Scuba Diving in The Canyon Reef, Watamu Beach,
Coast Province Kenya
Watamu Beach is located at 120 km/74 mi in the north of Mombasa and 28 km/17 mi in the south of Malindi, the nearest big town. The shoreline of this area consists of white sandy beach and offshore corals, forming three bays, namely Watamu bay, Turtle bay and Blue Lagoon. The bay is protected by a coral reef at almost 0.5 km/546.81 yd off the shore.
The Canyon is an amazing dive site, combining deep drop offs with coral gardens, overhangs and an arc. Diving depths here stand at an average of 25 m/82 ft while visibility is at approximate of 16 m/52 ft. The drift line is tied off at a depth of 11-13 m/36-43 ft at the edge of the drop off which descends at 26-28 m/85-92 ft deep.
This is where you find a series of overhangs and an arc filled with glass fish and soft corals, underneath which you will probably see a rare creature-the ribbon eel. South of the drift, there is the canyon itself, which is a sandy channel with steep drop off on two sides. Some months of the year, it is possible to sight the black or white tipped shark but the most common are the wrasse, leaf fish, and rays.