Forêt du Snark - Prony Bay
Kusu South sits just a short boat ride from Nabucco Spice Island, making it an easy add-on to a day's diving. We usually start in the bay on the south side of Kusu, letting the gentle current carry us southwest towards Kusu Island Resort. The reef plateaus around 23 meters, where the staghorn corals stretch out like bony fingers. Keep an eye out for the Blackbelly Pygmygoby darting through the coral branches; they're tiny but fascinating. Visibility averages around 19 meters, giving you a decent view to spot the well-camouflaged stonefish and scorpionfish. It’s a good, easy dive for shaking off the rust or just enjoying a relaxed afternoon.
- Location
- Prony Bay, New Caledonia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -22.467500, 166.397000
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Grand récif Aboré et de la passe de Boulari
Best Time to Dive in Prony Bay
The warmest water temperatures in Prony Bay occur in February, averaging 27.4°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 22.0°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.0°C
- February: 27.4°C
- March: 27.4°C
- April: 26.5°C
- May: 24.6°C
- June: 23.4°C
- July: 22.5°C
- August: 22.0°C
- September: 22.6°C
- October: 23.6°C
- November: 25.0°C
- December: 26.5°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Prony Bay
- Aiguille de Prony (pinnacle)
- Aiguille du Prony - 1 (pinnacle)
- Boulari Plateau Manta (drift)
- Boulari Plateau Manta (wall)
- Corne de Tenia
- Epave du Snark (wreck)
- épave du snark (reef)
- épave du Umbolt (reef)
- Ever Propérity (reef)
- EVER PROSPERITY - 0m (wreck)
- EVER PROSPERITY - 0m (wreck)
- Extasy (cave)
- Fausse passe de Uitoé (reef)
- Grotte a Jean-Claude (cave)
- Îlot Maître (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Forêt du Snark
Marine Life in Prony Bay
Home to 84 recorded species including 62 reef fish, 7 sea cucumbers, 4 sharks & rays, 3 seagrass & algae, 3 whales & dolphins, 2 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Chestnut Blenny (Cirripectes castaneus) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) - Clams & Mussels
- Humphead Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) - Reef Fish
- Honeycomb Grouper (Epinephelus merra) - Reef Fish
- Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Orange-axil wrasse (Stethojulis bandanensis) - Reef Fish
- killer alga (Caulerpa taxifolia) - Seagrass & Algae
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Striated Locust Lobster (Eduarctus martensii) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Batavian Parrotfish (Scarus psittacus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Blue Sprat (Spratelloides gracilis) - Reef Fish
- Dugong (Dugong dugon) - Whales & Dolphins
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma lutescens) - Reef Fish
- Leopard Blenny (Exallias brevis) - Reef Fish
- Pinkfish (Holothuria edulis) - Sea Cucumbers
Recommended Packing List for Forêt du Snark
Based on average water temperature of 24.9°C, currents 6 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 25°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories