Vietnam's diverse natural seascapes, abundant marine ecosytems and tropical waters all lead to one thing: scuba diving has become one of the country's most sought-after holiday experiences.
Amongst the many fabulous resorts, one of the best known is Nha Trang. Basically a central coastal town (Nha Trang) surrounded by islands, the Hon Mun Marine Park was established three years ago. Since then it has gone from strength to strength, and is presently one of Vietnam's principal draws for visitors from all parts of the Far East and beyond.
Diving in this part of the world is particularly popular because of the crystal clear waters. While there are not as many vast shoals of bigger fish as in other parts of the world, with less likelihood of coming across manta rays or sharks, the vicinity is renowned for being teeming with large numbers of brightly-coloured reef fish and molluscs. The high concentration of marine life in a relatively enclosed area means that Nha Trang scuba diving is ideal for the beginner, while those with a bit more experience can spend time getting reacquainted with their favourite pastime.
Conditions
The environment beneath the surface here is extremely diverse. Coral reefs range from hard and soft and are uniformly in pristine condition. As such, the reefs form the ideal habitat for a large variety of marine creatures. The fish darting to and fro amongst coral, feeding on microscopic sea creatures or, indeed, smaller fish, seem to come in every conceivable colour or pattern under the sun. Often the coral beneath the fish is completely obscured by the huge quantities of damselfish, fairy basslets, and a myriad number of other species. If you are extremely fortunate, you may catch sight of the mysterious dugong – a secretive and extremely rare marine mammal that has often been regarded as the source of ancient mermaid myths.
Islands
There are numerous islands in the Nha Trang vicinity that form ideal launch pads for your undersea exploration.
Con Dao is a tight-knit group of islands lying 180 kilometres from Vung Tau. The local population is around 5,000, and the main island's previous claim to fame was the fact it once housed a feared penal colony (you'll be relieved to know this closed in 1975).
Elsewhere in the archipelago, the World Wife Fund for Nature has been actively protecting dugong and sea turtles since 1995. Over 300,000 baby turtles have been released into the waters around here, and over 1,000 adults have been tagged during the same period of time.
Whale Island (or Nha Trang) allows shore diving to a depth of around 15 metres. Wall dives are possible to a depth of 40 metres, with coral gardens commencing at the 15-metre mark. Despite the island's name, sightings of whales, whale sharks or larger rays are rare – although not unknown. You might just be lucky.
Cu Lao Cham Marine Park is around 25 minutes away by speedboat ride. The eight islands that comprise this park are home to an incredibly diverse range of marine wildlife. In all, there are over 150 species of coral, over 80 species of molluscs, four lobster species and over 200 species of fish.