Southeast Asia · Vietnam
Whale Island & Van Phong Bay
Whale sharks and whales feeding in Van Phong Bay from April to June
Whale Island is a resort island in Van Phong Bay, Khanh Hoa, and its boats work a pool of walls, caves and coral plateaus spread across the bay's archipelago. Hon Tai's plateau draws white tip reef sharks, rays rest in the swim-throughs of Hon Trau Nam, and Raoul's Reef and Bai Su hold ghost pipefish and nudibranchs. Between April and June the bay gives its best chance of whale sharks and whales, which come in to feed on krill and plankton. Night dives inside the Whale Island Marine Reserve round out a stay.
About diving in Whale Island & Van Phong Bay
A boat leaves Whale Island every morning in season for the best sites of the surrounding archipelago, and the resident instructor and guide also take divers off the island's own coast. Night dives are made in the Whale Island Marine Reserve. A second dive club is located on Dam Mon Island in Van Phong Bay.
The bay's sites mix walls, caves and coral reefs, from coral plateaus to swim-throughs. Snails are abundant, some of them not yet identified by science, alongside a wide spread of macro life. Raoul's Reef carries feather stars on its coral wall, Hon Trau Nam has soft corals and sea snails deeper down, and nudibranchs turn up on the plateaus and in the caves. Larger animals pass through too: whale sharks, whales, manta rays and turtles are sometimes encountered.
Whale Island suits both novices and more experienced divers, with drift dives, deep drop-offs and shore dives, and the water gets deep quickly off the coast. The macro life makes it a draw for underwater photographers, and there are enough dive sites to fill at least a week. Snorkellers can enter from the coast to see the coral.
Best time to dive Whale Island & Van Phong Bay
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair |
The island's dive season opens in mid-February, when the daily boat trips start again. In March the sea is still close to its coldest. April to September is the best stretch of the year for diving, and April to June gives the best chance of whale sharks and whales as they come in to feed. The water climbs from about 25 °C in January to about 29 °C in June. The island's season closes in mid-October, and November to January has no diving from the island.
Dive types & marine life
April to June gives the best chance of whale sharks and whales, which come into the bay to feed on krill and plankton; whales are occasionally seen into July. Manta rays and turtles turn up sometimes.
- Reef
- Wall
- Cave & cavern
- Coral garden
- Muck & macro
- Night
- Whale sharks
- Whales
- Manta rays
- Reef sharks
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
- Sea turtles
- Napoleon wrasse
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
Best dive sites in Whale Island & Van Phong Bay
- 1
Hon Tai
Coral plateau where white tip reef sharks and nurse sharks are often found.
- 2
Hon Trau Nam
Caves and swim-throughs often visited by manta rays, eagle rays and sting rays.
- 3
Raoul's Reef
Coral wall where ghost pipefish can be found.
- 4
Bai Su
Caves at 15 m, good for nudibranchs and night dives.
- 5
Hon Ong
Night dive for seahorses, shrimps and Spanish dancers.
- 6
Whale Island Bay
Large rocks at about 15 m with clownfish in anemones, trevally, groupers and snapper.
- 7
Napoleon Rock
Site over a sandy bottom where Napoleon wrasse are seen.
Site guides
Cave & cavern
Night dives through a set of caves at 15 m
Pinnacle
Rays resting in the caves under three island peaks
Reef
Clownfish in anemones among big boulders
How to get to Whale Island & Van Phong Bay
Whale Island lies 15–20 minutes by boat from Dam Mon pier, and the resort's boat makes the crossing free. The pier is reached by car or motorbike, and a car with a driver can collect divers straight from the airport.
Dive videos
Diving Whale Island · AMk3 on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can beginners dive at Whale Island?+
Yes. Every day from February to October the resident instructor offers PADI courses alongside the recreational dives, and the island suits novices as well as more experienced divers.
Is there shore diving at Whale Island?+
Yes. Besides the morning boat trip, divers go in off the island's coast, and snorkellers can enter the water from the coast to see the coral.
Can divers staying in Nha Trang reach Whale Island?+
Yes. The resort runs a shuttle bus twice a day from the Rainbow Divers centre in Nha Trang to Dam Mon pier, leaving at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
Sources
- Whale Island – Travel guide — Local Vietnam
- Top 5 diving destinations in Vietnam — Local Vietnam
- Seahorse Diving Club — Seahorse Diving Club
- Rainbow Divers Vietnam — Rainbow Divers
- Nha Trang average sea temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
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