Reefwander
Rocky shoreline and forested hills along Con Son Island's coast in the Con Dao archipelago, Vietnam — Côn Đảo.

Côn Đảo · Vietnam · Reef · Coral garden

Bay Canh Island

Horseshoe reef beside Con Dao's main turtle nesting island

Area photo: Tycho · CC BY-SA 3.0

Hon Bay Canh is the most important turtle nesting area in the Con Dao archipelago, with its southern beaches protected by the marine park. Diving takes place on the northern side at the Horseshoe site, where calm conditions and good visibility suit new divers. Branching coral and table coral support a wide range of reef fish.

Also known as Hon Bay Canh, Hòn Bảy Cạnh, Horseshoe.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Bay Canh Island: typical dive to 25 m (to 82 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit25 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

8.6691° N, 106.6879° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The dive is made on the northern side of the island at the Horseshoe site. Shallow areas here suit snorkellers, while deeper sections for divers reach 18–25 m.

Two distinct reef structures lie side by side: branching coral on one side and table coral on the other. Together they support a wide range of reef fish, which are the main interest of the dive.

Marine life and season

  • Reef fish swarms
Month-by-month season rating for Bay Canh Island
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonFairFairGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodFairOff-seasonOff-season

Season follows Côn Đảo: Northeast monsoon swell limits diving November-January; calmest seas and best visibility run June-August.

Sources

  1. Diving & Snorkeling - Con Dao Dive Center — Con Dao Dive Center

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