Updated June 14, 2022
This is the forty-eighth in a series that introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris. This one focuses on the best liveaboard destinations for macro diving. For other “Best” reviews of liveaboards and destinations, go to “Best Liveaboards & Destinations Lists” on the top menu.
Have you ever been diving in any of the locations described below? If so, I’d love to know about your experience. What liveaboard did you use? How was the diving? Were the services and accommodations good? Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.
The headlines about scuba diving have historically been about megafauna like sharks, rays, whales, and big fish. There is a growing cadre that has realized that the small life forms or macro creatures are equally intriguing, if not more so. Many liveaboards are now focusing on macro diving and including “muck” sites in their itineraries. Muck divers often want to record their adventure in photography, so the boats are equipped with high-level support for it.
If you are not yet an accomplished macro photographer, it is possible to get training onboard in many cases. For a nice introduction to macro photography and some of the most interesting targets, take a look at this article titled Macro Underwater Photography.
Best Liveaboard Destinations For Macro Diving
- Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
- Anilao, Philippines
- Ambon, Indonesia
- Andaman Sea, Thailand
- Dauin/Dumaguete, Philippines
- Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
- Cayman Islands
- Romblon, Philippines
- Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Lembeh Strait
When the subject of muck diving and macro critters comes up, Lembeh Strait is always at or near the top of the list due to the tremendous diversity and volume that have congregated on the silty bottom there. You’re likely to find bizarre creatures on every dive that are a delight for photographers like a pygmy seahorse, hairy octopus, or rhinopias. Take a look at this article on Lembeh in Dive Photography Guide.
Some of the liveaboard itineraries focus exclusively on Lembeh Strait where the macro critters are the primary attraction, but many take in other sites in the region including Bangke, Bunaken National Park, the Sangihe Archipelago, the Togian Islands, and Halmahera where there are more diverse seascapes and big fish. A liveaboard greatly adds to the convenience of diving in the remote areas of this region.
- Dive Season: year-round (most liveaboards go to Lembeh from April through August)
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 77-84°F (25-29°C)
- Visibility: 35-82 feet (10-25 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: hairy frogfish, pygmy and Pegasus seahorses, flamboyant cuttlefish, Spanish dancers, weedy scorpionfish, snake eels, stonefish, sea robins, stargazers, devil fish, mandarin fish, ghost pipefish, Banggai cardinalfish
For reviews of Lembeh Strait area liveaboards, check out these posts:
- Bunaken Island & Lembeh Strait Diving Sulawesi Indonesia
- Best Indonesia Liveaboard Diving Northern Sulawesi and Halmahera
Check the Price & Details on Lembeh Strait liveaboards
Anilao, Philippines
Anilao has long been known to local and ex-pat divers but has been increasing in popularity internationally recently due to the great all-around diving and for macro diving especially. There are several classic muck areas as well as many rich and pristine coral sites providing habitat for an array of shrimps, gobies, nudibranchs, crabs, Bobbit worms, scorpionfish, frogfish, and the like, to fill a who’s who list of sought after photo targets. These are in addition to an abundance of reef tropicals as well as stingrays, barracuda, jacks, turtles, reef sharks, and the occasional whale shark. For some great photos of Anilao macro life, check this out: Field Guide of Underwater Critters.
- Dive Season: year-round (very limited number of liveaboards, the MV Dolphin goes to Anilao from October through December)
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: usually 80°F (27°C) or above, from November to February it dips to an average of 72-75°F (22-24°C)
- Visibility: November-May 50-65 feet (15-20 meters), during the rainy season, it can decrease some
- Marine Life Highlights: mantis shrimp, Bobbit worms, nudibranchs, flamboyant cuttlefish, hairy frogfish, mimic octopus, flatworms
For a review of Anilao diving, check out this post:
Check the Price & Details on Anilao liveaboards
Andaman Sea, Thailand
With the spectacular sharks, rays, reef tropicals, and rich corals, the Andaman Sea is not often thought of for its macro diving. All the way from the north at Richelieu Rock moving south through the Similans past Phuket and Phi Phi on down to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, there are liveaboards that can take you to rich reefs and sandy areas near them that provide excellent habitat for a great variety of macro critters, as well. To prepare you for taking photos and videos of fascinating creatures like ribbon eels, nudibranchs, and mimic octopus, a number of the boats can offer the Digital Underwater Photography specialty course.
- Dive Season: year-round in the area from Phuket south, the Similans National Park is closed from May to mid-October
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 80-86°F (27-30°C)
- Visibility: 33-100 feet (10-30) generally but variable based on the site and conditions, plankton blooms from January through March and rains can decrease it
- Marine Life Highlights: mimic octopus, peacock mantis shrimp, frogfish, scorpionfish, bobtail squid, sea moths, seahorses, pipefish, banded sea kraits, nudibranchs, hermit crabs, jellyfish, cuttlefish, octopus, lionfish
For reviews of Andaman Sea liveaboards and diving, check out these posts:
- Best Scuba Diving Thailand Liveaboards
- Scuba Diving Khao Lak Thailand
- Best Scuba Diving Phuket Thailand Liveaboards
- Scuba Diving Krabi Thailand
Check the Price & Details on Thailand liveaboards
Dauin/Dumaguete, Philippines
The Dumaguete area includes Dauin, which is 12 miles (19 kilometers) down the shoreline, and Little Apo Island in view offshore. The Dauin sites are mostly just off the beach and include a lot of sandy areas with debris and a number of artificial reefs. These have grown into great habitats for muck diving with a variety of seahorses, ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish, crabs, nudibranchs, and other small invertebrates and fishes. Liveaboards to Dauin usually include dives on Little Apo Island, as well, which also has a good variety of macro life on a more vibrant coral reef than the one in Dauin. There is great biodiversity with a number of resident turtles and reef sharks to go along with reef tropicals, and schools of jacks and barracuda. The two areas are a good compliment to each other.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 77-86°F (25-30°C)
- Visibility: 30-40 feet (9-12 meters) in Dauin, 60-100 feet (18-30 meters) in Little Apo Island
- Marine Life Highlights: seahorses, ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish, nudibranchs, crustaceans, pygmy seahorses, hairy frogfish, mandarinfish, Ambon scorpionfish
For a review of Dumaguete area liveaboards and diving, check out this post:
Check the Price & Details on Dumaguete/Dauin liveaboards
Ambon
Set in remote east-central Indonesia in the Banda Sea, Ambon has an excellent bottom composition for muck diving of coral rubble and debris. It has a great reputation for macro critters with a number of unusual species like the Ambon scorpionfish, mandarin fish, seahorses, wonderpus, frogfish, ghost pipefish, and numerous species of shrimps, crabs, tunicates, crinoids, and other invertebrates. Liveaboards to Ambon also combine with other areas in the Banda Sea and even to Alor and Flores where there is a lot besides muck diving. The region has rich coral reefs and a variety of subsea terrains that play host to hoards of mobula rays, schooling hammerheads, and several species of shark, turtles, Napoleon wrasses, dogtooth tuna, wahoo, spinner dolphins, and several whale species.
- Dive Season: year-round (liveaboards go to Ambon from September through November
- Skill Level: intermediate to advanced
- Water Temperature: 79-84°F (26-29°C)
- Visibility: 50-100 feet (15-30 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: Ambon scorpionfish, rhinopias scorpionfish, psychedelic frogfish, nudibranchs, crinoid shrimps, ghost pipefish, mandarin fish
For a review of Ambon area liveaboards, check out this post:
Check the Price & Details on Ambon area liveaboards
Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
Milne Bay, long known for muck diving, features gentle slopes of sand, fine silt, and debris perfect for macro critters. There is a great variety of nudibranchs but also hundreds of other attractions like mimic octopus, hairy squat lobsters, and blue-ringed octopus. However, muck diving is not all there is on a liveaboard to PNG. There is great biodiversity on a variety of subsea terrains, with rich corals and a number of WWII wrecks to explore. Currents are strong in some areas and a variety of megafauna is resident or seasonal including turtles, whale sharks, and a number of shark species, mantas, eagle rays, schooling pelagics, minke whales, dolphins, and dugongs. In addition to the video above, Rolling In The Deep provides another nice sample of the fascinating Milne Bay macro life.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to technical
- Water Temperature: 74-88°F (23-31°C)
- Visibility: 68-150 feet (20-45 meters), rains from December to March decrease the visibility
- Marine Life Highlights: pygmy seahorses, scorpionfish, soft coral crabs, mimic octopus, nudibranchs, painted frogfish, Persian carpet flatworms, hairy squat lobsters
For reviews of Papua New Guinea liveaboard and diving, check out these posts:
Check the Price & Details on Papua New Guinea Liveaboards
Cayman Islands
With 365 dive sites, the Cayman Islands offer a great variety of shallow and deep sites set on seascapes that include sand, encrusted walls, and swim-throughs with rich coral reefs, and a number of wrecks. The reef tropicals and megafauna are outstanding with lots of turtles, French angelfish, horse-eyed jacks, barracuda, eagle and manta rays, southern stingrays, tarpon, and Caribbean reef sharks. There is also a nice variety of macro critters to compliment the big stuff like nudibranchs, blennies, jawfish, boxfish, eels, various crabs and shrimps, lobsters, octopus, and squid. The only liveaboard diving the Caymans, the Cayman Aggressor V operates year-round and is set up with excellent support for photography.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 78-82°F (26-28°C)
- Visibility: 60-100 feet (18-30 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: sailfin blennies, lobster, decorator crabs, yellowhead jawfish, lettuce leaf sea slug, sea hares, octopus, squid
For a review of Cayman liveaboards, check out this post:
Check the Price & Details on Cayman Island liveaboards
Romblon, Philippines
The seven major islands of Romblon Province are quickly becoming known as a top macro diving location to rival Lembeh and Anilao. Located south of Marinduque and Quezon, north of Aklan (Boracay), and west of Masbate, the islands cover a broad geographical territory and have a great diversity of habitat and subsea terrain. It has excellent all-round dive sites with rich reefs, lots of fish, and megafauna highlights like reef sharks, eagle and manta rays, green and hawksbill turtles, and dolphins, whale sharks, and whales appearing occasionally. These attractions don’t outdo the macro stars, though, which include many rare nudibranch species, Spanish dancers, a couple of varieties of pygmy seahorse, sea snakes, mandarin fish, several octopus species, and tiger and marble shrimps. Presently there is only one liveaboard diving in Romblon for a two-month period annually. Demand should increase, though, as more divers get the word.
- Dive Season: year-round (very limited number of liveaboards, the Solitude 1 goes from August through September)
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 79-86°F (26-30°C)
- Visibility: 68 feet (20 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: mandarin fish, Spanish dancers, tiger, and marble shrimps, Severnsi and Pontohi pygmy seahorses, mimic and wonderpus octopus, sea snakes, Melibe Colemani, and Cyerce nudibranchs
For a review of Romblon diving, check out this post:
Check the Price & Details on Romblon liveaboards
Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat, set in West Papua Province, is frequently lauded as having the greatest biodiversity of any region in the world. People normally talk about the richness of the corals, the sharks, rays, dolphins, whales, pelagics, and the many species of reef tropicals but macro diving should not be discounted. The variety of subsea terrains which include areas of black and white sand, shallow coral gardens, grass beds, mangrove forests, rocky slopes, steep drop-offs, and caves provide excellent habitat for a diverse population of macro critters as well. Plan to see a multitude of highlights that include numerous species of nudibranch, frogfish, and scorpionfish, pygmy seahorses, octopus, and cuttlefish for starters. Raja Ampat is covered by more liveaboard safaris than any region of Indonesia so that trips are available all year and oftentimes connect to adjacent diving regions, as well.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 79-86°F (26-30°C)
- Visibility: 30-100 feet (9-30 meters)
- Marine Life Highlights: ghost pipefish, ribbon eels, harlequin shrimps, banded sea kraits, pygmy seahorses, blue-ringed octopus, rhinopias scorpionfish, lobster, nudibranchs
For reviews of Raja Ampat liveaboards and diving, check out these posts:
Check the Price & Details on Raja Ampat liveaboards
Macro Photography
To take full advantage of the wonderful macro liveaboard diving described above, the PADI Digital Underwater Photography specialty course is recommended. For information and reviews of diving cameras, click here:
Liveaboard Comparisons
If you have interest in further comparisons and reviews of liveaboards, please check out these posts:
- Best Liveaboard Destinations For Underwater Photography
- Best Liveaboard Destinations For Whale Sharks
- Best Liveaboard Destinations For Manta Rays
- Best Liveaboard Destinations For Diving With Sharks
- Best Liveaboard Destinations For Advanced Divers
- Best Liveaboard Destinations For Beginners
- Best Liveaboard Dive Boats (Short Trips)
- Best Liveaboard Dive Boats (Low Budget)
- Best Liveaboard Dive Boats (Luxury)
Last Minute Liveaboard Deals & Special Offers
For greatly reduced pricing on special offers for a broad range of liveaboards in 17 countries around the world, please check out this post:
Scuba Diving Trip Insurance
A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation. I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.
Feedback and Comments
I hope you found this post on the best liveaboard destinations for macro diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. I’d love to know of any experience you have. If there is no comments section directly below, click here: >>comments<<
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