Difficulty
Unrated
Viz (last reported 149900h ago)
Max Depth
Unknown
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at The Grotto, Saipan
There are no facilities here, other than a solar-powered emergency phone and a well-paved road. However, this is Saipan's BEST dive, and most unique, by far. Access to the dive site is by going down 100 steps into a natural, well-lit cave. (I've got your attention already, haven't I !) From the bottom of the staircase, step over a narrow but fast stream onto a large, teetering rock. Do a giant stride entry, and you will be in 15' deep water facing a 60' deep cavern with 3 separate, brilliantly lit underwater exits. SCUBA out, and you'll always see barracuda & a white tip shark, with frequent visits by napoleon wrasses, rays, and a host of other animals. If you're exceptionally good on air conservation, SCUBA left at 45', and you'll discover "the Bat Cave", a cave entirely underwater & as large as The Grotto. 2 sharks, bubble corals, glowing-eyed cave fishes and pink lace cave corals lie within. Safe for snorkelers within the Grotto, but only a very foolish person would snorkel outside, as re-entry is nearly impossible if you're stuck at the surface.
Extremely good roads and well-marked paths make this Saipan's easiest-to-find shore dive. Drive North, past the "last command post" and "Banzai Cliff" memorial parks, but not as far as Bird Island lookout. If you leave paved road, you've gone past Bird Island, turn back. Watch for a turnoff on this well-paved road, leading LEFT (shoreward), and clearly labeled "The Grotto". Follow this wide, twisty road to a well-paved parking lot with plenty of divers' vehicles. There will be a staircase leading downward, and a banner like sign over the staircase telling you you've arrived at the Grotto.
Access
shore
Nearby Shops
Tide Report
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Seth Bareiss
Aug 22, 2004, 12:00 AM
scuba
A classic must-do dive. The long 100+ step staircase and short hop to the jumping platform are tough on anyone with weak legs. DO NOT allow snorkelers outside the entrance cavern. Reason: if you're without SCUBA gear, it's easy to go out to the open ocean, but near impossible to come back in. Have at least 800psi/70 ATM in your tank when you come back into the main cavern, so you won't short-change the safety stop or get stuck on the surface outside the cavern with no way back in. This site is often divable when the rest of the island is battered by typhoon conditions. Visibility is the best in Saipan-- typically 100' and more. Watch your depth gauge carefully when outside on the deep sea cliff-- it's easy to go too deep without noticing, because of the deceptive water clarity. Expect a school of barracudas outside the right-hand ext, a small whitetip shark ("Otto") in a small cave at 70' between the two main exits, and frequent turtles & napoleons outside the left-hand exit. Lighting is spectacular, particularly in the left-hand exit. Convenient rope & buoy for safety stops. Exit is accomplished by holding a rope and waiting for a wave to sweep you up onto a small level rock shelf-- a bit tough. If you're extremely good on air, investigate the "batcave" about 100 meters to the left of the left-hand exit, out along the seawall. The Grotto, like all Micronesian dives, is best done in the very early morning in order to see the most big animals. This dive is almost, not quite, a religious experience. Of course, it can't compare to anything Palau offers, but is definitely THE dive to do in the Northern Marianas Islands (Guam/Saipan/Tinian/Rota). The place will be mobbed by throngs of Japanese tourist-divers and local dive enthusiasts, between 8am and 5pm. Get there at dawn for the best experience, but even if morning's not your thing... DO the Grotto, if you're ever in the Northern Marianas with a pair of healthy legs. Warning: There's no bathroom & the emergency phone often doesn't work. There have been thefts there, though not many. Most dive vans there will have a cell-phone, if you need it. Saipan DOES NOT HAVE A RECOMPRESSION CHAMBER. The nearest is in Guam, far to the South, so take extra precautions against decompression sickness.
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