Seal Cays - Caribbean Coast
Nāfanua Bank sits a fair way out from Upolu, which means fewer divers and usually better conditions. We’ve found the currents here can be a bit frisky, so it’s not really a place for your first ocean dive. But for those with a few logs in their book, it’s a drift diver’s dream. The reef here is just glorious, a proper explosion of branching corals and big, rounded bommies that shelter swarms of fish. We love watching the giant squirrelfish dart between crevices, their huge eyes seeming to glow in the deeper sections. You’ll often find schools of blue-lined tangs and parrotfish grazing on the coral, their colours popping against the blue. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff too; we’ve spotted zebra blennies and those tiny, festive Christmas blennies wiggling on the reef crest. The visibility here, especially on a good day, is easily 25 metres. It feels like you’re flying over a submerged mountain range. Our tip: go mid-morning. The light penetrates beautifully, making the reds and oranges of the sponges truly vibrant.
- Location
- Caribbean Coast, Guatemala, Central America
- Coordinates
- 16.116667, -88.383330
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Punta de Manabique
Best Time to Dive in Caribbean Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Caribbean Coast occur in January, averaging 27.7°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.7°C (air: 25.3°C)
- February: 27.7°C (air: 25.4°C)
- March: 27.7°C (air: 26.6°C)
- April: 27.7°C (air: 27.6°C)
- May: 27.7°C (air: 28.5°C)
- June: 27.7°C (air: 28.1°C)
- July: 27.7°C (air: 27.6°C)
- August: 27.7°C (air: 27.6°C)
- September: 27.7°C (air: 27.8°C)
- October: 27.7°C (air: 27.3°C)
- November: 27.7°C (air: 26.1°C)
- December: 27.7°C (air: 25.1°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Caribbean Coast
- BB-17 - 12m (wreck)
- CHAVIN - 9m (wreck)
- Gladden Spit (reef)
- Gladden Spit (reef)
- HERCULES - 12m (wreck)
- HYBUR 8 - 15m (wreck)
- JUSTO RUFINO BARRIOS II - 10m (wreck)
- KARINA I - 10m (wreck)
- Laughing Bird Caye
- Laughing Bird Caye Slope
- MISS TAMMY - 3m (wreck)
- Pompion Wall - 45-70 feet (wall)
- Rio Dulce Reef - 3-12m (reef)
- SAMANTHA - 3m (wreck)
- South Water Caye
Nearest Dive Centres to Seal Cays
Marine Life in Caribbean Coast
Home to 459 recorded species including 380 reef fish, 32 hard corals, 12 other, 8 sharks & rays, 6 sea urchins, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Redear Herring (Harengula humeralis) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Thin leaf lettuce coral (Agaricia tenuifolia) - Hard Corals
- Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) - Reef Fish
- Fray (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Yellowtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) - Reef Fish
- Blue Parrotfish (Sparisoma chrysopterum) - Reef Fish
- Threespot Damselfish (Stegastes planifrons) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Broad Shad (Gerres cinereus) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Seal Cays
Based on average water temperature of 27.7°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°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