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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Asia

Asia

Taiwan

A small freediving island with green turtles, and dolphins and whales seen from the boat off the east coast.

East coast of Taiwan near the Qingshui Cliffs in Hualien
East coast near the Qingshui Cliffs, Hualien, Taiwan · Photo: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Exploring

Ethics pass, with care. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard, as long as we work with the right local operator. Checked by Ocean Calling on 26 Sep 2026. Sources: Developing cetacean-friendly guidelines, from whale watching to offshore wind farm operation, Frontiers in Marine Science, 2023; Taiwan to change dolphin performances, not end them, Taiwan Business TOPICS (AmCham Taiwan), Aug 2025; Xiaoliuqiu snorkeling guide, Taiwan Travel Blog.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. The UK FCDO travel advice for Taiwan notes that typhoons are most active between July and September, and asks visitors to follow local authority guidance. No country-wide warning appeared in the snippet. Sources: UK FCDO travel advice, Taiwan Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

FreedivingSnorkellingWhalesTurtlesDolphins

Why Taiwan

Xiaoliuqiu, a small island off south-west Taiwan, is the country's freediving centre, with training lines from 10 to 50 m close to shore and the largest gathering of green turtles in Taiwan. The island is also very busy, so turtle snorkelling would run only on weekday mornings outside peak months, keeping 3 m from the turtles (twice the official 1.5 m guidance), with no more than four guests per guide and no touching. On the east coast at Hualien, spinner, Risso's and pantropical spotted dolphins and sperm whales may be seen from the boat, with no swimming alongside them. April to early June and late October to November look strongest.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

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When to go

Apr-Jun, Oct-Nov. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass, with care

Good with the right operator. Here is how we choose.

All whales and dolphins are protected species in Taiwan, and whale watching guidelines ask boats to stay more than 50 metres away, but studies show crowding at the busiest harbour. Captive dolphin shows still exist. Xiaoliuqiu is very busy, with guides and monitors to keep snorkellers back from turtles. We choose quiet hours and small groups, keep a wide distance, and watch dolphins only from the boat.

Checked 26 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in Taiwan

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Xiaoliuqiu

Exploring

A small island for freediving on deep lines close to shore, with green turtles met gently on quiet mornings.

🤿 In the water: Green turtles (snorkel, keeping 3 m away), Reef life

When: Apr-Jun, Oct-Nov. April to early June and late October to November look strongest, avoiding the July to September typhoon peak and summer crowds. Turtle snorkelling on weekday mornings only. Every three years a temple festival of about eight days, expected around October 2027, stops all water activities; dates still to be confirmed.

Hualien

Exploring

East-coast boat trips to watch dolphins and whales, from the boat only.

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Spinner dolphins (from the boat), Risso's dolphins (from the boat), Pantropical spotted dolphins (from the boat), Fraser's dolphins (from the boat), Bottlenose dolphins (from the boat), Sperm whales (from the boat)

When: Apr-Oct. Boat trips run April to October; April to June fits best alongside a freediving week. Watching from the boat only, with no swimming with dolphins or whales.

