Fagatele Bay

Fagatele Bay is the centerpiece of the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa — a sunken volcanic crater on the southwest tip of Tutuila where basalt cliffs drop into a protected cove. The crater rim forms a wall dive from 5 metres to 40 metres, with dense coral coverage on the upper terraces and large barrel sponges below 25 metres. Giant clams up to 80 centimetres are common on the reef flat at 6 to 12 metres. Coral spawning events documented in November draw researchers annually and attract large aggregations of butterflyfish, angelfish, and predatory jacks. Fish biomass is among the highest recorded in the US Pacific territories due to strict no-take protections.