Clown fish city

Best months: Apr–Jul

Protected Area

'Utungake SMA

Why dive here

With 312+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, giant moray eels, humpback whales, sperm whales and whitetip reef sharks - Clown fish city offers some of Vava'u Group's richest diving. Water ranges 25-29°C, warmest January, February, March.

Best timeApr–Jul

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeBarracuda, Giant Moray Eels, Humpback Whales, Sperm Whales and Whitetip Reef Sharks · 312+ species recorded

Water25-29°C · warmest January, February, March

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Clownfish City, despite its slightly cheesy name, delivers exactly what it promises, and then some. We love sites that lean into their specialisms, and here, you’ll find anemones packed with clownfish – sometimes a dozen or more in a single host. It’s a shallow dive, maxing out around 20 metres, so you get plenty of bottom time to simply hover and watch their frantic, comical movements. Drop in along the wall, which offers a nice mix of corals and the occasional pelagic cruising by, maybe a trevally or two eyeing up the baitfish schools. But the real show is closer to the sheltered bay. We’d suggest saving most of your air for this section. Slip through the short swim-through – nothing too dramatic, just a cool transition – and you're in. Suddenly, you're surrounded. We’ve counted anemones as big as dinner plates, absolutely teeming with clownfish, some nipping, some just swaying. Look closely, and you’ll spot nudibranchs, little blennies peeking out, and plenty of juvenile reef fish darting between the coral heads. It’s an easy, joyful dive, perfect for photographers or anyone who just wants to grin their way through a tank.