Animals

Animals recorded in Taiwan

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Land animals
Green turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHawksbill turtle swimming, pointed beak in profileHawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredTwo spinner dolphins swimming over sand in clear waterSpinner dolphinStenella longirostrisSeen in 66 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPantropical spotted dolphin gliding at the calm ocean surfacePantropical spotted dolphinStenella attenuataSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernFraser's dolphin porpoising out of the waterFraser's dolphinLagenodelphis hoseiSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableFalse killer whale surging through blue water off Rota, Mariana IslandsFalse killer whalePseudorca crassidensSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedPygmy killer whale surfacing in turquoise waterPygmy killer whaleFeresa attenuataSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBanded sea krait with yellow lip rising over dark sandBanded sea krait (yellow-lipped sea krait)Laticauda colubrinaSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlue-lipped sea krait with blue and black bands on sandBlue-lipped sea kraitLaticauda laticaudataSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPale reef stonefish resting between anemones in KwajaleinReef stonefishSynanceia verrucosaSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRed lionfish with spread fins over sand in Dauin, PhilippinesLionfish (red and common lionfish)Pterois volitans and Pterois milesSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWell camouflaged scorpionfish on dark sand in Lembeh StraitScorpionfishScorpaenopsis speciesSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasVaries by speciesTitan triggerfish swimming over a reef slope in blue waterTitan triggerfishBalistoides viridescensSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPicasso triggerfish with painted pattern over sand in the MaldivesPicasso triggerfish (lagoon triggerfish)Rhinecanthus aculeatusSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClown triggerfish with big white spots over reef in the Coral SeaClown triggerfishBalistoides conspicillumSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDay octopus beside a coral head on a sandy Red Sea reefDay octopusOctopus cyaneaSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge spotted whale shark gliding through open blue waterWhale sharkRhincodon typusSeen in 54 countries in the AtlasEndangeredHumpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableOrcas surfacing close together in calm Arctic Norwegian watersOrca (killer whale)Orcinus orcaSeen in 55 countries in the AtlasData DeficientPelagic thresher shark with long whip tail at Kimud Shoal, MalapascuaPelagic thresherAlopias pelagicusSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasEndangeredScalloped hammerhead shark cruising in deep blue Red Sea waterScalloped hammerheadSphyrna lewiniSeen in 57 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredBargibant's pygmy seahorse camouflaged among pink gorgonian polypsBargibant's pygmy seahorseHippocampus bargibantiSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSchool of bigeye trevally swirling near the seabed at AmedBigeye trevallyCaranx sexfasciatusSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBroadclub cuttlefish hovering with arms raised over reefBroadclub cuttlefishAscarosepion latimanusSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasData DeficientShort-finned pilot whale surfacing off Tenerife with the island behindShort-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala macrorhynchusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTiger shark with clear stripes swimming over a reefTiger sharkGaleocerdo cuvierSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSpotted garden eels rising from sand, black spots clearly visibleSpotted garden eelHeteroconger hassiSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlue-spotted maskray resting on a sandy seabed beside a shellBlue-spotted stingrayNeotrygon kuhlii complexSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasVaries by speciesGreat barracuda cruising in open blue water, showing jagged teethGreat barracudaSphyraena barracudaSeen in 84 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernEstuary seahorse with textured orange skin on dark sandCommon (estuary) seahorseHippocampus kudaSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBluestreak cleaner wrasse with black stripe and blue tailBluestreak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusSeen in 51 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCuvier's beaked whale surfacing, pale scarred head and small dorsal finCuvier's beaked whaleZiphius cavirostrisSeen in 42 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAdult pink Chinese white dolphin swimming beside a grey calf in Pearl River estuary waterChinese white dolphinSousa chinensisSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLeatherback hatchling crossing the sand toward the seaLeatherback turtleDermochelys coriaceaSeen in 76 countries in the AtlasVulnerableMelon-headed whales leaping together through a splash of white waterMelon-headed whalePeponocephala electraSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernOceanic whitetip shark with pilot fish in sunlit Red Sea waterOceanic whitetip sharkCarcharhinus longimanusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredSicklefin lemon shark swimming over coral among butterflyfish in French PolynesiaSicklefin lemon sharkNegaprion acutidensSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBlacktip shark swimming in green water in the GalápagosBlacktip sharkCarcharhinus limbatusSeen in 49 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAdult male Blainville's beaked whale surfacing in the BahamasBlainville's beaked whaleMesoplodon densirostrisSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDwarf sperm whale leaping clear of the open seaDwarf sperm whaleKogia simaSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRound ribbontail ray swimming over rocks at Santa Cruz, GalápagosRound ribbontail rayTaeniurops meyeniSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasVulnerablePortuguese man o' war floating with purple crest off Pico, AzoresPortuguese man o' warPhysalia physalisSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedSmooth hammerhead swimming in clear blue open water off SpainSmooth hammerheadSphyrna zygaenaSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasVulnerableShortfin mako shark at Condor Bank in the North Atlantic, AzoresShortfin makoIsurus oxyrinchusSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasEndangeredTwo pygmy sperm whales at the sea surface off the Azores, low backs and small hooked dorsal fins showingPygmy sperm whaleKogia brevicepsSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWedge-tailed shearwaters resting togetherWedge-tailed shearwaterArdenna pacificaSeen in 46 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMasked booby on Ascension IslandMasked boobySula dactylatraSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRed-tailed tropicbird in Glendowie, Auckland, New Zealand, iNaturalist research-grade observationRed-tailed tropicbirdPhaethon rubricaudaSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlack-faced spoonbill in Taiwan, TW, iNaturalist research-grade observationBlack-faced spoonbillPlatalea minorSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasLives on landVulnerableBlack noddy perched in a shrub on Tern Island, French Frigate ShoalsBlack noddyAnous minutusSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernOmura's whale off northwestern MadagascarOmura's whaleBalaenoptera omuraiSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasData DeficientPale seahorse with a long snout holding a blade of green weed against a dark backgroundThree-spot seahorseHippocampus trimaculatusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasEndangeredAdult brown booby standing on a rock with its bill open against blue sky, PrincipeBrown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSailfish swimming in open blue water, seen from below, with its long bill and tall dorsal finSailfishIstiophorus platypterusSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic bluefin tuna leaping out of choppy water, recorded in Hovedstaden, DenmarkAtlantic bluefin tunaThunnus thynnusSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a red-footed booby head with blue, pink and red bill and throat skin among green leavesRed-footed boobySula sulaSeen in 91 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSilver-cheeked toadfish resting just above sandy seabed, with its pale belly and dark-spotted backSilver-cheeked toadfishLagocephalus sceleratusSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-tailed eagle in flight low over calm water with a fish in its talons, near Raftsund, Lofoten, NorwayWhite-tailed eagleHaliaeetus albicillaSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernGiant trevally swimming close to a coral head, with small reef fish in blue water behind itGiant trevallyCaranx ignobilisSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRobber crab on rough coral rock with bent legs and large claws, in daylightRobber crab (coconut crab)Birgus latroSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasLives on landVulnerableMilk sharkRhizoprionodon acutusSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSmall spotted pufferfish swimming just above a sandy seabed, with a yellow-ringed eye; listed on iNaturalist as Torquigener flavimaculosusOrange-spotted toadfishTorquigener hypselogeneionSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGiant guitarfish (whitespotted wedgefish) resting on a sandy seabed off Durban, South AfricaWhitespotted wedgefishRhynchobatus djiddensisSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredGreat cormorant perched on a branch, with white head plumes and a glossy blue-black backGreat cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGreat frigatebird in flight, with long angled wings and a forked tailGreat frigatebirdFregata minorSeen in 44 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWilson's storm-petrel resting on calm water with its wings raised above its backWilson's storm-petrelOceanites oceanicusSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLesser frigatebird soaring against a blue sky with its wings spread and tail forkedLesser frigatebirdFregata arielSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeach's storm-petrel in flight over water, wings spread, with a pale patch at the base of the tailLeach's storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasVulnerableShort-tailed shearwater resting on the open seaShort-tailed shearwaterArdenna tenuirostrisSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernKitefin sharkDalatias lichaSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBulwer's petrel flying low over blue water, its long pointed tail visibleBulwer's petrelBulweria bulweriiSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSwinhoe's storm-petrel flying low over a grey sea, seen at a distanceSwinhoe's storm-petrelHydrobates monorhisSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSmooth lanternsharkEtmopterus pusillusSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTahiti petrel in flight over the sea, dark above with a white bellyTahiti petrelPseudobulweria rostrataSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedLeafscale gulper sharkCentrophorus squamosusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasEndangeredPelagic cormorant standing on a rock with wings held open to dryPelagic cormorantUrile pelagicusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernJapanese cormorant perched on a rock against blue sky with its bill open, white throat and cheeks showingJapanese cormorantPhalacrocorax capillatusSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlackbelly lanternsharkEtmopterus luciferSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGinkgo-toothed beaked whaleMesoplodon ginkgodensSeen in 3 countries in the AtlasData Deficient
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