| Diving Sites East Coasts
¡@Water temperatures on the East Coast range from about 21.5 degrees to 29.5 degrees Celsius throughout the year. when rising currents bring water up from the depths, however, quite cold temperature can be observed in the surface layer. The visibility here is 5 to 15 meters. ¡@In general, the water farther offshore is clearer than that farther in. Tidal flows, the emptying of river into the sea here, and the mud and sand that cover the bottom all make for coastal waters of less than ideal clarity, and inclement weather makes the area even less suitable for diving. The water along this coast is relatively clear only on spring and summer days when the sea is calm. Huge waves are a frequent occurrence during the northeastern monsoon season, so diving is not advised from November through March. East Coast Diving Sites 1.Shihtiping¡@¡¹¡¹ ¡@This is the finest diving area in Hualien County. The diving area is within 50 meters of the shore; the bottom slopes gently, and the water depth is only 6 to 8 meters. The bottom is formed of pebbles and scattered reefs, and a number of soft coral growths provide for interesting scenery. Water currents within the diving area are gentle and safe.
Caution: No collecting or fishing is allowed in this area. ¡¯Suitable for snorkeling as well as beginning and intermediate level diving. 2.Sanhsientai Islet(Sanhsientai to Paishoulien)¡@¡¹¡¹ ¡@This area stretches northward from the bridge at Sanhsientai to the pebble beach. This is a reef type shoreline characterized by a stretch of coral reefs rising from the ocean floor. The underwater scenery from the Chihui Anchorage to south of Sanhsientai can compare in beauty to the best that Taiwan's southern coast has to offer, making for the most spectacular diving on the East Coast. ¡°Caution: Some spots here have rapid currents and large waves that call for special attention. ¡¯Suitable for intermediate and advanced level scuba diving. 3.Shanyuan¡@¡¹¡¹ ¡@This diving area reaches from Shanyuan Beach north to the vicinity of Tulan. The sea floor has large rounded stones and stone reefs covering the thick mud bottom, which results in rather turbid water. There is also coral, mainly of the Subergorgiidae and Milleporidae as well as blue coral types, with reef fish consisting primarily of damselfishes and butterflyfishes. ¡¯Suitable for snorkeling and beginning level scuba diving.
Note:The number of stars indicates general diving quality.
|
¡@The East Coast shoreline faces the Pacific Ocean and stretches about 200 kilometers from the mouth of the Hualien River in the north to Little Yehliu at Taitung in the south. In general, the coast here is a fault line with a coastal slope that is very steep. Since this area is the first part of Taiwan to be hit by the northeastern monsoons of winter and the typhoons of summer, there is a great deal of sea erosion. The bottom here is characterized by great differences in depth due to the precipitous slope;
there are few reefs, with most of the cover being pebbles of all sizes, so that the underwater scenery here is not so complex and changeable as that of the northeastern and southern parts of Taiwan. Coral growths are not well developed, but the passage of the Japan Current nearby produces abundant fishery resources. The number of fish species is greater than on the Northeast Coast, and the winter season brings a flourishing growth of algae that is rarely seen elsewhere and results in abundant numbers of cru taceans and shellfish.