Monkey Reef is a small reef dived straight from the beach: a stony entry gives way to sand, and a small coral block runs down the slope, with the best of the reef on the left-hand side looking out from the beach. Anemonefish, pufferfish, scorpionfish, filefish, triggerfish and turtles are on it, and bigger fish are sometimes seen between 30 and 40 metres.
Where it is and how deep
8.2474° S, 115.5723° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The entry is over a stony section of beach and then straight onto sand, which is where the dive settles. A small coral block runs down the slope from there, and the reef is compact rather than sprawling: it is described as a small reef with many fish and nice corals, so the dive is about covering a short stretch thoroughly instead of pushing along the coast.
Turn left from the beach for the best of it. That side holds the better reef, and working it slowly beats covering ground. The slope runs to a maximum of 40 metres and bigger fish are sometimes met between 30 and 40 metres, so the deep end is not empty — but the anemonefish, pufferfish, scorpionfish, filefish, triggerfish and turtles are shallow, and a deep pass costs most of the dive. Plan the turn on gas and come back over the same ground.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Tulamben: Diveable year-round with modest seasonal shift; April–October dry season typically gives calmer surface conditions.
Know before you go
- The slope runs to 40 metres, well past a normal recreational profile, so set a depth limit before you enter rather than following the sand down.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Monkey Reef?+
The maximum depth is 40 metres, and bigger fish are sometimes seen between 30 and 40 metres. The reef itself is shallow, and most of the dive is spent on the coral block and the better reef to the left of the beach entry.
Sources
- Monkey Reef - Dive Site — SSI/Scubago
More dive sites in Tulamben
Shore-entry house reef from 5 to 30 metres with structures at 15 m
Reef
Five minutes by jukung to a coral slope dropping to 40 metres
Muck & macro
Fine sand and rock past 30 metres, dived for the small stuff
Artificial reef
Motorbike frames and concrete set on a sandy slope at 15 metres
Reef
Easy shore reef a few hundred metres from the Liberty wreck
A wall to 60 m with a gorgonian fan at 27 metres
Wall
The far end of the Tulamben volcanic wall, to 40 metres
Muck & macro
Coral-grown structures at nine metres, dived for shrimp and nudibranchs
Similar dives elsewhere
West-coast slope where mola mola come up in season
Feather stars and sponges on a slope to 40 m
The island's Deep Diver training reef, 5 m to 40 m
White sand to 15 m, no current, twenty minutes from town