Port Vila Bay Night Dive
Efate · Vanuatu
Port Vila Bay transforms at night into one of the Pacific's premier muck diving venues, with the sandy and rubble bottom of the harbour floor hosting a remarkable density of nocturnal macro species that are invisible or absent during daytime dives. Mandarin fish emerge at dusk from the rubble to perform their brief, luminescent mating displays — a spectacle reliably timed to 30 minutes before dark. The same bottom conceals mimic octopus, blue-ringed octopus, and tiger shrimp for divers willing to search the sand with a careful torch beam.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 18 m
Good for beginners
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
10 to 18 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
22 to 29°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Blackback Anemonefish
Last confirmed Jun 18, 2026 · 28 records
Very likely
Most dives
Sixbar Wrasse
Last confirmed May 17, 2026 · 30 records
Very likely
Most dives
Chocolate Chip Sea Star
Last confirmed Jul 6, 2026 · 13 records
Very likely
Most dives
Loch'S Chromodoris
Last confirmed Jun 18, 2026 · 28 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Last confirmed Jun 18, 2026 · 2 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Mandarinfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Blue-ringed Octopus
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Mimic Octopus
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear