DIVING AND CAVE DIVING SAFARIS

DIVE LOCATIONS:

A) SHIMONI & WASINI ISLAND:

The diving on the South Coast of Kenya encompasses Tiwi & Diani Beaches, Shimoni and Wasini Island near the Tanzanian border. The main reef here is a continuation of the large fringing reef that stretches along Kenya's coastline and to save unnecessary repetition, the majority of diving is very similar to the fringing reefs of Shanzu in Mombasa.

 

As with the other regions further north, this area also has little pockets of glorious diving. Some of the top 5 recommended dives in Kenya are Nyulli Reef and Pink Reef, a must dive for advanced divers ('advanced' meaning content at depth in strong currents) visiting this area.

i) SHIMONI NATIONAL MARINE RESERVE:

The neighbouring islands of Shimoni, Wasini Island, Kisite Island, Upper Pengutti and Lower Pengutti all fall under the protection of Shimoni National Marine Reserve. Kisite Island is the heart of the marine reserve, and unique diving can be found there.

 

Kisite - Mpunguti Marine Park and National Reserves are found off the Kenyan coast, 75 miles south of Mombasa. This Marine Park and Reserve has been at the centre of discussion for European marine biologists because of its increasing number of new fish species and corals being documented and particular because of the marine environment still being intact. There are currently around 250 varieties of marine fish and over 40 varieties of coral species documented.

Mpunguti and Kisite, which jointly gained their status as a Marine Reserve and Park in 1978, actually consist of the Inner and outer Mpunguti Islands and Kisite Island. A dhow transports you over to the shallow marine reserve from the coastal mainland, where you have the opportunity to witness the clarity of water and awesomeness of diverse number of marline life. Kisite - Mpunguti Marine Park and National Reserves is loved by snorkels and divers because of the ease of viewing (but not touching or examining) and picture taking. Deep sea fishing lovers can travel further down south to the Pemba channel to catch large barracudas and kingfish.

In the Kisite - Mpunguti Marine Park and National Reserves some of the commonly seen fish include: large numbers of pelagic fish, butterfly, parrot, rock cod, angel, manta ray turtles, dolphins, reef sharks are also seen. The pristine coral varieties are impeccable; corals like stagh orn, brain, liliac-blue, mushroom, and lavender present unique photo taking opportunities. The colourful beauty of the coral, complimented by the large number of yellow and red tuna and snappers are unmatched.

 

Around the Pengutti Islands, the diving is between 30-70ft (10-22m), and this area has several resident families of dolphins which are commonly seen during dives. This is a high point for many divers who have not experienced interactions with these friendly mammals. The reefs around Pengutti Islands are excellent for drift diving.

The bottom is a combination of sand flats and reef outgrowths. Stingrays and turtles are commonly seen in this area. There is a general concentration of brilliant coral fish following the reefs around Pengutti. Parrotfish, trumpetfish, batfish, grouper, napoleon wrasse, clown fish, lion fish, and spanish dancers are commonly seen here. Pengutti and Kisite are the main night diving areas.

 

ii) NYULLI REEF:

Nyulli Reef (also known as the Rock Cod Reef) is the second reef surrounding the entrance to Shimoni. It begins at 60ft (18m) and drops down to 140ft (42m). This reef is spectacularly long, and a concentration of pelagics as well as reef fish can be found here. This is also home to a family of giant grouper up to 400lbs (180kg) in size. The fish here are friendly and accessible to divers. Yellow and Blue striped Snapper, Barracuda, suddenly surround you in their hundreds and it is hard to know where to look first. Soft corals, Gorgonian Fans, outcrops of coral delicately laced with white and purple whispy anemones swaying with the surge. The visibility on this dive is sometimes bad due to the Kaskazi wind and also the tide movement at the time of day.

 

iii) PINK REEF:

As its name sounds, the whole reef is covered in beautiful, pink, purple, blue, lavender, burgundy soft corals. Multitudes of glass fish amongst the plush royal carpets. Oranges and Golds of the Anthias so bright against the soft pink-blue hazy backdrop. Warm, soft and fluffy descriptives spring to mind when trying to conjure up a written image of this reef.

 

Kinondo, Galu and Tiwi Reefs are less dramatic but still very beautiful and coral is in good condition. On Kinondo Reef you can spot Red Tooth Triggerfish, sometimes hundreds of them. Why they are in such proliferation on this particular reef, one can only guess. You'll see them in black, yellow, white, purple and green. Tiwi Reef is the prettiest dive on the Tiwi Beach stretch but visibility can often be affected by the outflow of the river as it is situated in the channel.

 

iv) KITAGUMWE:

Kitamgumwe is an atoll, two hours from Shimoni. The island is semi-submerged and surrounded on the Eastern side with reefs. The diving depths range between 60-120ft (18-40m). This area is home to large swarms of fish, and reef sharks can be seen during the dives. Of special interest here are the huge, approachable moray eels.

B) PEMBA ISLAND SCUBA DIVING SITE:

Pemba Island is located off the Tanzanian coast, and is adjacent to the Island of Zanzibar. The guests are accommodated at Manta Lodge. Not only is this Island known for its awesome dive sites but also its peaceful location.  Pemba waters give divers and snorkels an incredible experience because all locations have generous amounts of multi-coloured fishes and corals displayed. The Pemba channel runs deep until it approaches the coastline, and then begins a dramatic assent to create sheer walls off the coast. The western side of the island is the leeside, where visibility remains between 100 - 200 feet. The walls and drop off, which are directly off the coastline, drop between 150 - 600 feet, all which make Pemba an excellent diving opportunity. Commonly found marine lives are: - Napolean wrasse, pelagic fish, famous Manta rays, turtles and sharks.

 

 

C) MOMBASA:

Mombasa, a coral island off the coast of Kenya, has beautiful coral reef and marine life; this makes the whole experience of diving and snorkelling awesome. Mombasa has also a deep harbour, called Kilindini, which serves as a docking station for vessels serving the East African trading regions.

 

The area where the diving and snorkeling occur is north of Mombasa, extending from around the Mtwapa creek all the way south to the entrance of Likoni; this area is called the Mombasa Marine Park and National Reserve. In 1986, the Kenyan Government officially extended Mombasa Marine Parks and National Reserve to its well-deserved status. Mombasa Marine Park encompasses 4 square mile, while the National Reserve extends 77 square miles.

The Mombasa Marine Park and National Reserve's pristine beauty has been kept in check by the efforts of the Kenya Wildlife Service. The depths for diving and snorkelling vary between 30 feet to 1000 feet. The reefs are of different types; there are multicoloured hanging reefs and large corals, which complement the soft smooth sandy bottoms. Snorkelling in shallow depths will display the coral reefs close to surface, providing sustenance to small marine life which otherwise would be unable to survive.

 

The Marine life at the Mombasa Marine and National Reserve is incredible. Plenty of diverse fish life can be seen by snorkels, divers, or from the "glass bottom boat". The glass bottom boat, we have to admit, is a fun experience. It makes the cautious come to an understanding regarding the complexity but yet the perfection of the interactions between water and marine life that live in it. On the other hand, the divers get to experience, first hand the large pelagic game fishes like the barracuda; the snorkels get an awe of the brightly coloured tropical fishes like snappers, both yellow and red camouflaging with similarly coloured corals and sometimes even completing the white corals which present an unrepresentative beauty well-deserving of picture taking.

 

The fringing reefs along this part of the coast are very similar to other areas in Kenya. The usual diving reefs are a choice of inner shallow reef or outer deeper reef known as Shanzu. Parts of this reef, as with many others, have several coral heads teeming with life - morays, glass fish, all the usual tropical reef fish. The area does have very interesting possibilities for challenging diving. It seems that this thriving port and the inherent detritus attract large tiger sharks. The other attraction is Birthday Reef. Birthday Reef, however good or bad the visibility, is still a spectacular dive. Converging currents meet at a large bloomer shaped reef starting at 27m and dropping to beyond 50m. At the end where currents swirl and change direction, you will find a mass of large schools. You'll see jacks, bannerfish, barracuda and snapper, not just a few but in their hundreds. On these dives you can also encounter green turtles, eagle rays are regularly spotted resting in the sand, huge potato bass, tuna and wahoo can be seen in the blue. As for small macro life, this reef is also full to burst; moray eels, nudibranchs, beautiful dark green soft corals with bright contrasting coloured damsels and chromis are living amongst the branches.

 
C) WATAMU & MALINDI:

There are other two main Marine Parks, Malindi and Watamu, are a total of approximately 8 square miles. The Marine National Reserve encompasses the parks from south of Malindi town to Watamu. The 82 square mile reserve includes a large mangrove inlet called Mida Creek with a 100 feet-wide strip of mainland. This part of the coast has some of the finest unspoilt white coral beaches in the world. Podanus palms and the wispy casuarinas trees skirt the high-water line, and the occasional headlands of dark limestone split the shore into bays, coves and lagoons, each with its fringe of shimmering sand. Inside the protective fringing reef, the water is warm and entirely safe for bathing. Between two seasons of trade winds, the sea is often a clear glass palette of dappled greens and blues.

The park has extensive coral gardens which blossom fully at night when the polyps emerge from their hard limey shelters; the coral is also a haven for beautiful shoals of reef fish.

MALINDI MARINE NATIONAL PARK

The Malindi Marine Park starts at its southern end, stretches from Leopard Point for a mile to a spot just south-west of Sand Island; then northwards for a mile along Stork Passage to beyond the tip of North Reef, and from there back to the beach at Chanoni Point. The coastline of the Park is an attractive coral-sand beach. Low tide exposes more sand and patches of seaweed, broken by shallow pools and channels. Between the shoreline and the two main reefs, North Reef and Barracuda Reef, runs Barracuda Channel. The water here is deep for normal goggling, but the sandy bottom with its rich growth of seaweed harbours numerous shells, particularly the common spider conch, which may often be seen on the shallower edges of the Channel.

 

Barracuda Reef lies on the shoreward side of the North Reef, which protects it from heavy seas, and is constantly washed by the flow of water through Barracuda Channel. The lowest tides expose the tips of only a few coral heads, the rest of the reef shows up as a smooth slick on the surface.The main bulk of the Malindi National Park reef appears to be potato coral, which, on the shoreward side, looms up from about 30 feet. There are the stately branching staghorn corals, delicate spiky-looking finger coral; rounded lumps of intricate brain coral; the madrepore species with their pink tips and the circular mushroom corals.

Less popular as a fish home, and not so common as the other corals is the fungus coral. It derives this unattractive name from its resemblance to the flat, fan-shaped fungus that sometimes grows around the trunks of trees. There is a large and very spectacular outcrop of this coral on the Barracuda Reef.

 

Where there is coral, there are coral fish seen in colourful crowds. Perhaps the easiest to pick out will be the Moorish idols. Their striking black and yellow stripes, pointed snout and long trailing dorsal fin would be hard to miss in any crowd and their stately progress sets them apart from the general bustle. There are also localized fishes, which rarely stray far from the protection of their chosen havens. The little black and white coral fish, sometimes called bulls - eyes or sergeant - major fishes are usually found hovering round a clump of madrepore coral; the beautiful anemone fish, pinky-gold with a pale dorsal stripe, make their home among the tentacles of stinging sea anemones. Also seen, the clown fish, similar in shape to the anemone fish but its colours are rich brown, a couple of sky blue stripes and orange fins, which lives among the tentacles of the anemone. A third fish to be found with anemones is the domino fish, marked, as its name implies, with three white spots on a black background.

 

Many of the coral fish have favourite holes in or under the coral, but use them mainly for resting or for hiding when danger threatens. Over, around and among these more static creatures flows a bewildering variety of fish of every conceivable shape and colour.

 

At first the observer retains only hazy impressions-a shifting blue-green veil of demoiselles, a splash of yellow butterfly fish, the brilliant blue streak of a cleaner wrasse, blue and yellow, red and green, striped, spotty or blotchy.

All these can be seen by, non-swimmer from the comfort of a glass-bottomed boat; however, if you are diving with facemask and flipper, you may find richer life still under overhanging pieces of rock or coral like the spiny lobster or the beautiful feathery scorpion fish.

 

Malindi National Park North Reef: This is the main reef in the Malindi park, lying parallel to the shore for about two-thirds the length of the Park. Much of the reef is exposed at low tide which leaves a low and flat rather desolate-looking surface of old coral with a layer of deposit and patches of weed.

 

On the shoreward side of the northern end of the reef there are stretches of sand-bank, and towards the sea from this point is a large inlet, shallow at its entrance, but four or five feet deep in some parts.  In this sandy inlet, particularly around the edges are clumps of coral. Fish coming into the area during high tide are trapped there. All this can be seen clearly through the crystal water from the edges of the pool, but the water is deep enough to swim in if you wish to take a closer look.

 

A common sight here is a cluster of young Moorish idols. When adult, these fish seem to be much less gregarious, but the young look most attractive swimming in a group. The fish trapped by the tide, some quite large particularly the parrot fish, are rather more nervous than when viewed in open waters; there is a constant flurry of fish racing up and down.

 

In the ankle-deep water around the entrance to the inlet, you may see tiny octopi retreating into holes or eels racing for cover. Under the loose stones, live minute and often bizarre shaped crabs, some small shell, sea anemone and brittle star fish. Turning the stones, will reveal that but it is important to replace the stones back into its position, or else the creatures will die from being exposed to the sun.

At the southern part of the Malindi National Park's North Reef is a large inlet. This area is the Coral Gardens; the water in normally shallow and clear. Shell collecting had damaged this region, but the region is returning back to its original state. Here you can find the spider conch. They are little tough to spot because their dirty mossy backs blend well with the weeds. If you turn it around, you will see the pink inner surface. Towards the entrance of the coral gardens, the water is a little deeper, which brings in shoals of pelagic fish.

 

Malindi National Park South Reef: At the southern end of North Reef, the main platform is Potato Coral. The surface here has worn out, and on it grows other varieties of corals. Most numerous perhaps are the finely branched Finger Corals, Madre pores and the curious Mushroom Corals. Over them swarm the shoals of coral fish. But surely the greatest attraction on this part of the reef, for the more adventurous swimmers, is the outer edge where the great bank of coral slopes steeply away to thirty or forty feet, with the sandy bottom continuing to slope, less steeply, into the depths of the channel.

 

Here the types of fish change dramatically, the coral dwellers being invaded by the pelagic fish of the open sea -- Kingfish and Kole-kole, that sweep past the sloping face and back into the blue haze beyond. Unicorn fish steam haughtily away from the diver, large rock cod flip back into their coral holes and lobsters wave their long white feelers. Even big turtles come and feed on the lower slopes, but on the whole they are shyer than the fish and soon paddle off when approached. It is a most exciting and rewarding place to dive in and within easy reach of the Coral Gardens.

 

The outer edge of North Reef provides some of the most beautiful diving areas to be found anywhere. There is a platform, quite wide at the northern end, narrower back towards the entrance of the Coral Gardens. Stork Passage runs along the outside of this ledge, bringing large pelagic fish that cruise in and out of view from the deep water beyond the sudden drop of the ledge into the depths of the channel. On the wider part of the shelf, the bottom is fairly flat with a gentle outward slope. It is almost entirely covered by the weird bathmats. It is an extraordinary sight, like scattered carpets flung down, rich brown and gold, blue-white and green, with fans of plate coral and the occasional madrepore or staghorn standing above it.

 

Fish are not abundant here, but then gorgeous surgeonfish is common and the sky-blue black and yellow livery looks almost out of place against such a background. As the shelf narrows, the bathmats give way to more and more fan coral, the delicate finger and madrepore and the more robust staghorn. The bottom is broken by gullies, the corals rise up in clumps, and it is possible to find lobsters and browsing turtles. Here again, the numbers of the smaller resident type fishes are small but with the magnificence and variety of the corals, their absence is not noticeable. Also shoals of fish sweep in over the ledge as the tide rises, to return to deeper waters when it drops. It is far less sheltered and easy-going than the Coral Gardens, or even Barracuda Reef. For a truly memorable dive, this is the place.

 

WATAMU MARINE PARK LOCATED IN WATAMU – KENYA:

Watamu Marine Park is located 14 miles south of Malindi, starting from the mouth of the Mida Creek at the southern end, continuing north to Turtle Bay. The water is fairly clear and shallow, with a sand-weed and coral bottom. At Watamu Marine Park, the small coral gardens lie parallel to the shore, and are not exposed during low tide.

 

The sea bed displays the brain coral which does not provide shelter for many of the small coral reef, that prefer to hide among the branches of the madrepores, finger and staghorn. Sea anemones, which cover the top of the coral, and clown fish, are found in plenty here. Another unique fish found at the park is the cleaner wrasse which makes its living by picking over the scales of other fishes. This is made possible because of other larger fishes that occur in small numbers. Also seen on the coral are shy octopuses. They quickly slither away when approached so one has to be careful to keep distance from it to see the best show.

 

The northern end of the gardens has interesting displays of coral. At the edge of the channel, the coral tends to grow in large boulders and spires. They are separated by stretches of sandy or weedy bottom. The other unique corals that can be seen here are finger like corals except that they are purple in colour. There are miniature fans of pure white coral, which have the same pattern as window frost and a dark brown variety, which look like cup sponges.

 

The Watamu diving Area benefits from being within a Marine Reserve and National Marine Park as well as a UN Biosphere Area - i.e. an area so environmentally diverse and special that it is worthy of special protection/interest from the UN .

The dive sites are between 10-20 minutes boat ride from the base. The top of the reef is covered with a wide variety of both soft & hard corals. The signs of recovery from the damage El Nino caused are apparent in this area. The marine fauna includes the usual species of colourful reef fish such as Butterfly & Angel fish, Damsel fish, schools of Anthias, especially around Deep Place' Reef Surgeon fish, Snappers and Groupers . Then there are the tiny critters such as Nudibranchs, Flatworms, Frogfish, Shrimps, Leaf fish & Sole. There is the chance of seeing the bigger attractions such as White & Black-tip Reef Sharks, Napoleon Wrasse, Great Barracuda, Turtles and of course the tantalising possibility of seeing Dolphins, Whale Sharks & Manta Rays. One of the major hazards in this area is the Titan Triggerfish who during nesting season (January) become aggressively territorial and tend to attack anything or anyone that comes within the nesting zone (a conical shaped area opening out and upwards from the nest to the surface).

 

One particular dive site The Canyon was reminiscent of the Red Sea. A sandy channel with sloping walls rising on both sides from around 20 m. Adjoining sites provide a series of overhangs, soft corals and an arch jammed with glass fish, mantis shrimps and colourful soft corals.

 

Whale Island: This formidable, jagged island lies at the southern end of the park. The "tail" is divided from the body by a sandy narrow cove and the flat slab on the top of the Island is sparsely covered by grass. Marine lizards, rock crabs, eels and sea urchins are commonly seen here.

 

Tewa Caves: A spur of dark grey limestone coral runs out from the south shore across the mouth of the Mida Creek. It is broken by a turbulent channel of water and resurfaces again for around 50 feet towards the centre. The little reef rises only a few feet above the water, and is completely covered at high tide; it is between 12 and 15 feet wide. This coral hides the wonderful sights at Watamu Marine Park, the Tewa (in Swahili) or giant rock cod.

 

The current that races past the reef tunnels away at the base so that there is an overhang, the floor of which is several feet below the level of the surrounding sea bed. At the outer end of the Island, the upper surface of the ledge remains underwater at low tide, displaying beautiful anemones, sea-ferns, and coral polyps. The underside of the overhang reveals beautiful vivid reds, yellows and blues of soft coral and sponges.

Searching the tunnels that run through the reef reveals the Tewa. Here you can see the pale widely curved mouth gaping slightly open and fringed with tiny fish. The great bulk of creatures become apparent as your eyes adjust to the dim light. Huge placid monsters around 6 feet long, weighing several hundred pounds with rounded fin and tail moving slowly. There were originally three of these big fishes, giving them their name "Big Three Caves". Now you can see four or more large Tewa and few smaller ones. The name now commonly used is Tewa Caves. The Tewas are seen around reefs, moving majestically through the water, with their satellite shoals of pilot fish.  When visiting Tewa, please be certain to be cautious of your movements so as not to frighten away the Tewa.

 

THE CHAKWE WRECK:

This is an ex shrimp trawler providing a pretty little dive for all levels. The boat, lying on its port side in sand at 14m. The boat sank in the late eighties and a lot of life has established itself around it. The wreck is not suitable for penetration but great for photography in good visibility. Moray Reef is the home of 'GEORGE' the semi tame giant Moray - "not to be confused with his not so tame grandfather further along the same reef!" The top reef covered in hard and soft corals drops off to 30m. George is usually to be found at around 22m inside a rocky outcrop of coral with many holes. This particular area of coral is incredibly busy and you could probably spend an entire dive, depending on the current, inspecting George's territory letting him get to know you and perhaps get some great interaction on film.

 

VUMA CAVES AND BLOWHOLES:

A must for any serious diver. The caves are at the bottom of some shoreline cliffs, where you descend to a sandy bottom at approximately 20 m, swim along the reef for a bit looking at the reef fish, and not forgetting to look out to the deep sea where you may have a chance to glimpse dolphins, sharks and barracuda. There's only one cave entrance that tapers to a narrow tunnel which branches off in a few places. The main tunnel leads round a blind bend where the light is cut out both sides to a vertical sink hole in the reef. If you ascend vertically, you will come out back on the top reef at 5m. Judge the tide well or you could easily be spat out the top by surge pushing through the cave. The Blowholes, presumably caused by a constant pummelling from the seas over thousands of years, are dotted along the rock wall which descends to 18m and runs parallel and quite close to the shoreline. 

 

DIVING VUMA CAVES:

The entrance to the cave is a 'jaw-dropper' of an entrance not for spectacular cathedral like structure at all, but purely for the marine life that it houses. Moving around by torchlight, the beam is attracted immediately to bright flashes of red and then yellow. The big-eyed soldier fish sit in large schools gleaming red in the dark corners of the rock while the entrance is filled with yellow striped snapper. Large Potato Bass sit sulking in the dim recesses. Outside the cave, you swim south along the wall to find the blowholes. These holes are tunnels leading diagonally upwards from 18 m to the top of the rock. On approach, the beams of sunlight shooting through the holes are similar to the strong shafts of light that penetrate a tall dense rainforest or the stained glass window of a church. Diving on slack tide, you are able to get in close to the bottom of the holes and look up to these rays blasting through. 
 

BEST TIME FOR DIVING

Heavy rains occur between May and June, with short rains during November/December. The average temperatures range between 68°-90°F (20>°C-32°>C) typical equatorial climate. The right time for land packages with game viewing is a complicated affair; animal migrations are scheduled by rain, not calendars. The diving is simpler: September through March is when the winds should be favourable. Whale sharks often cruise the coast about February. May / June and in some areas July / August are no dive periods due to strong winds. Malindi is an exception and is badly affected by the Galana River outflow. Nov through to March the water literally turns brown and is not dive-able on the usual reefs. Best diving in this area is around July / August.

 

DIVE LOCATION AND SPECIFIC SITES:

 

Ukunda - Diani location.

Encompassing locations Kinonodo reef and Mvuvu.

Rating (out of 5): 4

Dive Level: All levels.

Visibility: Approximately 25 feet during the monsoon season; greater than 40 feet during short rains season.

Temperature: Almost always greater than 74 F.

Comment: Opportunity to view beautiful coral and diverse marine life. Close to the beach hotels, and thus perfect for many to try out. Snorkelling enjoyed by many tourists.

Shimoni Caves location.

Particular location Nyuli reef.

Rating (out of 5): 4½.

Dive Level: Experienced levels only, due to strong tidal current.

