Scuba Diving In Diani Beach
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Discover Scuba Diving Excursions In Diani Beach
Diani Beach is Kenya’s leading dive destination. Explore the Indian Ocean waters with a team of experienced, and passionate instructors who will guide you through a captivating underwater world brimming with marine life, unspoilt coral reefs and fascinating wreck dives, making diving in Diani an unmissable experience. Explore shallow coral reefs abundant with marine life as you go to depths of 30 meters while whale sharks are frequently sighted from November to February, making Diani a diver’s paradise.
Scuba Dive Trips In Diani Beach
Beginner Scuba Divers: A beginner? Have no worries, you’ll kick things off by getting friendly with some nifty gear and picking up the essentials of diving like a pro. After a quick but helpful briefing, it’s time to make a diving splash! You’ll practice your new skills in the calm embrace of a pool or a sheltered spot, all while a watchful PADI diving instructor keeps you company, making sure you’re as confident as possible. These PADI courses are offered for the complete diving beginners, taking you through dive theories, and practical skills.
Scuba Diving for Kids of All Ages: Diani water sport adventures are highly recommended for a family beach holiday in Kenya. Let the kids enjoy a scuba diving activity while at the comfort of professional instructors taking watch. They’ll discover the first breath underwater, how easy it is to do somersaults while feeling totally weightless, shown how to assemble scuba diving equipment’s to exploring incredible coral reefs.
Professional Scuba Diving: Scuba diving is open to everyone and you can expect the best diving experience for beginners and professionals alike. With some free introductory lessons at the pool and for the advanced they will be given interesting suggestions for good diving spots in the area. The experienced divers will have the chance to explore Kenya’s incredible Indian Ocean, and in addition be able to visit the Alpha Funguo Wreck, one of Kenya’s popular diving locations in Diani.
Top 12 Best Scuba Diving Sites In Diani Beach
Diani offers some of the best diving excursions in Kenya and a half day Diani dive trip is recommended for any visitor travelling to the Kenyan beaches. Some of the popular marine life that you can expect to see includes; green and hawksbill turtles, common coral reef life including trggerfish, moray eels, nudibranches, clown fish, surgeonfish, moorish idols, guitar rays, stingrays, and even the giant manta rays and whale sharks at certain times of the year. The Diani dive sites include fringing coral reefs and pinnacles starting from about 7m down to 25m. For experienced divers, there is wall diving and also a purpose sunk shipwreck the MV Alpha Funguo that you can visit. Listed below, explore some of Kenya’s best rated dive sites.
1. Papa Mashilingi
With an average depth of 12 meters: Papa Mashilingi, which takes the Swahili name for whale shark, offers divers a gentle drift dive with an amazing array of corals and schooling fish life. Notably, Papa Mashilingi also offers divers the chance to swim with the ocean’s largest fish, the whale shark, which can be seen in Kenya between October and March. In addition, you can also come across the majestic Manta Ray at this great dive site.
2. Msambweni
With its average depth of 18 meters, this isn’t your average kind of dive site, Msambweni is home to a staggering array of fish life, with the eastern corner of the reef being the a drop off at 25-28 metres ‘where it all happens’. Watch closely and enjoy the aquatic life streaming past; more fish than you could shake a stick at!
3. Shimo La Samaki
Covering an average diving depth of 15 metres, this is the perfect dive site for those that love underwater photography, critters and macro life on the reef. Shimo La Samaki is a small site that requires the diver to take their time while exploring the caves, canyons and overhangs that make this such a macro lover’s paradise. All the nooks and crannies on the site offer excellent hiding places for stingrays, moral eels, shrimps, and many more.
4. Mtumbawe
On an average depth of 15 metres, this remains a great site for all level of divers, that offers an abundance of fish and rich coral life. A steep drop off to 28 metres can be enjoyed on the southern corner of this reef, packed full with overhangs.
5. Mkurumuji
Covering an average depth of 15 metres, Mkurumuji dive site offers an interesting reef formation, descending from a relatively flat top reef down to sections protruding out into the blue. These ‘teeth’ on the reef are home to a whole host of fish life and provide an insight into the inhabitants at slightly deeper depths.
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6. Gazi
With an average diving depth of 18 metres, Gazi is a slightly deeper lying reef offering scuba divers the opportunity to experience larger pelagic fish life around Chale Island. Keep your eyes open for kingfish, hunting jacks and even eagle rays. The coral life at Gazi is not as intense as some of the other sites in South Kenya, but the dive site certainly makes up for it with the fish action to be enjoyed. Look out for stingrays that frequent the overhangs on the eastern side.
7. Chale Corner
On an average depth of 14 metres, this is one of the closest dive sites to Chale Island and ranks as one of the must do bucket list sites while at Chale. Chale Corner offers divers the chance to encounter schools of snapper, while the gently sloping reef also provides regular meetings with stingrays and also guitar rays. Throw in some great coral formations and chances to encounter smaller inhabitants on the reef and it’s clear to see why divers enjoy the site.
8. Tiwi
Due to this reef being a river outlet it is only worth diving from November to April. The wall allows for attractive photography with caves and overhangs making the perfect background, and in addition, tiwi has an average depth of 10-15 metres.
9. Mwanyaza
With an average depth of 14 metres, Mwanyaza is an attractive sloping reef teeming with various species of turtles and stingrays. This is heaven of marine life to admire and the ideal beginner dive site due to the reef lying just close by the shores.
10. Galu
With an average depth of 15 metres, Galu reef is home to both attractive corals and groups of fish. It is on this reef that we see most of the rarer fish – sea horses, ghost pipe fish, frog fish, flying gurnards, ghost morays and leaf fish.
11. Kinondo
With an average dive depth of 15 metres, the fish population on Konondo reef is greater than on any other reef located on Kenya’s South Coast. Large schools of barracuda, shoals of yellow and blue lined snappers, red snappers, trigger fish and the greatest possibility of seeing pelagic fish. Moray eels and lobsters also frequent this reef. Kinondo summaries as one of Kenya’s best beach diving locations.
12. Alpha Funguo Wreck
Alpha Funguo Wreck has an average depth of 22 metres, and is one of Kenya’s top dive sites with an abundance of fish life; especially good for marco photography. Whilst here, expect to see: Great macro life, blue stripe snappers, nudibranch, frogfish, grouper, barracuda, batfish, jackfish, garden eels, beared scorpion fish, king fish, and sting ray among others.
Why Beach Diving Trips In Diani
The waters off Diani Beach and Kenya’s southern coast offer some of the best dive sites, which cater for scuba divers of all levels and experience. From dive sites teeming with coral and fish life to the largest fish in the ocean, the whale shark, these dive sites offer opportunities for some incredible underwater experiences. Throw into the mix some of the weirdest, most colourful and simply bizarre critters and macro life.
Dive Whale Sharks In Diani: Discover your dream beach holiday on the beautiful Kenya Coastal Beaches which offers an abundance of memory making experiences for the whole family. Go on a world-class diving, and catch the magnificent whale shark in action as it makes its annual migration along the East Africa coastline, from November to March.
Dive With Turtles: Explore Kenya’s magnificent underwater world and marvel at our precious ocean life on an incredible dive with endangered sea turtles. Don’t miss the chance to dive with endangered sea turtles at Galu reef, a popular retreat for these very special animals.
 Alpha Funguo Wreck: One of the most famous dive sites in Kenya, Alpha Fungo Wreck is a brilliant artificial reef, teaming with life. Beyond the schools of fish, the wreck is home to a wealth of macro life, and is a photographer’s dream dive site.
Trip to Turtle Town: Galu Reef is a great dive for beginners and experienced divers alike. With large groups of colourful reef fish, great coral life and resident turtles, it’s a fantastic dive for everyone.
Whalesharks: The largest fish in the sea, and one that is on almost every diver’s bucket list. Divers enjoy regular sightings of these magnificent creatures from November to March.
When To Scuba Dive In Diani Beach
Best time of year to go diving in Diani is between November and April with the larger whale sharks and manta ray spotting generally occurring in January to the end of March. May and June are not advised for the best diving but the dive centre its open for diving and training all year.
Recommended Diani Beach Tours & Excursions
Our exciting Nairobi city tour package lets you see all of the top sites in Kenya’s capital within a single day. Book now, these incredible full-day guided city tours which will allow you to explore some of the best attractions of Nairobi. Kick-start your morning city excursions throughout Nairobi’s main areas, including visits to the Museum and significant historical sites in the CBD. Experience Nairobi city through the eyes of street children on a personal storytelling walking tour in downtown which has been ranked best tour in Nairobi. Alternatively, we provide you with the combination of the best full-day Nairobi tour to Nairobi National Park, David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, and Giraffe, among other destinations.