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Dive Cape Maeda: Okinawa’s Famous Blue Cave
Cape Maeda, is one of the best and most popular dive sites in Okinawa, Japan. Mostly known to tourists for the Blue Cave, Cape Maeda is also known for its great visibility, vibrant marine life, and healthy coral formations. Cape Maeda is an easily accessible dive site and can be accessed by shore, stairs, or through boat tours. Whether you live in Okinawa or are visiting, a dive at Cape Maeda is highly recommended. ** This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or widgets throughout the page, whether it be Viator, Booking.com, Agoda, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! Getting to and Parking at Cape Maeda If visiting Cape Maeda, the best way to get here is by car, unless you are taking a personalized tour through a reputable company. Simply take Route 58 north from Naha passing the Chatan area and Cape Zanpa. I usually take a left onto Route 6 right in front of the Renaissance Okinawa Resort. Follow Route 6 past The Bros. Sandwich Stand and take a right onto a small farm road. This road leads to the parking lot for Cape Maeda. There will be signs along the road as well for Cape Maeda. According to the Cape Maeda website there are 180 parking spaces. For vehicles there is a ¥100 an hour fee. Facilities at Cape Maeda A huge pro about Cape Maeda are the convenient facilities offered. Below is a list of the main facilities at Cape Maeda. ✅Restaurant and Place to Grab Drinks✅ Supply Shop✅ Restrooms✅ Shower Rooms (Shower cost ¥200 for a couple minutes)✅ Coin Lockers✅ Changing Rooms✅ Vending Machines✅ Pavilion with Seating Area Diving Cape Maeda Most visitors that come to Cape Maeda are here to either dive or snorkel. You’ll find a good mix of locals and tourists here. I always recommend going early to beat some of the larger crowds. I’ve dove Cape Maeda several times up to this point and it remains one of my favorite dive sites in Okinawa for many reasons. Cape Maeda is easily accessible, it’s well suited for beginner divers and advanced divers, the coral is healthy, and there is an abundance of marine life. Below you’ll find more information for specifics on Cape Maeda to help you better prepare for your day at one of Okinawa’s best dive sites from getting in the water to what marine life you might encounter. Always Check Conditions and the Live Camera For some reason, Cape Maeda isn’t always open. But you can check the Cape Maeda website for conditions and the status of the flag. There is a live camera view to monitor and see the current sea conditions. Throughout the day, staff updates the flag at the position depending on water conditions. Here is what the flag colors that are shown on the live camera view represent. 🟦 Swimming is Allowed🟨 Swimming is Allowed with Dive Companies or Instructors🟥 No Swimming or Getting in the Water🟧 Tsunami Warning, Do Not Swim You can check live conditions and read more about safety and the site through the Cape Maeda website. Entrance to Cape Maeda Dive Site From the parking area, the dive site is down a long set of stairs. I read online it was around 90 or so stairs. Trust me, after dive #2 going up the stairs is quite the workout. But there is a railing and leaving the stairs to enter the water is very easy. Dive Cape Maeda – The Dive Site Cape Maeda is a great place for beginner divers. The coral reef and marine life starts the second you access the water. The coral is abundant here, you can follow the reef either left or right. For more advanced divers, you can easily go 100′ or deeper if you wish. When I dive at Maeda, I typically hang out between 20′ and 60′ as the coral is vibrant and there are plenty of fish and other marine life at these depths. When accessing the water, I prefer to hang left, I usually have better luck seeing fun marine life like cuttle fish, octopus, and eels. When diving to the right, I tend to see the usual suspects, small tropical fish. The Blue Cave The Blue Cave is Cape Maeda’s most famous attraction and this is where tours tend to take their visitors. The Blue Cave is to the right once you access the water, usually you can follow the crowds. I’ve been here twice diving and it leave little to be desired to be honest. It’s dark inside, no coral, and the only fish that hang around here are some type of squirrel fish. That being said, I have taken some pretty cool shots exiting the cave with the light shining through. Diving with a Local Tour There are numerous companies that offer dive and snorkel tours to Cape Maeda. There are tours geared more towards divers with their certifications and there are also touristy tours that will basically take anyone no matter what skill. I had friends visit from mainland Japan, they had kids that have never dove before. The local company that we went with did a one tank dive with the kids. They did their brief and hung on to the dive master until reaching the Blue Cave. All in all, for kids and visitors with little to no experience, this is a great option. But for some one like me who has logged several dives, it was a little to touristy. We rolled off the boat, dove to the Blue Cave, took photos, and then dove back to the boat. Prior to getting on the boat, the tour guide had us grab on to coral and feed the small fish. I wasn’t to thrilled about touching the coral or feeding the fish. So, just keep in mind what skill level you are and what you really want out of a dive at Cape Maeda before scheduling a tour. If you have any questions on dive shops or tours, feel free to reach out to me and I can assist in any way possible. Dive Maeda Flatts To the left of Cape Maeda is another dive site known as Maeda Flatts. This makes for a great alternative to Cape Maeda if the flag is yellow or red or if the site is just to crowded. Maeda Flatts is a bit challenging to access as you have to walk with your gear through some farm fields and to the beach. Once you get to the beach, you can access the water and dive the coral shelf either toward Cape Maeda or away from it. Conclusion Okinawa offers some of the best dive sites in the world. The visibility allows divers to see 100′ or more on good days. The coral in Okinawa is still healthy and there is an abundance of marine life. Cape Maeda is considered one of the best dive sites in Okinawa and is perfect for any skill whether you area a beginner just starting out or more advanced. Cape Maeda is also a hot tourist destination and most tours offer dives to the Blue Cave. So whether you are here to see the Blue Cave or just leisurely dive around Cape Maeda, it’s definitely a memorable dive. Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store. 📸 Plan Your Trip: 🗺️✈️🇯🇵 Booking Accommodations ⛺️🛖 For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com Activities and Tours 🏖️🚁 Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options. In need of a car rental? 🚗🚘 I recommend checking with Rental Cars. Train Travel 🚂🚊 For the JR Pass, tickets can be purchased on the JR Pass site.
USAT Liberty Shipwreck Dive: One of Bali’s Best Dive Sites
Are you looking to go diving in Bali but feel overwhelmed on where to dive or what dive site in Bali best suites your interests and skill level? I highly recommend looking into the USAT Liberty Shipwreck dive. Located off the coast of Bali near the village of Amed is one of Bali’s most iconic dive sites. The USAT Liberty was a United States Army cargo ship that was hit by a Japanese torpedo during WWII. This once mighty vessel now sits at shallow depths off the coast of Bali. The USAT Liberty Shipwreck dive is perfect for both beginners and advance divers. As you descend beneath the water, you will come face to face with the remains of this famous shipwreck that now serves as an artificial reef teeming with coral and marine life. Join me as I dive into the history of the USAT Liberty, how it became a dive site, booking with a reputable dive company, and share more information on the dive itself, marine life, and coral that surround this renowned shipwreck. **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or banners throughout the page, whether it be TripAdvisor, Booking.com. Agoda.com, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! **As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The USAT Liberty The USAT Liberty was a United States cargo ship. The USAT Liberty was first launched in Kearny, New Jersey on June 19, 1918. Originally, the ship provided services to the United States Navy, transporting horses from the United States to France. Not only was the USAT Liberty used t transport horses from one continent to the next but it hauled cargo of various supplies. After WWI, the USAT Liberty was decommissioned. But when the United States became involved in WWII, the USAT Liberty was active once more, this time by the United States Army. During WWII, the USAT Liberty was transporting cargo from Australia to its destination of the Philippines. On January 11, 1942 she was hit by a Japanese torpedo launched by an I-166 Submarine just off the coast of Bali. Two other destroyers in the area attempted to tug the ship to shore to rescue the crew and save the cargo but the USAT Liberty was taking on to much water and was ultimately left on the beach near Tulamben, Bali. Surprisingly, there were no recorded deaths during the torpedo attack. Most supplies were salvaged from the ship. In 1963, the nearby volcano, Mt. Agung erupted, and the USAT Liberty was pushed back into the water by the forces of mother nature. The eruption altered the landscape and caused the ship to basically be pushed back out to sea where its current resting place is. The USAT Liberty Shipwreck Divesite The USAT Liberty Shipwreck is one of the world’s most accessible shipwreck dives. No wonder it’s one of Bali’s most popular dive sites. This is a shore dive and the ship is located only 40 m (130 ft) from the beach at Tulamben. Not only is the ship close to shore, but the ship rests at depths as low as 5 m (16 ft) to a maximum depth of around 30 m (100 ft). Because of the location, depth, clarity of the water, and calmness, the USAT Liberty Shipwreck is a dive site that is well suited for both beginner and more advance divers. This shipwreck has provided excellent surfaces for coral to grow and is now home to many coral species and marine life. Finding a Dive Company in Amed, Bali Amazing dive sites and snorkel spots have put Amed on the map. Visitors come to Amed for many reasons but primarily for the phenomenal diving and snorkeling. Amed is one of Bali’s most popular places for visitors to come to who want to dive and therefore there are several reputable dive shops in Amed. Most dive shops in Amed will have similar tour packages, dive sites, and prices. Based on the location of my hotel and recommendations, I booked the USAT Liberty Shipwreck dive with Bali Dive Cove. Bali Dive Cove was very responsive in their emails, answered any questions I had, and made me feel at ease with my tour. This was a two tank dive and I opted for the 5 am (sunrise) dive. Don’t worry, there are other times, I just wanted to avoid crowds and be done earlier in the day. The price for a 2 tank dive was 900,000 IDR (about $57). This included 2 tanks, all dive equipment, transportation, a towel, and breakfast. Diving the USAT Liberty Shipwreck My day started early, 5:00 am. I met at Bali Dive Cove in Amed, along with dive master we loaded the truck and drove 20-ish minutes to the beach at Tulamben. The USAT Liberty Shipwreck is a shore dive, so we prepared our gear, had a brief introduction on the dive site and what the day was going to be like and what we might see while diving. The two tank dive allowed for the first dive to go around the USAT Liberty Shipwreck while the second dive gave us opportunities to explore inner parts of the wreck. For the first dive, I went to a max depth of 19 m (62ft). We dove around the USAT Liberty. This was my first shipwreck dive and I was amazed by the shear size of the site. We slowly explored the outer portion of the ship. Many coral and marine life species call this wreck home. We saw the usual suspects, the angel fish, clown fish, and groupers. But one marine species I’ve yet to see is a garden eel. When slowly ascending and heading toward shore, we saw a whole patch of garden eels. It was an eerie sight and they are much bigger in person then I expected. The second tank dive, we went to a max depth of 18 m (59 ft). The second tank dive consisted of the dive tour going within the USAT Liberty. We slowly explored some of the larger rooms. I even got a chance to swim through some smaller sections of the ship into various rooms. The current picked up during the second dive and some portions were a struggle to swim, it was somewhat exhausting but very worthwhile. Diving the USAT Liberty Shipwreck was one of the best dive sites I’ve done, I can clearly see why this is perhaps Bali’s most famous dive site. Photos of the USAT Liberty Shipwreck Dive Site Here are a few additional photos taken during my two tank dive at the USAT Liberty Shipwreck. All photos were taken with my Nikon COOLPIX W300. I absolutely love this camera for underwater photography. It’s an easy to use point and shoot camera that can go up to 30 m (100 ft). The Nikon COOLPIX W300 can be found on Amazon. Although discontinued, it is still sold and remains one of my favorite underwater cameras. Conclusion Diving the USAT Liberty Shipwreck in Bali is an incredible experience and in my opinion, a must do dive spot when visiting Bali. Divers get to learn some WWII history, see unique marine life, and dive at one of the worlds most accessible shipwrecks. Start the dive swimming around the shipwreck, the second tank is a completely different experience where divers can swim through portions of the ships corridor all while paying attention to the beautiful coral and vibrant fish that call this shipwreck home. Without a doubt the USAT Liberty is one of Bali’s most premier dive sites. Whether you are diving the USAT Liberty shipwreck as part of your open water course or an experienced diver looking for a new challenge, the USAT Liberty shipwreck is the perfect dive site for all levels. Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store. 📸 Plan Your Trip: 🗺️✈️🇮🇩 Booking Accommodations ⛺️🛖 For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com Activities and Tours 🏖️🚁 Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options. In need of a car rental? 🚗🚘 I recommend checking with Rental Cars.