Gallery: 10 best dive sites in Asia
It's been said that we know more about the moon than we know about our own oceans.
That's probably total rubbish. In any case the moon is about as interesting as a cold, hard ball of rock floating around empty space.
The oceans on the other hand can captivate even the most cynical of aesthetes. But they are fragile things.
Human activities such as overfishing and pollution threaten an estimated 88 percent of Southeast Asia's coral reefs. Recently Thailand's authorities closed 18 popular dive sites to allow them to recover from coral bleaching.
Here's a tour of 10 of Asia's most spectacular underwater dive sites, home to sharks, whales, sunfish and more, and a glimpse at some of the threats they face.
Pulau Sipadan, Malaysia
Pulau Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, and before 2002 was the subject of an intense territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia. It's rated by many dive journals as one of the top dive destinations in the world.
Recently, the Malaysian government has had to clamp down on coral thieves operating around the country's coastline.
Pulau Sipadan has also fallen victim to coral bleaching in the past, a process most commonly caused by a change in sea temperature that "bleaches" the coral color.
One of the island's unique features is a turtle tomb, an underwater limestone cave that features many narrow tunnels and chambers containing the remains of green sea turtles (pictured) that have become trapped and drowned.
For more information visit Dive The World.
