Watamu & Malindi · Kenya · Coral garden · Reef
Secret Garden
A brain coral and a rare red anemone at 12 to 20 m
Area photo: phil from uk · CC BY 2.0
A coral garden at 12 to 20 m about 30 minutes out from the Watamu centres, listed by the operator as suitable for experienced divers only. The centrepiece is a large brain coral crowded with life, and the garden also holds a rare red anemone, shrimps, lobsters and ghost moray eels, with snappers, fusiliers and surgeonfish shoaling over it.
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
It is a longer run than the middle-reef sites, around 30 minutes, and the site sits in a narrow depth band: the coral garden lies between 12 and 20 m, so the whole dive is spent in one layer rather than working up and down a slope. The operator dives it with experienced divers only, which is worth knowing before booking it as an easy shallow dive on paper.
The garden is dived slowly. A large brain coral is the landmark, teeming with life and colourful reef fish, and around it are a rare red anemone, quantities of shrimps and lobsters, and ghost moray eels that show up often. Overhead and along the edges, shoals of blue-striped snappers, fusiliers and surgeonfish move over the coral, so the dive has both something to search for up close and something to watch in the water above.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
- Reef fish swarms
| 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
Is Secret Garden a hard dive?+
It only reaches about 20 m, but the operator lists it as suitable for experienced divers only, and it is a 30-minute boat run from the centre.
Sources
- Dive Sites - Turtle Dive Watamu — Turtle Dive Watamu
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