Zirku Island
Abu Dhabi · United Arab Emirates
Zirku Island sits in the central Gulf waters of Abu Dhabi emirate and its surrounding reefs are among the least visited in the UAE, offering an authentic wilderness experience with strong fish biomass. Coral bommies rise from a white sandy seabed, swarmed by dense schools of anthias and glassfish that attract patrol-hunting trevally and small sharks. Night dives here reveal a world of octopus, decorator crabs, and hunting cuttlefish that few visitors ever see.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 22 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
4 to 9 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
20 to 34°C
3mm wetsuit or skin
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 21 |
| Vis (m) | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Broadclub Cuttlefish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Spangled Emperor
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Hawksbill turtle
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear