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A cluster of about a dozen ochre-yellow tube sponges on a rocky reef, with pale yellow fan-shaped growths beside them — Tobago.

Tobago · Trinidad and Tobago · Reef · Drift

Kelleston Drain

Brain coral colonies up to 5 m (15 ft) across

Area photo: Darren Obbard · CC BY 4.0

Kelleston Drain is a current-swept reef on the southern side of Little Tobago, a small island 3 km (1.8 miles) east of Speyside. The current carries a high nutrient load that feeds some of the largest brain corals known, along with barrel sponges, sea whips and gorgonians.

Also known as Kelliston Drain.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Kelleston Drain: typical dive to 18 m (to 60 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit18 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

11.3008° N, 60.5013° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The dive is a drift along the southern side of Little Tobago. The landmark is a giant brain coral perched at the top of a sandy, cluttered slope at about 18 m (60 ft), one of the colonies that reach 5 m (15 ft) across. Barrel sponges, sea whips and gorgonians grow around them, fed by the nutrients the current brings in.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Kelleston Drain
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFairFairFairGoodGoodPrime

Season follows Tobago: Hammerheads school at the Sisters from October to May; July to November are the wettest months.

Know before you go

  • The current off the southern side of Little Tobago is strong, so the dive is run as a drift.

Dive videos

Brain Coral dive at Kelleston Drain in Speyside with Marion, Naadira and buddies - March 2022 · RonTiah on YouTube

Sources

  1. Diving in Tobago — DIVEIN
  2. The Two Faces of Tobago — DAN World

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