Turtle Bay Coral Garden
Dive site
Inside the protected inner bay at Watamu, this shallow coral garden between 4 and 16 m is named for the hawksbill turtles that forage through it year round — on a single dive it is not unusual to encounter four or five individuals grazing on sponges at different coral heads. The reef structure is a complex mosaic of brain corals, star corals, and staghorn thickets that shelter moray eels, lionfish, and juvenile reef fish in extraordinary density. The gentle depth and calm conditions inside the bay make this the most beginner-friendly dive in the Watamu system and an exceptional night dive during the green turtle nesting season when turtles return from feeding to rest on the sand below the reef.
Conditions
Depth
4 to 16 m
Good for beginners
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
5 to 12 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
23 to 30°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| Vis (m) | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
| Current | calm | calm | calm | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | calm | calm | calm |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Hawksbill sea turtle
Photo: Kevin Bryant · CC BY-NC-SA
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Green sea turtle
Photo: MARC MARTIN SOLA · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Lionfish
Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Giant moray
Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Field journal
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