Guam
aerial view of Guam’s Tumon Bay

Guam

The remote Micronesian island of Guam boasts numerous dive sites teeming with pristine reefs and wreck sites untouched by mass tourism. Whether you’re a thrill-seeker or a casual diver, you’ll find many amazing sites to explore in this diving location.

Geography of Guam

Situated in the Northern Pacific Ocean, Guam is an island and an unincorporated territory of the United States. It’s nearly 5,800 miles west of San Francisco and 1,600 miles east of Manila. Guam lies in the southernmost part of the Mariana Islands, and it’s the largest and most populous island there. The area has one capital (Agana) and three settlements (Dededo, Machanao, and Apotgan).

Orote Peninsula & Agat Reefs

Located within Guam’s south-central area, these diving destinations have a protected bay that divers can plunge into for most of the year. The bay makes both locations one of Guam’s most popular diving regions. Orote and Agat are also popular with divers due to their clear waters and reefs that plunge to immense depths.

The Blue Hole

Guam’s Blue Hole has an 18-meter (60-foot) opening with a 90-meter (300-foot) drop, and a 38-meter (125-foot) deep exit along a sheer outer wall. Visitors begin their descent into this dive site at any of the permanent moorings on a shelf above the site. Divers can spot moray eels, shoaling goatfish, and large pelagic species around the Blue Hole. Some visitors have also seen whale sharks, sailfish, and dolphins swimming in the area.

Hap’s Reef

Long renowned as the favorite reef of Guam fish watchers, Hap’s Reef features many Micronesian fish species. You’ll find sea anemones above this area (these anemones have various kinds of clownfish living inside of them). Hap’s Reef also gives you a chance to spot butterflyfish, soldierfish, trumpetfish, squirrelfish, and more exotic fish species.

Apra Harbor

This port on Guam’s west coast features some of the clearest waters and healthiest reefs of any Pacific harbor. Apra’s coral reefs have survived both world wars and current human activity. The area boasts a few corals that are either untouched or are being regenerated. You can explore some wrecks here, too.

SMS Cormoran & Tokai Maru

These shipwrecks are one of the best-known dive sites in Guam. The SMS Cormoran got scuttled and sunk along with a few of its crew members during the start of the First World War, while the Tokai Maru sank during the Second World War. Both wrecks lie beside each other at 120 feet deep. This set-up lets you stand between these ships and touch them simultaneously.

Hidden Reef

The gateway to Apra Harbor houses this next Guam diving site: a healthy reef with stony coral shelves and exceptional fish life. Divers sometimes spot great hammerhead sharks here. But when there are no hammerheads roaming around, the reef has pyramid butterflyfish and many sea anemones for you to admire.

Gab Gab II

A coral reef lying slightly off Apra Harbor’s shore, Gab Gab II has white tip reef sharks, groupers, and large trevallies living within its vicinity. You may also want to keep your eyes peeled for bright red anemones and huge eels while you’re here. The Submarine goes around Gab Gab II, so expect to see it during your dive.

The Northern Reefs

Guam also boasts beautiful reefs and drop-offs in the north, which offer a sneak peek into the area’s breathtaking cliffs. Here are a few diving destinations you can explore on the island’s northern side.

Hospital Point

This dive site near Tumon and Tamuning on Guam’s west-central coast offers large pelagics, vibrant sea fans, and a sheer drop-off for a good drift diving experience. Hospital Point has extremely clear waters, as well as a reef that’s directly above the area’s shallows. It even boasts a sloping yet slightly abrupt drop-off. Deep divers usually go down this site to find Gorgonian sea fans and shoals of big-eyed trevallies.

Gun Beach

Taking its name from the WWII gun on its shoreline, Gun Beach is a sloping reef filled with numerous fish species. This Guam dive site is the perfect place to do fish photography, and some tours call it their favorite Guam snorkeling destination. Visitors are able to feed the fish here from time to time.

Gun Beach is an ideal destination for turtle, ray, and octopus sightings, and many divers consider this place to be Guam’s best shore dive site.

