Scuba Diving Kenya – Top 5 Places to Dive

Scuba diving, Kenya is among the best in the world. It is also one of the diving communities best-kept secrets.    

Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline, fronts 230 kilometres of immeasurably beautiful coral reef. Despite some overfishing the reef is in good condition, in places it is almost untouched, and it is home to almost one million species of marine wildlife. 

Kenya has 5 marine parks or reserves – Mombasa, Watamu, Kisite, Kiunga, and Malindi – these are the main area for scuba diving, but the entire length of Kenya’s coastline is filled with underwater drama. You can dive fringing reefs in Diani, explore the coral islands of Lamu, hunt crabs in the mangroves of Watamu or dive in caves in Kilifi. 

Diving in Kenya offers you the chance to see some of the big celebrities of the ocean: dugong, whale shark, humpback whale, manta ray, leopard and white tip reef shark (occasionally hammerheads), turtle, dolphin, grouper, barracuda and moray eel.

On the macro side, you can spot nudibranchs, frogfish, blennies, lionfish seahorses, leaf scorpionfish, rare crustaceans and hundreds of different types of coral.

Kenya has the full gamut of diving opportunities: you can dive a wreck, a cave, or do a deep dive, a night dive or a drift dive. 

To top it all off, the world above water is as stunning as below. The seaside towns of Diani, Tiwi, Mombasa, Malindi, Watamu & Lamu are palm-fringed white sand idylls perfect for downtime after exploring the depths of the Indian Ocean. 

Here is everything you need to know about diving in Kenya. 

What can I see when scuba diving Kenya? 

You can expect to see the full range of tropical Indian Ocean species, a list too long to even attempt on paper. On the inland reefs, some of the fish you will see include ribbon eels, fire dartfish, octopus, squid, wrasse, pufferfish, scorpionfish, damselfish, ray, parrotfish, surgeonfish, unicornfish, snapper, red-tooth-trigger fish, giant moray eels, crocodile fish, huge potato grouper and turtle. 

Beyond the reef, you can see: humpback whale, barracuda, yellowfin tuna, trevally, reef sharks, bottlenose and spinner dolphins, manta rays and loggerhead, leatherback, hawksbill and green sea turtle. 

Whale sharks can be spotted between October and April, but are most common in November and December, and this is also the season for humpback whale sightings.

Occasionally hammerhead sharks can sometimes be seen along the outermost reefs in the winter months.

Where to scuba dive Kenya?

The areas along the coastline hide a treasure chest stunning reefs and interesting topography to suit all scuba diving Kenya abilities. The protected reef has many large corals in excellent condition and an abundance of marine life of all varieties.

Diani has 5 marine parks: Diani – Chale, Kisite-Mpunguti, Malindi, Mombasa, Watamu and Kiunga.

Kisite – Mpunguti Marine Park 

Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park is located south of Mombasa near Wasini Island. There are two parks, Kisite and Mpunguti, which together offer 15 sq km of protected pristine underwater paradise with 11 official dive sites, 45 different types of coral and 360 kinds of fish within the park. Kisite is one of the best places to spot humpback whale and whale shark as they migrate past Kenya. 

Mombasa Marine Park & Reserve 

Mombasa Marine Park & Reserve covers 84 sq. km of coral reef around Kenya’s second-largest city, Mombasa. It has the advantage of offering dive sites that are only a short boat ride from shore, mostly along the coral reef that sits just out to sea. You will see octopus, starfish angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, zebrafish, lionfish, damselfish and turtle, dolphin and the very lucky among you may spot a humpback

Watamu Marine Park

The 20 dive sites at Watamu Marine Park are considered among the best in the country. Watamu offers dives for all levels of experience in a hugely diverse underwater landscape. In Watamu, you can dive in a mangrove forest, coral bed, overhangs, cliffs, channels and a wreck. Watamu Marine Park has 100 types of coral, 600 fish species and many other marine creatures. It is one of the best places in Kenya to swim with turtles who lay their eggs on Watamus white sandy beaches.

Malindi Marine Park 

Malindi Marine Park was the first protected marine area in Kenya and is now a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme Reserve. The marine park has various habitats seagrass, mangrove and mudflats, and a deep trench named the Barracuda Channel sandwiched between the North Reef and Barracuda Reef. The park is home to more than 600 species of fish and home to nesting sites for loggerhead, green, olive ridley and hawksbill turtles. 

Kiunga Marine National Reserve 

Kiunga Marine National Reserve is a 37 mile long collection of calcareous isles and coral reefs, of which the most famous is the ancient Swahili town of Lamu. Kiunga is one of the only places in Kenya to see the dugong (sea cow) as the islands are a breeding ground for this rare animal. The 51 islands shelter shark, moray eels, turtles as well as a vast array of tropical fish.

When to go diving in Kenya 

Diving is possible year-round, although the main dive season is from October through to March when the sea is calmest and visibility is best. 

The water is warm in Kenya – average temperatures range from 25 oC in August to 30 c in March. April and May are the wettest months. 

Whale sharks and manta rays visit between November and February, and humpback whales appear from July to October.

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PADI diving in Kenya

Dive Operators in Kenya range from PADI 5 Star IDC Centres to SSI and BSAC Dive Resorts. You can complete basic PADI courses in Kenya, including Open Water, Open Water Advanced and Navigator. If you are looking to further your dive skills beyond this, I would contact PADI directly. Enriched Air Nitrox is available at some of the larger operators many of whom are based in hotels and resorts. 

I recommend you contact your chosen dive centre before travelling to make sure they meet all of your diving requirements.

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Other useful contacts for diving in Kenya

Blue Water Dive Travel 

Dive Advisor 

Dive Global 

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How to get to the Kenyan Coast 

The only international airport on the Kenyan Coast is Mombasa, which is equidistant to most dive sites except for Lamu. Within Kenya, most airports fly into Mombasa, it is a 1 hour (50 dollars) flight from Nairobi to Mombasa. 

You can get the SGR train from Nairobi to Mombasa, a cheap, scenic way to travel cross country. 

You can drive to Mombasa from Nairobi in approximately 9 hours. 

Travel times from Mombasa by car are as follows: 

• Diani Beach – 1.5 hours
• Kisite – 2 hours
• Watamu – 2 hours 
• Malindi – 2.5 hours

Lamu – flights to Lamu go from Nairobi (1 hour / 70 USD), Mombasa ( 20 mins 50 USD) and Malindi (20 minutes 50 USD) 

It is possible to drive to Lamu from Mombasa and other places within Kenya but not advised due to civil unrest in neighbouring Somalia. 

Where to stay on the Kenyan Coast

I spend half my life on the sunny coast and have written a number of guides to the best places to stay on the Kenyan Coast.

For Diani go here

For Watamu go here

For Tiwi go here

For Mombasa go here

For Nairobi go here

What to do after you dive in Kenya? 

Head to the capital city of Nairobi and visit Nairobi National Park, the Giraffe Sanctuary, the elephant orphanage. More ideas of what to do in Nairobi are here. 

Go on safari. Kenya is one of the best destinations for a safari in the world. Consider Amboseli, Tsavo, or Kimana Sanctuary all of which can be reached via road on the way back to Nairobi from the coast. Or visit the world-famous Maasai Mara or Ol Pejeta. 

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