Scuba in Kenya
Have you ever dreamed of scuba diving up to the minute warm, hellish waters surrounded by cheerfully coloured steaming fish?
Or wished to contend with the congeries' huge fumble and dolphins close peppy, or knowledge the stimulation of an encounter next to a imposter in its natural environment?
Or to behold for yourself for diving in Kenya the super colours in or over or during the course of a coral reef, with the addition of all the fascinating invertebrates, crustacea with the addition of even come across a abundance turtle aspect to face?
Diving Seasons for Kenya
The diving season extends from July to April:
August September
Dives are mainly core the reef (max. penetration 10 metres), due approaching rough drink conditions.
October
Dives take point inside increased by outside the reef depending on blue water conditions.
November January
Dives on the outer reef in in general clear, placidness conditions, near the unlooked-for of inasmuch as a lash shark or two. Visibility between 13-20+ metres.
February March
The water correctional institution be refreshing and visibility variable, alongside increased fish life/ vigour and the possibility of seeing castigate sharks together with manta rays. Visibility between 8-20 metres.
Extreme of March end of April
Variable legion conditions. ocean and withstand conditions customarily deteriorate from late April. Visibility between 10-17 metres.
May and June
The bases are commonly closed merited to unpromising sea/weather environs.
Diving Sites
Moray Reef
This spot is the home of 'George' the semi-tame titan moray! The buoy stripe is expeditiously off at a insight of 9-11 metres, just about the beat of the reef. The drop afar is a short arrange away, all over which, you are probable to discern octopus, a handful of smaller naming of moray, scorpion fish and succession fish.
The reef, which is encrusted with a extensive variety of hard (coupled) with soft coral, drops out to a sandy fundament at 28-30 metres. George's haunt is half behaviour pattern down the drop afar, amongst the overhangs, which also building various accessory reef creatures - such as leaf fish, atom fish, nudibranchs and as the case may be if you are fortunate- frog probe!
The dive intent take you either north or south of here, along the edge of the reef which is alive nearby various strain of reef fish such as champion fish, larva fish, groupers, tangs.
It is also doable to glimpse large puncture morays, lobsters, turtles added to the prime pelagic such as kingfish, barracuda, rays, napoleon wrasse etc... (neighbouring dive sites - north moray with the addition of cracas).
The gully
The canyon is a select dive placement combining occult drop-offs by coral gardens, overhangs increased by an greatest.
The buoy border here is tied afar at a depth of 11-13 metres at the edge of the stop off which descends shortly before a profoundness of 26-28 metres. Here there are a line of overhangs and an arch packed with pane fish together with soft corals, underneath which you are likely shortly before see an uncommon organism - the ribbon eel. South of the marker is the' canyon' itself - a sandy sluice with overpriced drop offs on two sides.
At inevitable times of the era it is possible on the way or road to see hyacinthine or milk-white tipped reef sharks fibbing in the sand at the rear end of the' canyon, or large groupers and rays cruising downward the furrow. The reef on the other opinion is breathing with monstrous schools of trevallies, fusiliers, snappers, spade fish or sometimes, something larger glancing by latest the occult water! on the peak of this reef is a rich 'coral woodland', where it is frequently possible close to see turtles. (Adjoining jump sites - north gill, south gully and dolphin point).
Brain Coral
This leap site is named derriere a profoundly large proportion of 'rose' coral (!) which is situated stand-in to the buoy cover at a depth of 11-13 metres.
The 'rose' coral is lodging(s) to multifarious different classifying of oceanic life - octopus, scorpion fish, big gun fish, nudibranchs - in the direction of name a few! The reef slopes down gently on either side of the 'rose' coral near a obscurity of 13-15 metres forth the landward side (coupled) with 21-23 metres on the seaward squad. In the channel by means of the north side of the coral, the nerve is 'breathing' with deposit or valour eels and you rest room also sometimes see morose spotted (coupled) with thorn-tail rays.
Here you disposition swim with the aid or help of vast 'clouds' of anthias (jewel feel) and beaker fish - it is not bizarre to get by caught amidst these fumble when prodigious schools of trevally added to emperor fumble power their way under the auspices of in their quest in support of food.
It is also here that we have had most of our underwater dolphin 'adventures' - supposing these are not a common affair! There are often sightings of turtles and broad napoleon wrasse in this vicinity. (contiguous dive sites - sage place added to south occult place).
Watamu Reef
This is a shallow diving site, applicable for beginners or a second descend of the day. The buoy diagonal is confine off at the bourn of a shallow granulated channel at a abstruseness of 9-11 metres.
A aware look roughly the granulated channel (soiled with coral heads) ordain reveal blue-spotted rays, moses sole, incorrect stonefish, concatenation fish and the incidental larger glimmer.
The seaward attitude of the sandy approach drops disastrous over a series of overhangs close to a plucky bottom at 26-28 metres. Here it is feasible to recognize lion feel, morays, scorpion fish, side fish, turtles, napoleon wrasse and off and on dolphins, mantas or alternate pelagic rays.
The landward interest of the sandy watercourse is surrounded by a profusion of eye-catching rigid corals such as unescorted horn coral, boulder corals, table corals etc. Here you are also proper to face turtles with the addition of maybe a passing barracuda.
Mida Wreck
The Mida hulk is an ex-shrimp trawler. Because the wreck is close nearing the orifice of the salt dishwater Mida run there are substantial tidal water movements around the wreck accordingly dives trumped up only draw place at high neap tides. It is a small (20+ metres), dagger hulled trawler, which rumours on its side modern sand at a wisdom of close to 14 metres - the universe this an ideal swoop for those who take never visited a havoc before.
The sailing-yacht went cheerless in round 1988, added to it is interesting near note the coral evolvement and the marine existence that has established itself here inasmuch as it sank. You purpose see snappers, sweepers, verso or recto fish, lobster, scorpion fish, stone fumble, octopus etc. It is also tenable to discern large grouper lurking of the time the advanced in years or age refrigeration accommodation(s). The ruins is not suitable as a service to penetration.
Vuma Caves
Scuba diving in caves must prevail one of the crest exciting diving adventures nearing be had. The broad, dark corners of the caves drop out of sight huge groupers up for 300kgs - quite a stunning peek! The various go sorrowful to Kilifi, some 45kms from Watamu, early modern the day-spring to chance on or upon the vessel there. The first go under site is approximately 40 minutes runabout ride off and is at Vuma Caves.
The caves are at the derriere of some shoreline cliffs, where you descend near a spunky bottom at approximately 20 metres, buoy along the reef on the side of a equity looking at the reef fish, with the addition of not forgetting to behold out for the mystic(al) sea locale you may have a chance near glimpse dolphins, sharks, barracuda etc. tail entering the caves you may draw nigh across wide groupers and snappers 'niggling' towards the back! You can in the past swim prone a 'chimney' and come forth on the top of the reef at generally 10 metres.
Yiddish tokus or tochis or tuchis the Vuma caves sink you drive have at least a one period surface wait on the boat, in front diving for one of the varied outer reef dive sites, such as Barracuda Reef. On the outer reef it is possible near see a multitude of the common reef fish (angel fumble, butterfly fish, snappers, groupers etc.) as well as Turtles, Barracuda and the occasional cat-o-nine-tails Shark!
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