Marine Life

Guam’s warm waters lure all kinds of aquatic species. You can spot a variety of creatures around the island, including more than a thousand fish species and 375 coral species. Here are some species you might encounter on your Guam scuba diving adventure:
  • Spinner dolphins - Part of the ocean dolphin family, these dolphins have four subspecies that live in tropical and subtropical oceans. Spinner dolphins typically consume squid, fish, and shrimp. The species can go 900 feet deep into the ocean and spend eight minutes looking for food underwater.
  • Pilot whales - Pilot whales have round bulging foreheads, short beak-like snouts, and slender pointed flippers. This species reaches nearly four to six meters in length. Pilot whales live together and eat mostly squids.
  • Giant trevally - At 170 centimeters (67 inches) and 80 kilos (176 pounds), the giant trevally is the largest species among its genus. The species mostly hunts different fish but they also feed on crustaceans, cephalopods, and mollusks. Giant trevallies live in various bodies of water, including deeper reefs.

Other Attractions

  • Ritidian Point - Starting from its nearly white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, Ritidian Point has many places you can explore. The Guam National Wildlife Refuge is one of these locations: It houses tree snails, fruit bats, and the archaeological remains of the ancient Chamorro culture.
  • Chamorro Night Market - The Chamorro Village’s daily market springs to life every Wednesday night. There’s a lot you can do in this tourist attraction: feast on banana egg rolls with honey or chicken/pork barbeque on a stick, get some souvenirs, and watch traditional dances.
  • Fish Eye Marine Park - Located within the Piti Bomb Holes Preserve, the Fish Eye Marine Park has 24 windows where visitors can meet over 200 fish species living in Guam’s waters and surrounding coral reefs. The park’s top deck is another area you should check out: It gives you an amazing view of the ocean and Guam’s mountain ranges.

How to Get There

If you’re diving in Guam for the first time, you’ve got a few options for traveling to and around the island. Here’s how you can visit this Micronesian island:
By Air
Delta Airlines and United Airlines are the only air carriers offering flights to Guam from the United States and Europe. But if you’re planning to book a flight with another carrier or are coming from another country, China Airlines, Japan Airlines (JAL), and Philippine Airlines also offer direct flights to the island.

Guam doesn’t impose any travel restrictions on American citizens, but it does require US travelers to take any documentation proving their citizenship. Foreign travelers entering the island will need valid passports and visas from the American embassy or consulate in their countries.

By Sea
Guam doesn’t offer any ferry services going to the island. However, there are cruise ships that come here from time to time. These ships enter Guam during trans-Pacific cruises.

Getting Around
You can ride a car or take a bus once you’ve set foot on the island. If you’re on a budget, traveling via bus is an affordable option. Guam’s Tourist Shopping Buses stop at most Tumon-based hotels, while other buses travel to the island’s northern and southern parts. Also, it’s safe to walk in Agana and Tumon, but not in other parts of Guam. Most areas within the island have dangerous traffic conditions and no sidewalks, so visitors can’t walk here.

Best Time to Visit

Guam usually has warm and humid weather since the climate here doesn’t change that much across the seasons. That’s why Guam’s diving season lasts throughout the year. The island’s rainy season occurs from September to December, while the windy season spans from April to December. Island temperatures can reach the mid-80s during the day and the mid-70s at night.

Required Trainings & Certifications

Visitors will find sites that suit every interest and every diving level in Guam. The island’s shipwrecks are its greatest claim to fame: More Guam wreck dives (besides the SMS Cormoran and Tokai Maru wrecks) lie around the island. These places are perfect for divers with Open Water and Advanced certifications.

But if you want to experience scuba diving in Guam for the first time or get a specific certification, the island has all levels of training for divers. These sessions range from Open Water training to Divemaster instruction. Guam offers technical diving training as well.

Miscellaneous Information

Currency
Since Guam is an American territory, it uses the US dollar as its official currency. The island also has quite a lot of ATMs, so you’ll find it easy to get cash whenever you need it. Businesses here accept major credit cards as well.

Languages
Guam has two official languages: English and Chamorro. People here mostly speak English, while hospitality service workers often speak Japanese and Korean. Many of the island’s immigrants are fluent in Filipino, and individuals can understand some Spanish words.

Time Zone
Guam observes Chamorro Standard Time (GMT +10). It doesn’t change local time to Daylight Savings Time.

Driving Side
Expect to do right-hand-side driving in Guam. But remember to drive carefully as island roads don’t conform to US standards and they can get slippery when it rains.

Calling Code
+1-671 is Guam’s calling code. Dial this code before the number you’re calling if you’re making an international call.

ISO 3166 code
Guam has two ISO 3166 codes: GU for its alpha-2 code and US-GU for its U.S. ISO 3166-2 code.

Internet TLD
The island’s TLD is .gu.