The Ultimate Idyllic Indian Ocean Paradise

Pharaoh Dive Club Expedition 2018 with Clare & Steve

Includes

Full Board at The Sands Chale Island

Staying in Luxury Bandas

Airport Transfers Mombasa

Up to 3 Boat Dives A Day

£1,895 per person sharing

10 Nights on Chale Island, Kenya

Arriving 1st  July 2018 for

The Great African Adventure

Bandas Room

Standard Room

Non Divers very welcome to come and enjoy this amazing resort

NON DIVING SAVING  £70 per day

Single Supplement at The Sands  £65 per day

Local Dive Site Brief Description

Kikadini Reef

There is a depression at the deep end of this reef which boasts large number of fish. Before the reef forms a long, very interesting wall to 23 meters which has large coral blocks to add movement and depth to this very prolific reef. There are also two or three species of fish that are found only on this reef.

Capricho

The southern part of the reef is a coral drop off which gradually softens into a coral reef. Flat at 12-15 meters. Turtles, stingrays and schools of Jack and butterfly fish make this reef their home.

Pongwe

A patch reef, which sticks off the main reef somewhat like a spur. The southern end offers the best coral and fish life. An enjoyable drift dive.

Twiga

This reef boasts some of the best coral formations on the South coast. At one point of the dive one dives over a large field of sea anemone’s which makes this one of our most pleasant dives.

Maweni

Similar to Pongwe but lies slightly further out to sea, therefore offering a greater chance of mantas and pelagic fish. Also excellent nudibranch spotting as this reef is isolated from the main reef.

Kasa Kubwa

A nice slope with some interesting coral formations. Keep your eyes open for turtles, which are often seen resting here.

Miru

A very different reef with the reef top at 27 meters with a drop off to 50 meters. Dense growths of whip coral and sea fans. Lot’s of yellow snappers and a resident school of barracuda makes this a very interesting dive.

Mwanamochi

This is a long 1.5 km reef  that is usually drifted if conditions allow. There is an exciting coral head on the reef that often has huge amounts of small reef fish. We often see turtles and sometimes the odd manta ray on the dive.

Kisima Mungu

Nomads. A long drift dive on a gently sloping reef. Although not very rich in coral life it is well known for sightings of seldom seen fish such as ghost pipe fish, guitar rays, leaf fish, turtles, and very occasionally white tip sharks lying in the sand further out from the reef.

MFV Funguo Wreck

MV Funguo ran aground on the reef outside Kilindini Harbor on 21st February 2002. . She was salvaged and was then sunk by Diving The Crab  as an artificial reef off Diani Beach. A must for any experience diver.

Igloo

This reef is named after an aborted underwater habitat was abandoned here. There is a very fish rich step with a nice population of sweet lips by the igloo.

Galu Reef

Attractive corals and groups of fish. It is on this reef that we see most of the rarer fish (sea horses, ghost pipe fish, frog fish, flying gurnards, ghost morays and leaf fish).

Dzinani

A very pleasant drift dive which can be dived by beginners on the shallower western side and by experienced divers on the deeper eastern side. A necklace of coral reefs which lie in white sand offer a very attractive contrast of landscapes. Large schools of fish on the southern reefs make this an extremely interesting dive.

Maftaha

An outcropping from the main fringing reef, Maftaha is a small island of life attached to the main reef by a thin coral umbilical cord, one of our prettiest and most fish abundant reefs. Because the reef is surrounded on three sides by open ocean, there is a good possibility of whale sharks and mantas.

Kinondo Reef

This reef has the most amount of fish of any reef on the South Coast. Large schools of Barracuda, shoals of yellow and blue lined Snappers, red Snappers, Trigger Fish, Morays and the greatest possibility of seeing Pelagic fish.

Mwabungu

A single small (200 meters long) patch reef from 25 meters to 14 meters which lies off the main fringing reef, Due to its isolation from the rest of the reef a very dense fauna aggregation can be found

There is a beautiful coral reef that fringes Kisite Island. It consists of a gently sloping wall with an abundance of hard corals and varies in depth from the surface to 18m. These corals are home to over 360 species of fish. The wealth, diversity and colours of the fish are fantastic. There are large schools of blue lined snappers, hump-head snappers, fusiliers, rudder fish, spade fish  and surgeon fish. You will also see the sad looking big eyes, regal, African and emperor angel fishes,  thread finned, red finned, yellow head butterfly fish, parrot fish, giant sweet lips, giant snappers and Moorish idols just to name a few.

Turtles are often seen grazing on the corals, lion fish quietly watching you, blue spotted sting rays darting away as you glide along the reef, crocodile fish camouflaged in the sand, timid octopus and sleek looking squid. This area is home to several pods of dolphins, they are inquisitive, and there is a good chance that they may pass by to see who is there. Dolphin encounters are common is this area.

Nyuli

This is a deep wall starting at 28m and goes down to 45m. It is an area where two currents meet and thus there is abundance of food. It is this that attracts large schools of reef fish and pelagics. Due to current this site is usually dived at slack tide. As you descend down the line you are greeted by surgeon fish which give way to a small lagoon where there are hundreds of blue lined snappers. This is where all the action takes place. Look out for the giant groupers with their armies of little pilot fish. There are also the friendly but cautious Napoleon fish and if you are lucky you might see the florescent blue one. Watch out for the schools of trevally darting.

At the end of the reef there is a small cliff and on the sandy bottom there are stealthy reef sharks.  Black fin barracudas escort you on the way up. Keep a look out into the blue you never know what you might see. It’s one of those dives.

Secret Place

This is a vivid, diverse expansive soft coral garden at 12m that ends in a wall dropping to 25m. Among the beautiful sponges, colourful flower soft coral and stunning oyster shell hide colourful leaf fish, spooky ribbon eels and inconspicuous scorpion fish.

The wall drops from 12 to 25m. Here you’ll see the passing napoleon fish and some large malabar groupers. Watch out for the almost invisible glass shrimp. Throughout the dive you’ll be escorted by playful batfish.

If  you have any energy left there is always Sea Kayaking!

Clare & Steve will be travelling from 26th June 2018 to Nairobi and onward to the Masai Mara for 4 nights starting 27th June 2018 staying at one of the luxury Safari camps for some magnificent game encounters.

They will then transfer to Chale Island off the coast at Diani Beach in the south of Kenya near the Tanzania border for 10 days of intensive boat diving looking for Whale Sharks and a myriad of other Indian Ocean marine life.

The adventure doesn't stop there, as its off on a 4 day adventure to an absolute 'Bucket List' experience - Trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to come face to face with the shy but mighty Silverback Gorillas!  An Awesome end to a fantastic African Adventure!!

Anyone who has been on a Pharaoh Dive Club Expedition will know these trips are tremendous fun providing a life time of memories all with a truly fabulous bunch of friends and colleagues. The African Adventure will be no exception!

Everyone is welcome to join the whole adventure or come and go as they wish within the schedule,  just let us know when you want to travel and we can adjust the package to suit you.

Clare & Steve on the last trip in the Philippines