The Best Wreck Dives in Asia

Visiting Asia on a superyacht? You definitely won't want to must out on the superb scuba diving. To help you pick the top dive sites, we've rounded up the best wreck dives in Asia, from the US Liberty in Bali to The King Cruiser wreck in Phuket.

USAT Liberty, Indonesia

This former US Army ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 and remained beached on Bali until a volcanic eruption in 1963 moved it into the water. Now on the seabed at 30 metres, the 120-metre vessel acts as a haven for soft corals and sea fans, populated by tropical fish including goby, lizardfish and barracuda.

With 60 shipwrecks and 250 aircraft wrecks from the Second World War, this site is perfect for recreational and technical divers alike. Must-dives include Fujikawa Maru, which has intact fighter planes in its holds, and the Shinkoku Maru, which is colourfully decorated with soft corals and sponges.

An American air reconnaissance mission discovered a camouflaged fleet of Japanese warships in September 1944 and duly destroyed 24 of the boats. Considered to be some of the world’s best-preserved Second World War wrecks, 12 can now be explored by divers. Highlights include 140-metre Kogyo Maru, home to giant pufferfish, and 160-metre Mamiya Maru, on which you can still see the anti-aircraft guns.

In May 1997 the 85-metre passenger ferry King Cruiser strayed several kilometres off course and hit the Anemone Reef. The vessel now sits upright between 12 and 35 metres, and its multiple decks are home to bigeye trevally, yellowtail barracuda and a hawksbill turtle that interacts with divers.