Aleipata Islands Outer Reef

The four small islands of the Aleipata group at Upolu's south-eastern tip are ringed by outer reef walls that plunge from 2 m surge channels into open ocean blue-water, with some of the clearest visibility in Samoa and consistent pelagic traffic including grey reef sharks, barracuda, and seasonal encounters with humpback whales on the nearby migration corridor. Hard coral cover on the outer buttresses remains high relative to the rest of Samoa, partly because the islands' remoteness limits recreational and commercial fishing pressure. Drift conditions along the exposed south-east face can run fast during the trade-wind season, rewarding experienced divers with effortless wall dives past enormous sea fans and large schools of fusiliers.