
Whale Island Cave
Watamu Marine Park · Kenya
A cavern system tucked beneath the limestone outcrop of Whale Island, where nurse sharks cluster on the sandy floor in groups of 6 or more, resting side by side like logs in the dim blue light. Spiny lobsters bristle from every overhang above them, their antennae waving in the faint surge. The entrance glows with filtered sunlight and the cave opens into a swim-through that brings you out into a coral garden thick with anthias and butterflyfish. This is a shallow, intimate dive packed with personality and wildly photogenic at every turn!
Conditions
Depth
5 to 18 m
Good for beginners
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
8 to 15 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
23 to 29°C
5 mm full suit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Still | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Rough-Scaled Plated Lizard
Last confirmed Jun 19, 2026 · 29 records
Very likely
Most dives
Crab-Plover
Last confirmed Feb 17, 2026 · 18 records
Very likely
Most dives
Eurasian Whimbrel
Last confirmed Apr 23, 2026 · 23 records
Very likely
Most dives
Spiny Lobster
Last confirmed Feb 11, 2024 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Porcupinefish
Last confirmed Mar 15, 2026 · 3 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Nurse Shark
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Yellowbar Angelfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear