Kenya’s Stunning Coastline

The Kenyan Coast has 3 stunning Marine Parks with clear waters that are ideal for scuba diving. Kenya has an amazing underwater marine life with a wide variety of corals and fish which offer a fantastic opportunity for underwater photography among marine enthusiasts. Make the most out of your diving adventures.

Diving Sites

Dive locations dot the entire Kenyan Coastline from the southern Tiwi end to Shimoni. Among these are:

  • The Kisite Mpunguti Marine Reserve
  • Nyuli Reef
  • Kisite Point
  • MV Unfunguo

Kisite Mpunguti Marine Reserve

The Kisite Mpunguti Marine Reserve is the most excellent within East Africa. This locality features huge Manta Rays that are frequently encountered by divers as they undertake dive voyages.

Nyuli Reef

Nyuli Reef, an excellent diving center having strong wave currents, is among the most excellent diving locations. Stunning corals and dipping drop offs feature outstanding sea life including: Barracuda

  • Snapper
  • Huge Napoleon Wrasse
  • The uncommon Zebra Sharks

Kisite Point

Kisite Point offers a much easier diving experience. Here, numerous huge tame shoals are found at depths of approximately twelve meters. Divers as well usually encounter Bottlenose Dolphins and Hawksbill Turtles.

MV Unfunguo

To the north of Kisite, the MV Unfunguo, a trawler turned into a flourishing manmade reef, offers spectacular Wreck Diving. Since splitting several years back, the wreck’s inside hull has turned into a huge refuge for sea life, thus providing a really spectacular diving venue.

Ideal Diving Times

Diving is normally excellent throughout the year. However, dry seasons, from June-October and January-March, offer the best visibility. The period from July to August offers the worst visibility because of silting. Only trained divers can dive, and hence documented proof in form of certificates is usually required by diving schools. Would-be divers may as well be subjected to some diving test. Every year from February to March, divers are almost assured of seeing Whale Sharks when undertaking outer-reef dives on the Kenyan coastline.

Diving Facilities

Majority of hotels have diving apparatus for lease and provide reef diving voyages in glass-bottomed vessels. Numerous dive operators who are either attached to local resorts or are private can be found in this region. Boats, equipment, dive guides, and refills are offered. International NAUI, SSI, and PADI quality and safety standards are adhered to. Complete courses having international certification and competent instructors are offered. Operators provide expert Nitrox Diving and Night Dives.

Diving Excursions

Guests can best choose a day voyage on a dive cataraman, dhow, or boat with a local company. A daytime dhow voyage to Wasini Island, within Kisite Marine Reserve, can be organised from Shimoni or Diani. This typically includes diving as well as a seafood lunch on Wasini. Dhows are usually accompanied by dolphins through Kisite Park.

Major Diving Organisers

You can access diving facilities at the Kenyan coast by contacting a number of local establishments. Key ones include:

  • Diving the Crab
  • Voyager Hotel
  • M.V. Dania

Diving the Crab

Diving the Crab, Diani Beach Kenya was the first dive operator in East Africa to have created the first artificial reef consisting of a 470 ton fishing trawler that sunk in 2001. The trawler has proven very successful in creating a new home to the marine life. Diving the crab is a PADI 5 star, SSI Platinum and BSAC Resorts Center offering all courses from the simple Fun Dive up to the professional Dive Instructor. The courses can be conducted at any time and in most languages such as German, Italian, French, English Swedish and Swahili. With a total of 29 dive sites all with in a 40 minute boat ride, there is a possibility of seeing dolphins on the way and even the gentle giant of the ocean the Whale Shark.

Voyager Hotel

Voyager Hotel provides a Buccaneer PADI 5-star diving facility within Mombasa where experienced diving and PADI classes are conducted. This remains the sole 5-star PADI IDC instruction centre in Kenya. Voyager Hotel organises daytime trips from the Hotel itself to Shimoni where guests dive at Kisite Marine Park amid dolphins. The Hotel organises regular free diving activities

M.V. Dania

The custom-made M.V. Dania wreck, situated on the reef and ranking as the most fascinating wreck dive in Kenya, is very extraordinary.

Other unique diving centers include:

  • Vuma caves
  • Shark point
  • Birthday Reef

Birthday Reef is located at the entry of Mombasa Port. It caters for very skilled scuba divers.