"The Grotto" is is
definitely THE dive to do in the Northern Marianas Islands.
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.
Directions:
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.
The Grotto is a spectacular dive. Thousands of years ago it was an
underwater cave but then part of the roof caved in and made it
accessible from shore. It sits on the northern end of Saipan along a
very rugged coastline with high cliffs. Stairs have been installed to
go down and access the water. The Grotto itself goes down to about
70ft at the bottom, and when you jump in you will see a large area
with 3 blue holes that go to the outside wall. You will also see a
rope that is anchored on another boulder at about 20ft for people to
do a safety stop. As long as you have a flashlight, you could spend an
entire dive inside the Grotto looking at various fish and Nudies as
well as checking out the resident sharks that call the Grotto home.
There are also some swim-throughs to explore as well. To exit the
Grotto you just need to go out one of the 3 openings to the wall
outside. This can be done at anywhere between 20 to 70 feet depending
on which hole you choose. To venture outside you must know your way
around or have a guide. As soon as you exit, if you turn around you
will have a hard time finding the entrance again as boulders hide it.
The Left Hole: The left hole is called Big Blue and is the largest of
the 3. When you go out you will be on a wall that goes straight up to
the waves pounding the cliff line, and if you look down you will see
the wall goes down and then starts to taper off somewhere between
130-150ft. If you keep going with the wall to your left you will come
to the Bat Cave after awhile. The Bat Cave has a very large opening
and is a great place to explore with large sea fans and many fish as
well as some Eels.
The Middle Hole: The middle hole is the deepest and takes you out to
an area with lots of fish and a steep, sloping drop-off. If you go
straight out and down to about 90ft you will find a nice swim-through
that takes you through a lot of sea fans where you come out at about
110ft. This is the most common area to see Turtles at the Grotto as
well as Napoleon Wrasses and other large fish.
The Right Hole: This hole is not used as often because there is more
current on this side of the Grotto. When you go out you will find a
mooring line on a large boulder, and if you look to the right you will
see another large boulder. If you swim to this boulder you will see
yet another couple of large boulders at about 100ft. In this area you
will almost always see Barracuda as well as other large fish. The
deeper you go the more Sea Fans and life you will see on the wall, but
care is needed to insure you get back in with plenty of air.
The Exit: The exit can be a bit tricky, as you will be getting out on
a flat boulder (Penguin Rock) that is right about water level. Once
out you can cross back over to shore and then take your time going
back up the 100+ steps to the parking lot.
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.
Saipan
