Maskali Island Seagrass Beds

Maskali is a small island in the Bay of Djibouti whose sheltered shallows host some of the most extensive seagrass meadows in the Gulf of Aden. Dugongs graze here — sightings are not guaranteed but Maskali is one of the only places in the Horn of Africa region where a daytime dugong encounter is genuinely plausible. Green and hawksbill turtles rest and feed in the same meadows. The reef edge around the island slopes to around 20 metres with healthy coral cover and a reliable population of reef fish including parrotfish, wrasses, and angelfish. The site is calm enough for newer divers and well suited to long bottom times spent watching the seagrass ecosystem.