Visibility: Approximately 20 feet during the monsoon season; greater than 40 feet during short rains season. Experienced diver will find it adventurous.

Temperature: Almost always greater than 72 F.

Comment: Famous for its coral caves; Fishing also a big sport around this location. Large marine life always seen, such as sharks and sting rays. Also large schools of fish seen too.

The private Chale Island;

Particular locations Snorkeling and Chale reef.

Rating (out of 5): 5

Dive Level: All levels; best for beginners.

Visibility: Good visibility all year round.

Temperature: Almost always greater than 76 F.

Comment: Perfect location for beginners learning to dive. Opportunity to see turtles and multi-coloured marine life and vegetation. Corals are beautiful here, and region is well preserved because it is operated by a private organization.

 

Mpunguti - Kisite locations.

Specific locations Pink reef, Dolphin point, area encompassing Kisite Marine Park.
Rating (out of 5): 5.

Dive Level: Dives very much enjoyed by all levels.

Visibility: Good visibilities all year round; sometimes greater than 95 100 feet during November and December.

Temperature: Almost always greater than 77 F

Comment: Considered the best location on the Kenyan coast by many. Opportunity to see plenty of marine life like dolphins, butterfly fish, sharks, turtle. Bright colorful corals complement the schools of fish at all depths.

Pemba Island Dive Sites:

Dive Location and Specific Sites: Njao Gap North and South.

Rating (out of 5): 4 ½.

Dive Level: Experienced divers or Intermediate divers with groups of experienced divers.

Visibility: Approximately 55 feet during the monsoon season (April-August); greater than 100 feet during the rest of the months.

Temperature: Almost always greater than 75 F.

Comment: Varying depths. Pristine coral like tabletop coral. Coral encrusted walls. Steep, huge overhangs and large gorgonian sea fans seen. Diverse marine life present.

Manta Point.

Rating (out of 5): 5.

Dive Level: Experienced divers or Intermediate divers with groups of experienced divers.

Visibility: Approximately 65 feet during the monsoon season (April-August); greater than 125 feet during the rest of the months.

Temperature: Almost always greater than 76 F.

Comment: Considered the best dive site by many. Has a varying depth. Manta rays are almost always seen in large groups. The coral present in this location is also beautiful along with the other marine life like moray eels and other schools of small fishes.

 

Uvinje and Masali Island Snorkels Haven.

Rating (out of 5): 5.

Dive Level: Beginners can reach the top coral. Experienced divers only for greater depths.

Visibility: Top reef has a clear visibility of 80 feet or more. Diving deeper may reduce visibility slightly. Mid morning and afternoon dives are the best.

Temperature: Almost always greater than 78 F

Comment: Beautiful colourful fish swimming close to the corals; corals are multi-coloured. Good photo taking opportunities. Also presence of sea anemones, sponges and other marine life. For experienced divers, below the top corals reveals bigger fish like sharks and barracudas.

Panza Point location.

Specific site Emerald reef.

Rating (out of 5): 4.

Dive Level: Experienced divers only.

Visibility: Top reef has a clear visibility of 80 feet and greater. Diving deeper may reduce visibility slightly.

Temperature: Almost always greater than 78 F

Comment: Known for green-emerald coral. Very picturesque. Also commonly seen are sharks, large groupers, and large emperor angelfish.

 

Hammerhead Stretch.

Rating (out of 5): 4½.

Dive Level: Experienced divers only.

Visibility: Almost always greater than 85 feet

Temperature: Almost always greater than 79 F.

Comment: Famous for its scalloped hammerhead sharks. Other fish seen are the barracudas, small coral-marine fishes and stingrays.

 

Kokota Reef for night diving in groups.

Rating (out of 5): 4½.

Dive Level: Experienced divers only.

Visibility: Use of night vision diving equipment.

Temperature: Almost always greater than 75 F.

Comment: You have the opportunity to view beautiful corals, sponges, star fishes, octopuses, and other marine vegetation when illuminated. Best are the Spanish dancers, which have gained a popular reputation on the East African coast. Best time for photography.

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