Zhejiang – Ningbo & Shipu Dive Sites – China

About Zhejiang – Ningbo & Shipu

Ningbo and the historic fishing port of Shipu represent the heart of Zhejiang’s coastal diving scene, where temperate marine ecosystems thrive along rocky shorelines and around nearshore islands in the East China Sea. Shipu, one of China’s oldest and most important fishing ports with over a thousand years of maritime history, serves as the gateway to productive dive sites featuring rocky reefs, kelp forest habitats, and artificial reef structures that attract diverse marine communities. The underwater landscape includes granite and sandstone reef formations colonized by temperate corals, sponges, and anemones that provide habitat for sea bass, rockfish, octopus, and commercially important species like abalone and sea cucumber. The region benefits from the mixing of coastal and oceanic water masses, creating productive conditions that support high biodiversity. Seasonal visitors including seasonal ray species and large pelagic fish add excitement to dives during summer and autumn months. Ningbo’s modern city infrastructure, excellent transport connections, and renowned Zhejiang cuisine make it a comfortable base for diving excursions. The annual Shipu China Fishing Festival celebrates the region’s maritime heritage and is one of China’s largest seafood festivals.

Highlights

• ✓Shipu historic fishing port with thousand years of maritime heritage
• ✓Rocky reef and kelp forest diving with abalone and sea cucumber
• ✓Annual China Fishing Festival celebrating maritime cultural heritage
• ✓Mixing zone of coastal and oceanic water creating high biodiversity

Getting There

Fly into Ningbo Lishe International Airport (NGB) with extensive domestic connections. Shipu is approximately 1.5 hours south of Ningbo by car via the coastal expressway. High-speed rail connects Ningbo to Shanghai (2 hours) and Hangzhou (1 hour).