There are numerous diving
opportunities along Kenya’s coast in any of the country’s
seven Marine National Parks. The long fringing coral reef that stretches
along Kenya’s entire 900 km coastline has been largely protected
from over-fishing and damage thanks to Marine Park laws.
Twenty metres below the surface is a wealth of hard and soft corals
supporting a diverse and colourful population of marine life. Water
temperatures vary between a comfortable 25 and 29°C degrees and
visibility ranges from 20 to 40 metres.
The huge range of dive areas means that there’s a diverse range
of diving activities, from drift reef diving, to deep dives and spectacular
night dives. You can even do wreck dives. Off the coast of Mombasa is
the wreck of the Globe Star, a grain carrying cargo ship that hit
a sand bank in the early 1970s.
There are a number of dive schools along the coast and thanks to the
steady competition, rates are reasonable. Expect to pay US$30-50 per
dive including equipment.
Diving in Kenya tends to be seasonable. Generally the best time to
dive is from October to November before the short rains and again
from February to March before the long rains when visibility is at
its clearest.
There’s no diving from May to July when the coast gets a battering
of strong wind. The exception to this is diving around Malindi as
the Galana River turns the sea a murky brown from November through
to March. Diving is best at Malindi in July and August.
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