Green Island (Lüdao) Diving — Taiwan

Green Island (Lüdao) is a volcanic island off Taiwan's southeast coast, warmed by the Kuroshio Current and home to one of the world's few saltwater hot springs you can dive near. Green turtles are abundant year-round, and the healthy coral coverage supports excellent macro life. Budget-friendly prices and short ferry or flight from Taitung make it highly accessible for Asia-based divers.

Score
68.8 / 100
Country
Taiwan
Region
Pacific Ocean
Area
Taitung County
Nearest airport
Taitung Airport (TTT)
Visibility
15–40 m
Water temperature
22–29 °C
Max depth
35 m
Current strength
moderate
Dive types
reef, wall, drift, shore
Best months
April, May, June, July, August, September, October
Minimum certification
Open Water
Access type
mixed
Average 2-tank dive cost
$70 USD
Budget tier
budget
Key species
green turtle, hammerhead shark, clownfish, nudibranch, moray eel, grouper
Google rating
4.6 (350 reviews)
Top operators
Blue Safari Diving Green Island, Green Island Dive Center
Nearest hyperbaric chamber
Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (~50 km)
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World Class
Intermediate
Green Island (Lüdao)
TaiwanPacific Ocean
68.8

SCORE

22.6598°N

121.4831°E

Green Island (Lüdao) is a volcanic island off Taiwan's southeast coast, warmed by the Kuroshio Current and home to one of the world's few saltwater hot springs you can dive near. Green turtles are abundant year-round, and the healthy coral coverage supports excellent macro life. Budget-friendly prices and short ferry or flight from Taitung make it highly accessible for Asia-based divers.

Taiwan's Tropical Diving Gem

Visibility15–40 m
Temperature22–29°C
Max Depth35 m
Currentmoderate
2-Tank Dive$70
Best MonthsApril, May, June, July
CertificationOpen WaterIntermediate

Score Breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

ML72.0CH72.0VIS75.0SV62.0TMP78.0DA62.0OP72.0TS72.0GT62.0VAL80.0CRD58.0SP62.0

Marine Life

72.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity
68
Megafauna Encounters
65
Reef Fish Abundance
75
Macro Life
78
Endemic Species
55
Marine Life Diversity
72.0
Coral & Reef Health
72.0
Visibility & Conditions
75.0
Dive Site Variety
62.0
Water Temperature
78.0
Depth & Access
62.0
Operator Quality
72.0
Topside Experience
72.0
Getting There
62.0
Value & Cost
80.0
Crowding
58.0
Social Proof
62.0

Key Species

green turtlehammerhead sharkclownfishnudibranchmoray eelgrouper

Dive Types

reefwalldriftshore

Traveling with Non-Divers?

Great news for traveling couples and families — this is a budget-friendly destination with plenty of affordable topside activities to keep non-divers happy while you explore below the surface.

Activities for Non-Divers

Zhaori Hot Spring (saltwater)Green Island Lighthousesnorkelingscooter island tour

Nearby Cultural Sites

  • Green Island Human Rights Memorial
  • Guanyin Cave

Non-Diver Partner Score

7/10

Good topside options for non-diving companions.

Family FriendlyYes
Restaurants & Nightlifebasic

Safety & Emergency

Dive Insurance

Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.

Learn More at DAN.org
Hyperbaric Chamber50 km — Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital Hyperbaric Unit
Nearest Hospital50 km

Small clinic on Green Island; hyperbaric chamber and hospital in Taitung (50 km) — helicopter or ferry evacuation

Skill LevelIntermediate
Current Strengthmoderate

Top Operators

Blue Safari Diving Green Island

PADI

4.6
200 reviewsNITROX

Green Island Dive Center

SSI

4.5
150 reviews
Compare This Dive Site
Honest reality check

What your dive shop won't tell you

The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.

Recommended logged dives
40+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification
Advanced Open Water
“Accessible to most certified divers with basic open water skills.”

What will challenge you

  • →Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
  • →Recreational limit of 40 m is reachable here (max depth 35 m). Gas planning and NDL tracking matter.
  • →Variable visibility
  • →Deep profiles

What will surprise you

  • →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 7°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
  • →Green Island (Lüdao) has more marine life variety than most divers expect
  • →Local operators know spots the guidebooks miss
Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: First light to 11am for best visibility..

Morning
  • Viz
    peak
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    light
  • reef exploration
  • photography

Best light and calmest conditions before afternoon wind picks up.

Afternoon
  • Viz
    moderate
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    moderate
  • drift diving
  • second tank

Wind chop can reduce viz. Still diveable but morning is better.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month Viz (m) Temp (°C) CurrentSea RainConfidenceHighlights
Jan15–2822ModModLight70%reef fish active, peak season crowds
Feb15–2822ModModLight70%reef fish active, peak season crowds
Mar15–2822ModModLight70%reef fish active, peak season crowds
Apr15–2822ModModLight70%reef fish active
May33–4029ModCalmDry70%reef fish active
Jun33–4029ModCalmDry70%reef fish active
Jul33–4029ModCalmDry70%reef fish active
Aug33–4029ModCalmDry70%reef fish active
Sep33–4029ModCalmDry70%reef fish active
Oct15–2822ModModLight70%reef fish active
Nov15–2822ModModLight70%reef fish active
Dec15–2822ModModLight70%reef fish active
Shoot here

Photography brief

Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.

Macro subjects72
Wide angle75
Viz stability72
Hover friendliness55
Natural light53

Recommended kit

  • →Macro lens (60mm or 105mm), focus light, dual strobes positioned for fill
  • →Wide-angle or fisheye (8-15mm range), dual strobes for close-focus wide angle
Level up here

What this site will teach you

The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.

Budget
$1,550–$2,200

Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats

Flights (RT from US)
$720–$880
Accommodation / day
$25–$50
Diving / day
$60–$70
Food / day
$25–$50
Transfers + misc
$50–$150
Mid-range
$2,500–$3,750

3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants

Flights (RT from US)
$1,150–$1,450
Accommodation / day
$60–$120
Diving / day
$70–$90
Food / day
$55–$100
Transfers + misc
$50–$150
Splurge
$4,300–$6,850

Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators

Flights (RT from US)
$1,800–$2,200
Accommodation / day
$150–$300
Diving / day
$90–$120
Food / day
$110–$220
Transfers + misc
$50–$150

Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.

Pair with

Build a trip around it

Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.

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