the most popular dive and snorkel sites here. Busy at times, it is still worth a visit, particularly as the marine life is spectacular. With wrasse and butterfly fish in abundance, it is also home to well-concealed stonefish and octopus, along with nudibranchs and lots of crustaceans. While maximum depth is at 60 feet, there is lots to see in much shallower water! Watch for big Moorish idols, which sometimes even form loose schools along the outer edges of the reef, and keep an eye out for sharks and turtles as well. Although they usually leave when the site gets crowded, they can usually be seen very early in the morning.
Naftan
Beginning at 45 feet, the wall at Naftan drops away to more than 130 feet deep. With hard coral formations and giant clams perched on its top, and splendid cracks and grottoes on its steep surface, the wall is home to an almost unbelievable array of marine life. Inspect the sea fans in search of nudibranchs, and look for leggy crabs clinging tenaciously to their rocky perches. Napoleon wrasse, butterfly fish, Moorish idols and other reef species are here in abundance, and you have a good chance of encountering pelagics, including sharks and eagle rays, if you keep an eye out. Suitable for all divers the site is ideal for photography and is sometimes subject to current.
Banzai Cliff
Located on Saipan’s north side, Banzai Cliff is only diveable when conditions are ideal, but if you can make it, the site is fantastic. Huge pelagic fish, sharks and rays, and even dolphins are encountered here, and the anemones, with their colonies of clownfish, are splendid. Suitable only for experienced divers, Banzai Cliff is subject to strong currents, and drops away to more than 130 feet. Be sure to pay careful attention to your depth as you explore.
Eagle Ray City
If the idea of swimming with more than a dozen eagle rays at a time excites you, then a trip to Eagle Ray City is definitely in order. With rock formations that rise up out of the sand, and maximum depth at just 30 feet, this site is suitable for all divers and is excellent for photography. Besides the eagle rays, you’ll find an assortment of small reef fish and quite a few crustaceans.
The Grotto
One of the most incredible cavern dives you may ever experience, and certainly one to add to your bucket list, The Grotto is one of Saipan’s best dive sites. You begin by entering the water through a huge limestone hole in the cliff above the surface, and find yourself in a huge cavern where small tunnels and larger holes lead out toward the open sea. Suitable even for snorkelers and swimmers to explore inside, the site is one of those rare caverns that is large enough for even newer divers to safely enjoy. There is a mooring buoy inside, and the site is well lit from above. Filled with a colorful array of fish, including clown triggerfish, the Grotto features many walls and adjacent caves, swimthroughs, and patches of sand where sharks can be seen lounging during the day. Turtles like the cavern, too.
The Grotto offers depths from 0-60 feet, and an additional feature outside is a second cavern located on the wall between 40 and 50 feet below the surface. Called the Bat Cave, it is hard to find without a local guide, and a trip inside requires careful air consumption since you’ve got to go back into the Grotto itself to exit the site safely. Do not attempt to surface outside, as the surge is intense and dangerous.
Spot Light
Like Banzai, Spot Light is often undiveable due to strong current. Named for the sun that shines like a spotlight through the hole in the cavern roof, the site is a good place to encounter white tip reef sharks and turtles, along with countless crustaceans and colorful reef fish. There are enormous rock formations on the cavern floor; look around to see if you can find the huge lionfish that can usually be found lurking around the rocks.
With many excellent resorts and several competent dive shops, plus shore diving opportunities, Saipan is a wonderful place to enjoy a relaxing vacation. Be sure to explore your options a few months before your trip so you can visit the sites you want to see most.