Divers preparing for dive in the grotto collapsed cave on Saipan, Northern Marianas, Central Pacific, Pacific Photo: AFP / Michaelk Runkel
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) received top honours in two categories at the 2024 Marine Diving Awards in Tokyo.
The CNMI was recognised as the number two 'Best Overseas Diving Area' and also placed third in the 'First Overseas Destination' category.
The Marine Diving Awards 2024 was held in conjunction with the Marine Diving Fair 2025 - Asia's largest SCUBA diving exhibition - and winners were determined by an online vote from divers across Japan who uses of "Marine Diving Web".
Diving opportunities in the Northern Marianas were touted by the Marianas Visitors Authority to 29,153 attendees at the fair held on April 4-6, 2025, at Ikebukuro Sunshine City.
Megumi Takaku Shimada of Blue Palms Dive Service Rota was voted the top instructor in the Best Diving Instructor category.
Sharing the Top 10 billing from the CNMI were Miyuki Ishihara (#6) of Anclah Saipan and Noriko Akari Baidya (#10) of Sakura Marine.
Several operators in the CNMI also placed in the Top 10 for Best Dive Shop: Blue Palms Rota (#3), Sakura Marine (#6), and Anclah Saipan (#9).
"We are truly honored to receive this recognition for The Marianas and for Japanese divers to continue to believe our islands are one of the best places to have an extraordinary dive experience," MVA managing director Jamika Taijeron said.
"The Marianas has been blessed through the years to receive numerous recognitions at Marine Diving Awards, thanks to our outstanding dive and snorkeling sites, beautiful beaches, and top-level dive operators.
"As a government, business sector, and community, let us continue our work to preserve and protect our ocean and land resources so that The Marianas remains a beautiful overseas destination for all visitors."
Megumi Takaku Shimada of Blue Palms Dive Service Rota, left, and Suguru Takahashi of Makesure Diving represent the CNMI—including the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota—in receiving the second place award for Best Diving Area Overseas at Marine Diving Awards in Tokyo, Japan, on 4 April 2025. Photo: Supplied
The fair was joined by 296 exhibitors, including major diving equipment and camera manufacturers, and educational institutions such as PADI and SNSI. The event attracted a wide range of users, including non-divers interested in the ocean.
Stage presentations were also made, and discussions were held on marine environments and safe diving practices.
Joining MVA staff in promoting the CNMI were representatives of several dive shops, including Takaku, Baidya, Sugaru Takahashi of Saipan Make Sure Diving, Tomoe Yoshida of BIG EYE, and Yumiko Tanaka Halstead of Sakura Marine, as well as Jun Shimada of Star Marianas Air. In addition to sharing information about diving and other visitor opportunities in The Marianas, the MVA garnered 1,000 new Instagram followers and promoted flight services to Saipan from Tokyo by United Airlines and inter-island flights by Star Marianas.
"The Marianas is a diver's dream," MVA marketing manager Thomas Kim said.
"The water is always sub-tropical temperature, visibility is amazing, and travelling time to get here from Japan is short.
"We also promote our vast variety of shore, boat, cavern, and other types of dives available across all our islands for all experience levels, and in addition to all that, we have a warm and welcoming community.
"Thank you to all the divers and ocean-lovers who voted for us!" he added.
