Nha Trang · Vietnam · Reef · Cave & cavern
Madonna Rock
Stonefish, lionfish and octopus tucked into the rock
Area photo: Ilse Reijs and Jan-Noud Hutten · CC BY 2.0
Madonna Rock is a rock outcrop off Nha Trang, dived as a circuit of stacked formations rather than a swim along a reef. The published maximum is 35 metres, but the usual profile works between 5 and 25 metres, with hard coral over the rock and fish gathered around it. Its set piece is a swim-through at around 6 to 9 metres.
Where it is and how deep
12.1715° N, 109.3129° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The rock reaches 35 metres at its deepest, but most dives work the 5 to 25 metre band on its flanks. What you swim is a set of rock formations with a great deal of fish over them and a variety of coral growing on the harder surfaces, so the dive is a slow circuit of the structure rather than a run along a reef.
The swim-through is the set piece: a passage at around 6 to 9 metres, shallow enough to sit well inside the profile the rest of the dive works. Work the cracks and ledges through and around it, where stonefish and lionfish sit still against the rock and octopus and moray use the holes, then look out from the structure for schools of banded barracuda and the several varieties of parrotfish feeding over the coral. Torch and gloves are on the site's suggested kit list.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Reef fish swarms
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Nha Trang: Feb–Sep is the season, with Mar–May clearest; the north-east monsoon from November to January brings rough seas and closes most operators.
Dive videos
Scuba Diving in Vietnam: Nha Trang - Madonna Rock: September 30th 2023 · immersiveEXPLORERS on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Madonna Rock?+
The site reaches 35 metres at its deepest, but the normal recreational profile runs between about 5 and 25 metres. The swim-through sits at around 6 to 9 metres, so much of the dive is spent shallow.
What do you see at Madonna Rock?+
Stonefish, lionfish, octopus and moray hold in the rock formations, and schools of banded barracuda and several varieties of parrotfish feed over the coral on the harder surfaces.
Sources
- Diving in Vietnam — Wikivoyage
- Madonna Rock Dive Site, Vietnam — PADI
In The Logbook
- Cheapest places to scuba dive, and the catchTrip planning · 15 min read
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