Watamu & Malindi · Kenya · Reef · Channel & pass
Drummers Reef
A flower-like anemone full of shrimps and pipefish
Area photo: phil from uk · CC BY 2.0
A reef about 20 minutes out from the Watamu dive centres, dived as one line from a channel-like path to the edge of the reef. Blue-spotted rays are the usual company along the path, and the site's landmark is a large flower-like anemone with shrimps and pipefish living in it. Depths run from 12 to 25 m.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Watamu & Malindi and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The boat runs about 20 minutes from the dive centre to a site that sits between 12 and 25 m. The dive opens on a channel-like path that leads out towards the edge of the reef, and it is along this path that blue-spotted rays are usually found: settled on the bottom and easy to swim straight past if you are looking ahead rather than down.
Where the path reaches the reef edge the dive continues over an anemone meadow and on to a heavily overgrown coral block, the busiest structure on the site. The feature worth slowing down for is a large flower-like anemone surrounded by small shrimps and pipefish, a few minutes of close looking rather than a swim-past. The profile bottoms out at about 25 m, and the way back is up the reef into shallower water for the ascent.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Watamu & Malindi: Oct–Mar is the season, with whale sharks Nov–Feb; the kusi monsoon and long rains shut most centres from April to June.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Drummers Reef?+
The site is listed at about 12 to 25 m, so the deep end still sits inside a standard recreational profile.
How do you get to Drummers Reef?+
By boat from the Watamu dive centres, roughly 20 minutes out from the beach.
Sources
- Dive Sites - Turtle Dive Watamu — Turtle Dive Watamu
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