Japan
Remote UNESCO-listed subtropical archipelago 24 hours by ferry from Tokyo, known for clear Bonin Blue water, dolphins, sharks, dogtooth tuna, humpback whales in winter and endemic marine species.
The Ogasawara or Bonin Islands lie about 1,000 km south of Tokyo and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. There is no airport. The Ogasawara Maru ferry sails from Takeshiba Pier in Tokyo to Futami Port on Chichijima in about 24 hours, and the Hahajima Maru links Chichijima with Hahajima. Almost all dive operators are based on Chichijima and dive by boat, usually as drift dives. The islands are fringed with coral reefs. Highlights include whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, sand tiger sharks in winter, schools of dogtooth tuna and jacks around Yomejima, the WWII wreck in Takinoura Bay, and spinner and bottlenose dolphins that are seen all year. Humpback whales visit from about February to April. Typhoons can disrupt diving and ferry sailings in late summer and autumn. Source: Wikipedia, UNESCO, PADI, Underwater Photography Guide.