Kisite is a favourite snorkeling destination for the popular daily dhow trips that are run by the Wasini Island Restaurant and others. Scuba diving excursions by dhow are also available.
Inner Kisite
This pristine reef makes a good spot for snorkeling because of its shallow depth and the variety of superb, colourful coral formations. The reef offers superb photographic opportunities especially for the huge, tame and brilliantly hued parrotfish and for the large leopard morays that are found in holes and arches in the colourful coral formations on the sandy bottom.
All the small tropical species may be found here in their thousands, making this a colourful snorkel and dive. The excellent light penetration affords ample natural light for photography and conditions are ideal for night dives.
Access: About 50 minutes by dhow from Shimoni or 20 minutes by dive boat
Conditions: Diveable throughout the year. Inner Kisite is almost always calm and clear as it lies on the leeward side of the island and sandbank.
Location: To the western (leeward) side of Kisite Island.
Average depth: 6m (20ft)
Maximum depth: 10m (33ft) on the sandy bottom. There are two mooring buoys on the side
Average visibility: 10-30m (33-100ft).
Average water temperature: 27-30°C (80-86°F)
Outer Kisite
The corals on this reef are in excellent condition and the marine life is tame and abundant.
The reef is best towards the northwestern end, where the coral formations are larger and more spectacular. During most dives there are many turtles present. There are also schools of pufferfish, large white snappers, emperorfish, wrasse, filefish, yellow snappers, and numerous big eyes and cardinal fish. Large moray eels inhabit some of the isolated coral outcrops on the sandy bottom.
The top of the reef is below the surface at around 3m (10ft), and features beautiful hard coral including enormous sheets of plate coral. Here several varieties of angelfish and butterflyfish are found, along with big schools of white snapper.
The soft coral growths are dense and together with the numerous giant anemones, house a great variety of damselfish, dominos and clownfish. The slight current on this reef lends itself ideally to an extended and relaxed drift dive.
Access: To the eastern side of Kisite Island.
Conditions: About 50 minutes by dhow from Shimoni or 30 minutes by dive boat.
Average depth: 10m(33ft)
Maximum depth: 12-14m (40-45ft) on the sandy seaward side. There are two mooring bouys.
Average visibility: 10-30m (33-100ft)
Average water temperature: 27-30°C (80-86°F)
Kisite Point
The attractions on this lovely reef are the large numbers of extremely tame tropical fish of every variety, combined with the good coral formations and the calm conditions. The coral reef forms a shallow wall that rounds the eastern point, and there are some deep holes near the bottom in which large lobster and rockcod hide. Big surgeonfish and unicorns are almost always present, and some big snappers as well as rockcod frequent the top of the reef. A resident school of spadefish often approach relaxed divers very closely. There are a number of garden eels on the sandy bottom off the reef, and close to the mooring the comical jawfish can be seen. The tameness of the fish provides excellent photographic opportunities, and this dive is ideally suited to divers of all levels. On a lucky day dolphins can be spotted as well.
Location: Around the eastern point of Kisite Island.
Access: About 50 minutes by dhow from Shimoni or 30 minutes by dive boat.
Conditions: Diveable throughout the year. Usually calm except when the northeast monsoon blows. Visibility is generally good.
Average depth : 12m (40ft)
Maximum depth: 14m (46ft) on the sandy bottom. There is a permanent mooring at the site, the bottom of which is at 11-12m (36-40ft)
Average visibility: 10-20m (33-65ft)
Average water temperature: 27-30°C (80-86°F)
This pristine reef makes a good spot for snorkeling because of its shallow depth and the variety of superb, colourful coral formations. The reef offers superb photographic opportunities especially for the huge, tame and brilliantly hued parrotfish and for the large leopard morays that are found in holes and arches in the colourful coral formations on the sandy bottom.
All the small tropical species may be found here in their thousands, making this a colourful snorkel and dive. The excellent light penetration affords ample natural light for photography and conditions are ideal for night dives.
Access: About 50 minutes by dhow from Shimoni or 20 minutes by dive boat
Conditions: Diveable throughout the year. Inner Kisite is almost always calm and clear as it lies on the leeward side of the island and sandbank.
Location: To the western (leeward) side of Kisite Island.
Average depth: 6m (20ft)
Maximum depth: 10m (33ft) on the sandy bottom. There are two mooring buoys on the side
Average visibility: 10-30m (33-100ft).
Average water temperature: 27-30°C (80-86°F)
Outer Kisite
The corals on this reef are in excellent condition and the marine life is tame and abundant.
The reef is best towards the northwestern end, where the coral formations are larger and more spectacular. During most dives there are many turtles present. There are also schools of pufferfish, large white snappers, emperorfish, wrasse, filefish, yellow snappers, and numerous big eyes and cardinal fish. Large moray eels inhabit some of the isolated coral outcrops on the sandy bottom.
The top of the reef is below the surface at around 3m (10ft), and features beautiful hard coral including enormous sheets of plate coral. Here several varieties of angelfish and butterflyfish are found, along with big schools of white snapper.
The soft coral growths are dense and together with the numerous giant anemones, house a great variety of damselfish, dominos and clownfish. The slight current on this reef lends itself ideally to an extended and relaxed drift dive.
Access: To the eastern side of Kisite Island.
Conditions: About 50 minutes by dhow from Shimoni or 30 minutes by dive boat.
Average depth: 10m(33ft)
Maximum depth: 12-14m (40-45ft) on the sandy seaward side. There are two mooring bouys.
Average visibility: 10-30m (33-100ft)
Average water temperature: 27-30°C (80-86°F)
Kisite Point
The attractions on this lovely reef are the large numbers of extremely tame tropical fish of every variety, combined with the good coral formations and the calm conditions. The coral reef forms a shallow wall that rounds the eastern point, and there are some deep holes near the bottom in which large lobster and rockcod hide. Big surgeonfish and unicorns are almost always present, and some big snappers as well as rockcod frequent the top of the reef. A resident school of spadefish often approach relaxed divers very closely. There are a number of garden eels on the sandy bottom off the reef, and close to the mooring the comical jawfish can be seen. The tameness of the fish provides excellent photographic opportunities, and this dive is ideally suited to divers of all levels. On a lucky day dolphins can be spotted as well.
Location: Around the eastern point of Kisite Island.
Access: About 50 minutes by dhow from Shimoni or 30 minutes by dive boat.
Conditions: Diveable throughout the year. Usually calm except when the northeast monsoon blows. Visibility is generally good.
Average depth : 12m (40ft)
Maximum depth: 14m (46ft) on the sandy bottom. There is a permanent mooring at the site, the bottom of which is at 11-12m (36-40ft)
Average visibility: 10-20m (33-65ft)
Average water temperature: 27-30°C (80-86°F)