The Aquarium
Watamu & Malindi · Kenya
The Aquarium is Watamu Marine National Park's signature dive site, a broad shallow reef plateau ringed by coral bommies so densely colonised they resemble a living garden. Plate corals, brain corals, and staghorn formations provide habitat for enormous schools of yellowfin goatfish, powder-blue surgeonfish, and parrotfish grinding away at the substrate. Green and hawksbill turtles rest on the sandy patches between coral heads, seemingly unbothered by divers hovering alongside them. Octopus tuck into crevices and lionfish hang motionless beneath overhangs. The site suits beginners and experienced divers equally, with shallow depths and calm lagoon conditions making long bottom times comfortable even in peak season.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 18 m
Good for beginners
Current
Often strong
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
6 to 12 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
24 to 29°C
3mm wetsuit
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