South Tutuila Wall

The south coast of Tutuila faces the open Pacific and drops sharply from a wave-cut platform at 5 metres to a vertical basalt wall descending past 50 metres. This is the most exposed dive in the Sanctuary and requires a calm-sea weather window, but the payoff is exceptional: large pelagics including schooling hammerhead sharks (May through July), silvertip sharks, and occasional tiger sharks along the deep wall. Plate corals in large formations dominate the upper wall to 20 metres, transitioning to black coral and large gorgonian fans below. Hawksbill turtles are frequently seen resting on ledges. The site is accessed only by boat and dived on slack current.